Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1861-09-26
Wm. Wirl's Opinion of Scccss.
ION.

In Kennedy's Life of Writ. I'd vol, page
34?, we find a letter from Mr.. Writ 10 his
relative, Judge Carr, dated Baltimore,
Sunday, Jan. 0, 1885," from which we
make the following extracts, which may
serve to show that the fallacy adopted by
the rebels was unknown 10 the true pairi-
ot and eminen, jurists Of the early and
better days of The Republic:
belive the affair of South Carolina will
soon blow over. l have never thought
they would go TO the length of dissolution.
If they are mad, the majority Of the peo-
pie of the United States are cool aud So
Der, and in perfect good humor-more dis
posed to pity the Quixotes of the South
than to quarrel with them. The President
'ialked big" but you see, they are giving
Carolina what she asks, in the virtual re-
peal of the whole tariff system. This is
What have thought, from the beginning,
would he done. 1t is a bad example tor
the other States, but better, perhaps, than
civil war in defense Of a policy which
the States south of the Potomac have con-
demened:
Our Government depends so much on
the confidence and affections of The people;
and there are so many fruitful topics of
jealousy and quarrel among States scatter
ed over such an extent of country, SO va
,ious in soil, climate and pursuits, that We
need never expect any very cordia; peace
and love among our people, nor n very
stlong and coniilu d c ,ur. e of policy in any
direction, however, wise and judicious.
A few years ago, internal Improvements
and the encouragement ofdomestic manu-
Iacrre were all the rage. 1t was the uni
versaI passion al The oscle of the war;
The war itself and its wants had taught us
wisdom. The lesson lasted for five or six
vears-but it is gone. Now, from the
President down, the disposition. the uni
ver,ai cry seems TO be Down with the
Federal Governmeat-up with the States.
As TO the right of State to serede from
tile Union, 1 do not recoiiect to hare eve~
heard 1T made subject of discussion an
tile High times of $50 and lSO0,-and
Consequently, never heard the denial of the
right to secede treated as high federal
doctrine. | cannot, however, distinguish
beiween the right of secession and the right
Of revolution. No one, federalist or dem
ocrat, or even monarehisf, has ever denied
the right of revolution when the social com.
pact i, violated to the intolerable oppres-
sion Of part of the country.
We, who only became nation by the
assertion of that right. ought 10 be the last
to dispute it. All will agree that there arc
extreme cases Of opposion which may be
imagined, and in which revolution is not
only right but duty. But who shall
iudre when such an extreme case has oc-
rurred,-tho oppressed or the oppressof!
Ii the latter, it is easy TO sec that no revo-
luton will ever be permitted,-for the
case will never be admitted to have occur
ed.
II the former, the danger las is now tho
case in South Carolina) that passion will
too often take the place of reason, and the
case will be continually thought or alleged
10 have occurred. But in all revolution,
the oppressed has necessarily taken il upon
himself to decide has brought on the
struggle. The oppressor has never admit
led the oppression, nor let go his hold
War ensued-and ithas been a subdued re-
bellion a successful revolution, according to
the event. -
THot Sonth Carolina has ever had cause
for Secession Ihare neves believed. But
ON tie abstract question OF the right of
State TO secede, the argument Of the pro-
elamntion is not so demonstrative as wish
ell TO have found it. You have distilled
the strength of the strongest part of it in
YOUR letter. 4 State cannot tear herself
away from the Union toithout tearing the
heart strings of the other States. 1t this
be true, and State considers Secession
question of life or death, there being un
common umpire between them, there Is no
alternative bu, force or submisslcn on the
one side or the other.
Ti,c Fight at Lewinsviilc.
n II