New-York daily tribune., 1861-07-06
# mes have enacted the sreieol prstense Of 'as'ns

,bei, state out II the Union, who coald nave oee"
broaeht 70 no uch thing the day before.
THE soplsm 1el,es nucb perbaps ne wc0'o, 81 its
cnrrsncy from the assumption that there sons omni-
potent ard sacred supremacy pertaining to S'a'e'o
each State Of our Federsi Union Our States nave
neher more ef p0wer than that reserved 70 'nen
IN the Union by Jss Constitution, no one Of tnem ever
having been State Out Of the Union. Inc ofis'nal
ones paced into the Union even before ey 0A'' v"
their British colonial dependence, ana te nc" oies
came into the Union directly from cohdinoh Oh ue-
pendence excepting Texas and even Texas IN s tenn
porary Independence never designated as state
the new ones only took the designation OF States on
coming into the Union, while that name was first
adep,ed for old in and by the Declaration OF lnde
utndence. Therein the united colonies were declared
70 be free and RdyendeRl States But even then the
object plainly was not to declare their independence OF
one another OF the Union, but directly the contrary as
their mutual pledge and their mutual action before az
the time, and afterward, abundantly show. Tho e~-
press pghting of faith by each and sl OF the ogna
thirteen States in the articles Of confederation two years
ater that the Union shall be perpetual, IS r0s' con-
elusive bsying never been States 'eitber I'D faostancs
or in name outside of the Union. Whence tbie ma8oa
omnipotence Of State Rights, aseelnga clam oi power
10 lawfully destroy the Union itselfi huch s said
aeus be sovereignty OF the tates but Che word even
il not in the National Constitution, nor ss believed
Ia any Of the state Consultations.
What IL a sovsrsepty IN the political sense oi u'e
| term7 Wonld il he far wrong 10 define IT pohucH
comns,nity without political superiori Iested oy
! this no one Oi States, except Texas, "as
sovereignty and even Texas gave mp the character on
comiis into the Union by which act bhe ackhowieoBeu
the Constitution of the United States, and the awe
and treaties Of the United States made IN pursuance o'
States, have their status in the Union made IN pur
snaca OF the CONSTRUCTION, 10 be for her the supreme
| law The States have their status IN The Uuion aho
tbey have no other legal status If they breik IRON
,bjs they can only do 10 against law and by revou-
| ton.
The Union and not themselves separately, procured
fleir ipdependence and their liberty by conquest or
,nrchase tbe1uon gave each of them whatever of in-
derend.nee and liberty it has. The Union is oder
dan any of the States, and IN fact 1t created
them as States. Originally some dependent
colonies made ,he Union and in Turn the Union
threw off their old dependence for them and
made them States, such as they Not one Of them
ever had a State Constitution independent OF the
Union OF course II s not forgotten that all the new
States formed their Constitutions before they entered
the Union nevertheless dependent upon and prepara
tory to coming into the Union. Unquesiionably the
States have the powers and rghts reserved To them IN
and by (he National Constitution, but among these
surely are not included all conceivable posers how
ever mischieyous or destructive but az most such only
as were known in the world at the time govern
mental powers; aud certainly power 20 destroy the
Government hself bad never been known a. govern
mental. As merely administrative power, this rela-
tive matter Of national power and State rights ss
principle is other than the prncp Of generality
and locality. Whatever concerns the whole should be
confined TO the whole General Government, while
! wbatever only the State should be left ex-
| clusiyely to the State.
This Is all there 10 of original principle about it,
Whether The National Constitution, in defining bounia.
res between the two, has applied the principle with
exact accuracy, ia not 20 be questioned. We are AL
bound by tbst defining question. What IL now
o"nUaiIed The position that Secession i. consistent
! with the COnstitutOp-is iHwIut s~N --.G,I 7, 1;
not oontended that there is any express law it,
nothing should ever be implied ss law which leads to
unjust absurd consequence The nation purchased
with money tie countries out Of which seversl Of these
s.sbs were formed. Is ii jurt tat thsy should 70 of
without leave, aud without reiandiDg7 The nstoI
paid very large sums in The apgregae-I believe nearly
q hundred nilions-o relieve Florida Of the aboriginal
| tIibls.
! H. il jnst tlat she shall now be of without consent
without any reurnl The nation IL now in debt for
money applied 10 the benefit Of hefe so-ca!led seeding
Saics, in with the rest Is ius either tbat
eretiors hsll 90 nnpsd, OF the remaining S,aos pay
| the wholef part Of the present utionsl debt was
contracted 10 Jay the old debts Of Texas. Is Il Just
tfat she shall leave and pay part OF his heToefl
Again, If one State may secede. 20 may another; and
when all shall have seeded, none is lefi 10 psy tho
debts l. this quite juS to creditors Did We notify
them of ths ssGe view Of Ougs when We borrowed
their money! IL now recognize this doctrine BY
allowing the soceders to 60 in peacc IL difficult 10
zee what do if Others choose TO gp or 10 cx-
tort terms upon which they will promise to remain.
Tie seceders insist that Constitution admits VI
secession. They have assumed TO make u National
Constitution Of their own in which, Of necessity they
baye either discarded retained the right Of receseon
they insist it exss in II hey have discarded
it, they thereby admit that on principle it ought not
to exist in ours; il they have retained IT, by their own
construction Of ours, they show that to be consistent
they must secede from another whenever they sba
find 1t the easiest way of settling their debts, effect
ing any other selfish or unjust object.
The principle itself is Of d.integrston and upon
which no government possibly endure. If all the |
Staies should assert the power to drive that
out Of the Union it il presumed the whole class Of
seceder politicians would ut deny the power and
denounee the act the greatest outrage upOn State
rights. But suppose that precisely the same act in
stead Of being called driving tho out should be
called the seeding Of the others from that one, IL
would be exactly what the scceders claim to do unles
indeed they make the point that the one because it il
minority, may rghtfully do what the others. because
they ore a majority, may not nghtfully do.
These politicians ere subtle and profound in the