The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1861-01-24

/ VI tue Legislature OF tnat State, DY
unanimous vote, declared 'that the union
now subsisting between South Caroline
aud the other States, under the name Of
the United States of America, is hereby
dissolved !" and the action already taken
in several other Southern States indicates
most clearly, their intention to follow this
example
On behalf of the advocates of secession
lit is claimed that this Union is merely a
lcompact between the several States COM
posing it, and that any one Of the States,
which may feel aggrieved, may, at its
/ pleasure, declare that it will no longer be
party to the compact. This doctrine is
clearly erroneous The Constitution Of
the United States is something more than
mere compact or agreement between the
several States. AS applied to nations, a
compact is but a treaty, which may be
abrogated at the will Of either party; re
sponsible to the other party for its bad
faith in refusing to keep its engagements,
but entirely irresponsible to any superior
tribunal. A government, on the other
hand. whether created by consent, or by
conquest, when clothed with legislative,
judicial, and executive powers, is ueces-
sarily IN its nature sovereign and from
this sovereignty flows its right to enforce
its laws and DEGREES by civil process, and,
in an emergency, by its military and naval
power. The government owes protection
to the people, and they, in turn, owe it
their allegiance. Its laws cannot be vio-
lated by its citizens without accountable.
ity to the tribunals created to cnforcee its
DEGREES, and TO punish offenders. Organ
lied resistance to it is rebellion. If sue
cessful, it may be purged of crime by
revolution. If unsuccessful, the persons
engaged in tnc rebellion may he executed
as traitors. The Government of the
United States, within the limits assigned
to it, is as potential in sovereignty as any
other Government In the civilized world
The Constitution, and laws made in pur-
Suance thereof, are expressly declared to
be the supreme law of the land Under
the Constitution, the General Government
has the power to raise and support armies,
to create and maintain navy, and to
provide for calling forth the militia to
execute its laws, suppress insurrection,
aud repel INVASION. Appropriate statutes
have been enacted by Congress, to aid in
the execution of these important govern
mental powers.
The creation of the Federal Govern
ment, with the powers enumerated in the
Constitution, was the act of the people of
the United States, and it is perfectly i'm
material that the people of the several
States acted separately within the terri
torial Limits Of each State The form of
their action is of no consequence, in view
of the fact that they created a Federal
Government, to which they surrendered
certain powers Of sovereignty, and dcclar-
ed those powers, thus surrendered, to be
supreme, without reserving to the States,
or to the people, the right of secesson,
notification, or other resistance. 1t is
therefore clear that there is no constitu-
tional right of secession. Secession is
oEly another form of nulifcation Either,
when attempted to be carried out by force,
is rebe lion, and should be treated as such
by those whose sworn duty it is to MAIN
tain the supremacy of the Constitution
and the laws of lhe United States.
1t is certainly true, that in case of great
extremity, when the oppression Of gov
eminent has become SO intUlerable that
civil war is preferable to longer submis-
sion, there remains the revolutionary right
of resistance but where the authority of
the Government is limited by written
Constitution, and each department is held
in check by the ether departments, it /
will rarely, if ever, happen that the citi-
zen may not be adequately protected,
without resorting to the sacred and in
aIienable right to resist and destroy
which las been perverted
to a tyranny.
Bnt, while denying the right of
State to absolve its citizens from the al
legiance which they owe to the Federal
Government, it is, nevertheless, highly
proper that we should carefully and can
lidly examine the reasons which are ad,
vanced by those who have evinced de-
termination to destroy the Union ofthcse
American States, and if it SHALL appear
that any of the causes of complaint are
well founded, they should be unhesitat.
naly removed, and, as far as possible,
made for the past, and security
given for the future for it is not to be toll
Grated, that government created by the
people. and maintained for their benefit,
should do Injustice to any portion of its
citizens
After asserting her right to withdraw
rom the Union, South Carolina, through
among other reasons,
declares that she is justified 10 exercising
1t this time. that right, because several