Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1861-01-04

the remaining parties to the compact,
what is your Government worth ?-what
will it come to?-and in what will it end?
1t is no Government at all, upon such
constitution.
SELF DEFENSE WILL NOT ALLOW Us
TO SANCTION SECESSION.
But it Is declared and assumed that, if
State secedes, she is no longer a mem
Der of the Union, and that, therefore, the
laws and the constitution of the United
States are no longer operative within her
limits, and she is not guilty if she vio-
lates them. This is matter of opinion
l have tried to show, from the origin of
the government down to the present time
what this doctrine of secession is, and
there is but one concurriug and unerring
conclusion reached by all the great and
distinguished men of the country, Mad
ison, who is called the father of the Con-
stitution, denies the doctrine. Washing
ton, who was the father of his Country
denies the doctrine. Jefferson, Jackson,
Clay and Webster, all deny the doctrine;
and yet all at once, it is discovered and
ascertaned that State, of its own viola
ton, can go out of this confederacy, with
out regard to consequences, without re-
gard to the injury and woe that may be
inflicted on the remaining members from
the act
Suppose this doctrine to be true, Mr..
President, that a State can withdraw
from this confederacy; and suppose
South Carolina has seeded, and is now
out of the confederacy; in what an
altitude does she place herself? There
might be circumstances under which the
States ratifyng the compact might tolerate
the secession of State, she taking the
act. But there might be other circum-
stances under which the States could not
allow one to secede. Why do | say SO ?
Some suppose-and it is well founded
supposition-that by the secession of a
State all the remaining States might be
involved in war; and by the secession Of
one State the existence of the remaining
States might be involved. Then, with
gu, regard to the Constitution, dare the
other States permit one to secede when
it endangers all, involves all the remain
ing States? The question arises in this
connection, whether the States are in con-
dition to tolerate or will tolerate the Sc
cession Of South Carolina. That is a
matter to be determined by the circum-
stances that is a matter to be determin-
ed by the emergency that is a matter
to be determined when it comes up. 1t
is question which must be left open to
be determined by the surrounding cir
cumstances, when the occasion arises.
THE MUNROE DOCTRINE IN THE WAY.
But conceding, for arguments sake,
the doctrine of secession, and admitting
that the State of South Carolina is now
upon your coast, a foreign power, absolv-
ed from all connection with the Federal
| Government, out of the Union what
then? There was doctrine incuIcated
in 1928, by Mr., Monroe, that this Gov
eminent keeping in view the safety Of
the people and the existence of our in
stitutions, would permit no European
power to plant any more colonies on this
continent. Now suppose that South
Carolina is outside of the Confederacy,
and this Government is in possession of
the fact thar she is forming an alliance
with foreign power-with France, with
England, with Russia, with Austria, Or
with all Of the principal powers of En-
rope that there is to be great naval
station established there, an immense
rendezvous for their army, with a view
to Interior objects, with a view of making
advances upon the rest of these States
let me ask the Senate, let me ask the
country, if they dare permit it? Under
and in compliance with the great law of
self-presevation, we dare not let her do
it and if she were a sovereign power
today, outside of the Confederacy, and
was forming an alliance that we deemed
nimical to our institutions, and the exist
ence Of our Government, we should have
a right to conquer and hold her as a
province--a term which is so much used
with scorn.
THE BORDER STATES NOT TO BE
! CoERCED.
What is the first threat thrown out?
1t is an intimation to the border States
abiding especially, l suppose, to Virgin
ia, Maryland, Kentucky and Missouri.
They constitute the first tier of the Dor
der slave States. The next tier would
be North Carolina and Tennessee and
Arkansas. We in the South have COM
planned and condemned the position as
sumed by the Abolitionists. We have