The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1861-07-26

ment for guidance and regulation. Beast'
OF the field and forest, birds Of the air, fishes
of the sea, and insects which inhabit all form
their colonies and associations, and arrange
themselves in obedience to some recognized
rule, and even iganinate objects obey with
unerring certainty the hand which guidos
them. Nor do the lights Of history, the
lessons OF experience, or the aickering shad-
ows Of tradition tell of Government which
vOltarily and by design planted the seeds OF
its own decay in its bosom, or provided for
its own destruction and overthrow, by CON-
hitting its life and destiny to other hands.
The Constitution forming the Union and
erecting its Government was the emanation
ofthe people Of The United SAFES. II was
adopted, as declared in its preamble, "to form
more perfect Union, to establish justice,
insure domestic tranquility, provide for the
common defense, to promote the general well
fare. and to secure the blessings Of liberty to
the people who ordained il and their pos
terity." But is the instrument which form
ed the more perfect Union with becoming
solemnity contemplated its ACKNOWLEDGMENT
and overthrow by the withdrawal Of all or
any Of the States therefrom at the pleasure
Of their capricious politicians, 1t remained
most imperfect and pitiahlc Union still. IL
the justice il established was but tempo
rary, il the domestic tranquility it insured
was for the time being, il the common de-
fcnse il provided for was until some of the
States should withdraw from the Union and
make war upon it, and il the blessings Of
liberty il secured to pOsterity were upon con-
dition that those who secured them should
not wish to subvert the liberty thus secured
by armed force, then our boasted Constitu-
ton, which has been hailed throughout the
earth as one Of the wisest emanations Of man
and enjoys worldwide fame for its humane
provisions and lofty conceptions Of states
manship, should be secuted as fraud, q de-
lusion, and an imposture, possessing much
more sound than substance. and carrying by
design in its own bosom the seeds Of its dis
solution, But no sentence, or word, or syl-
liable can be found in the Federal Constitu-
ton sustaining an idea at once so peurile and
monstrous. IL provides for the admission to
the Union OF new States, but not the with
drawal therefrom Of those already members.
To gain such admission the State must ap-
ply to Congress, with constitution Repub-
lican in form, and upon an act OF Congress
authorizing such admission, duly approved
and signed by the President Of the United
States, such State becomes member of the
COniedcncy. Ifone State, being thus ad-
mitted, can withdraw at pleasure, by passing
an act or ordinance of Secession, and cancel
a solemn covenant by one party alOne,whicb
it required two to make, and in which both
our forelathers prOIesSed to secure to pOsteri-
ty, may prove barren and a blasted field,
when those for whom twas designed prepare
to reap their inheritance.
1t is familiar principle of law that re-
pealing statute, itself repealed, revives and
puts in force the former law. So long,as Con-
gress permits its several acts for the admis-
sion Of the revolted States to the Union to
stand. according to Secession law and logic.
these States can 20 out and in at pleasure,
and il they may withdraw by an ordinance
Of their own, by the same rule Congress may
expel them by repealins its act of admission.
To 60 out Of the Union as they insist, they
have only to pass an act or ordinance OF Sc
secession without the knowledge, priyity, or
consent Of the Government OF the Union. To
return. they would have only to repeal it,
They can then 80 out when it suits princi-
pls, and return when it iayors interest; or
they can alternate like migratory birds with
; the seasons. Matching Disunion in the Con-
federcy and rearing it without, and as thus
far its managers have, in most instances,
; generously relieved the people of participa-
! ton IN the matter, the destruction Of old
governments and the creation Of new ones
would occasion little inconvenience
, Jove, occording to mythology, and that is
. an authority not easily refuted. lcaped fully
armed FROM the brain Of the goddess; but
stranger still, the founders Of the Southern
, COniederacy leapcd fully armed with high
sounding titles Of official station from their
: own. and brought their government with
them; an emanation neither suggested nor
approved by the popular voice, but the erca-
ton OF those who, like the renowned Peter
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