Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-12-04

The question OF secession, or the right and
authority of one or more states to Withdraw
from the confederacy, is very universally dis.
cussed in all paris of the United States at the
present time. General attention is attracted
to this question by the attitude of the officials
of several Of the southern states, and the sol.
emn declaration OF some Of their statesmen of
a fixed determination, in the present position
of our national political affairs, to secede from
the Union at all hazards, - peacefully il they
can, but by force OF arms if necessary. The
strange position taken by many politicians o.
other states in regard TO the unreasonable de-
mands and eXtravagaut declarations of their
brethren in some OF the south Atlantic states,
the comparisons which are made between the
secession assumption OF 1860 and the nuliifica-
ton embroglio Of 1882 tends to concentrate the
attention OF all classes Il ON this question,
which, through the influence of unprincipled
and designing men, unduly agitates the com
munity to- day. Before we can consider wheth.
er state can III any manner seCtde from the
contederacy, we must first consider by what
ties states are bounL together i'll order that
we may know what must be sundcred, that
separation may take place. The fact that
there is contederacy presupposes that there
was a league, compact, or binding together
of certain things tor special purposes. That
| league or compact is the constitution, which
is the chart OF our confederation. The people
are the one that are bound by this ligature of
political brotherhood, for the purpose OF estab-
fishing free nationality, and thereby solving
the grand problem, heretofore unsolved, that
man Is capable of self government.
This confederation is not union of state
governments, nor Il compact between state gov.
| * ho
| tween the people OF the different states, as the
| preamble to the constitution, plainly indicates
IN unmlstakable language, us follows I've,
| the people OF the United States OF America, in
order to form most perfect union, establish
| justice, insure domestic tranquility provide
tor the common defence, promote the general
welfare, and secure the bic Ssngs of liberty to
ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and es.
tabish this constitution for the United States
| Of America" By the adoption OF the consti-
| tuition consolidation was formed by the PEG.
! pie for the purposes set forth in the preamble
| The people OF the states created this compact
and they alone can destroy it, or any part of it,
| In their sovereign capacity they called it into
| existence Tor the benefit OF the whole country
for their posterty as well as themselves, and
not for the particular advantage of some small
/ portion OF the country 0. some few indvi luals
! who, being destitute of every national aspira.
tion seek to destroy this feeling OF paterna
| patriotism by threats OF secession, actuated by
and acting upon, the principle of a low and
selfish ambition, and maddcned by the Gisap
| pointment at the failure Of their da.tardiy
schemes for its full qualification. The seces-
sion OF any state from the contederacy cannot
| be affected, but in the same manner, by the
same authority, and before the same tribunal
that formed the contederacy.
Through the same process, and by the same
means that the states were formed into Il ma
tional union, can they be separated and that
union dissolved. Massachusetts nor South
| Carolina fought or forced their way into the
union, nor by any er parte declarations, cond-
tionaly or otherwise made, but by the soyer-
eign will of the people, and if either or both of
| them would retire from this union of states, it
can only be done by the sovereign will OF the
people, constttutonally oppressed True, the
constitution makes no provision for a separa-
tion OF states, and doubtless its trainers con.
templated no such separation but they pro-
Vided for its amendment in Il legitimate man
| ner, and an amendment might provide for the
secession of states, therefore the will OF the
people might find expression in the endeavor
TO incorporate such an amendment into the
constitution. The idea is at once preposterous
and absurd, that the people of several states
confederate together by solemn compact to
form national union; and at any time, any
one OF those states may absolve themselves
from that compact, and break from that union
without the consent Of the states, especially
when that compact contemplates no separi,
ton, SO long as they have political existence
as states or people.
The political compact, which binds the
states in union, coniers upon them rationale
ty as "a whole, and takes no national cogni.
zance OF anything less than the ,choIe OF the
states united. The consideration of this fact
fer moment would show the relation which
any state would sustain toward the nations OF
the earth, who are bound to us as nations by
treaty, should that state attempt to separate
from the states without the expressed consent
of majority Of the people OF n majority Of
the states.
1t has been argued recently, by men of nc
knowledgcd ability, that II state may secede
from the Union without the consent of the
people Of the different states, or without any
national consultation whatsoever, provided they
do SO peacefully aud they further argue, to
show that notification in any form is treasona.
Die to such an extent, or to fully justify very
summary action on the part of the govern.
ment and executive, for its suppression be.