Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-11-30
Qvrvsstor No v

BieSTT, AND THERE CAN Blk TREASON ONLY
WHERE THERE ARE BoTH-MIsTAkE SOME
WHERE THERE Is TREASON AGAINST THx
UNITED STArE.-SEcEssIoNIsM CLAIMS THE
PowBR or ABsOLUTIoN from ALLEGIANCE,
CRIMES AND OAIHs.
To the People Of the South.
secessionists deny that the United states are
| anything more than partnership and they repre-
| sent the General Government to be mere agency,
Of which the Constitution 10 the power Of attorney,
and from these assumptions they deduce the con-
cluson that the United States neither possess
| sovereignty nor command allegiance.
The Constitution Itself, on its face, negatives
| this conclusion. 1t recognizes such crime as
| t.eason against the United States. Now treason
II 's rhe breach of allegiance from a citizen or
| subject to a sorsreisH." Where there is no SOW
| ereignty there can be no allegiance, and where
there Is no allegiance there can be no treason BY
| recognizing such a crime treason against the
United States therefore, the Constitution asserts
sovereignty in them and claims allegiance.
The first Congress assembled under the Consti.
tuition passed an act for the punishment Of
tain crimes against the United States I" the first
named o. which Is treason. IL enacts that IL any
| person persons oiciHg allegiance to ths United
States Of America shall levy war against them, or
| shall adhere to their enemies, giving them aid and
| comfort within the United States or elsewhere"
&C., &c such person persons shall suffer
| DEATH
| The same Congress passed another act touching
| the Army of the United States, which required
every officer and soldier to take an oath bear
frxe allegiance to the United States of america ;"
| There must I've mistake somewhere. Either
George Washington and the convention which
framed the Constitution, the whole people who
adopted 1t, and the first Congress convened under
1t, must have been mistaken, our modern Sc
cessionists must be greatly in error AL the
| former, without exception, and 1t Is believed
every member Of Congress and every United
States Judge for at least forty years after the Con-
stitution was adopted, fully believed the Uhited
States to be a Hnittsd sorsreiga, to whom every
citizen owed allegiance. Are they less likely to
| be right than the modern enemies Of the Union
Who 10 1t that owes allegiance TO the United
States" and can commit the crime of treason
against them, We answer, srery citizen of every
State, all of whom also citizens Of the United
States, the two descriptions embracing precise y
, the same persons. Every citizen Of every State,
therefore, owes allegiance to the United States
not in his character as citizen Of State, but In
his character as a citizen of the United States
Now, can any State sbsolve its citizens from
$ their allegiance to the United States, In othei
words can a State abolish the crime Of treason
against the United States far its own citizen
are concerned Can it do this, though It has, by
i's highest sovereign authority, stipulated with
all the other States that its citizens shall be deemed
traitors, II caugh t levyng war against the United
States, and after stipulating that their Constitu
ton and laws shall be @ the su preme law of the
land, :" ' anything In its own Constitution and
! laws to the contrary Notwithstanding? To cay
that State can directly or indirectly absove it
citizens from allegiance TO the United States, and
from the guilt of treason should they be found IL
arms against the United States is to say that the
people Of State can at will absolve themselve,
from every human obligation, and bid defiance te
: constitutions, compacts, laws, and all govern
D ment. The principle goes further ana assumes
. | power to absolve men from their self-imposed
obligations to their Maker. The law-givers
judges and governors Of the States have taker
| solemn oath to support the Constitution Of Il.
United States, and many of their citizens hev,
| sworn to bear them true allegiance. SecessIOn su
| maintains Its power to absolve the lawgivers
: judges, governors, and cit zens Of the State
though also citizens Of the United States, from
their obligations to their God incurred by tbes
: oaths. Secession does not stop there IL eve
;. | undertakes 10 release the United States law
| givers, judges, and officers, even the Presi
= dent himself, from tie oblg cations Of their oaths
Though the President swears that he will, t
the best Of his ability, "p,sserrs, protect. an
i 6Je"1 ihe SS"stHbttOS " CHfttu STATES
l secessionisIn undertakes to release him from hI
,r oath within any State by declaring II no longer
member Of the Union. II denounces the mer
suggestion that he has any right to attempt "t
se preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution
ie though he may have ample "ability'' to do SC
should the people Of any State declare themselve
,e absolved ffom their voluntary compact with IL
n. people Of the other States.
This pretended ''indivisible'' and "Inherent
"sOre,.'gnty" arrogates to itself power not no,
m claimed By Priest, Pope, or Potentate power
release itself from its own most sacred obligation
power to relieve citizens from allegiance to the
IN government; a power to absolve law-giver
judges, governors, and Presidents from the obi
| cations Of their oaths.
3 There are some miscellaneous matters not v,
touched upon, illustrating the absurdity Of tn
doctrine of secession, which will form toe subiec
- OF another number. AMos KENDALL.