The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1861-07-11

Union, and not themselves separated,
procured their independence and their
liberty. By conquest o. purchase the
Union gave each Of them whatever Of in
dependence and liberty it has. The I'm
ion is older than any Of the States and
in fact il created them Is States Orig.
linslly some dependant Colonies made the
Union aud in turn the Union threw of
their old dependence for them and made
the States such as they are. Not one OF
them ever had State Constitution inde.
pent of the Union. Of course, it is not
forgotten tha, all the new States formed
their Constitutions before they entered
the Union, nevertheless dependent on
and preparatory to coming into the Tn
ion. Unqestionably the States have the
powers and rights reserved to them BY
the National Constitution, but among
, these surely are not included all conceiv-
able powers, however mischevous or de-
strustivc. Put at most such only as were
I known IN the world at that time as gov.
ernmental powers, and certainly power
to destroy the Government, itself, had
never been known as governmental,
merely administrative power. This rela.
tive matter Of National power and States
rights as a principle, is no other than q
principle Of generality and locality
Whatever concerns the whole should be
confined to the whole General Govern
ment, while whatever concerns the State
should be left exclusively to the State
This is all there is left Of the original
principle about it. Whatever TIE nation.
Il convention in defining the boundaries
between the two as applied to the prin-
ciple with exact accuracy Is not to be
questioned. We arc all bound by that
definition without question. What is
now combatted is the position that seccs.
sion is consistent with the Constitution,
is lawful and peaceful. 1t Is not contend.
ed that there is any express law for it,
and nothing should ever be implied as
law which leads to unjust and absurd
consequences. The nation purchased
with money the countries out Of which
several of these States were formed. Is
it jus: that they should 90 off without
leave or without refunding! The ma
tion paid very large sums, in the ag-
gregate, believe, nearly 100000, 600
to relieve Florida from the aboriginal
tribes. Is it just that she should now
60 of without consent or without an,
return? The nation is now in debt for
money applied for the benefit Of these
so-called seeding States. in common
with the rest. Is it just either that
creditors shall go unpaid or the remain
ing States pay the whole? A part of
| ne present national debt was contracted
| to pay the old debt of Texas Is it
! just that she shall leave and pay no
part Of this herself? Again, if one
+ State may secede SO may another, and
when all shall have seeded, none is left
! to pay the debts Is this quite just to
creditors !? Did we notify them of this
sage view of ours when we borrowed
their money? If we nov recognize this
/ doctrine by allowing seceders to gT"in
peace it is difficult to see what We can
do if others choose to go, or to extort
term. upon which they will promise to
remain. The seceders insist that cur
! Constitution admits of secession They
! have assumed to make a national Consti-
tuition Of their own in which, Of neces
si.y, they have either discarded or re-
tanned the right Of sec lssion as they in
sist it exists in ours. II they have dis
f4Fasf t bbafgya h H5t 70 exist n ours
j. If they have retained it BY their coa-
! struc,ion Of ours it shows thatto be con
! sistent they mast secedefrom one another
! when they shall find it the easiest way Of
! settling their debts or effecsing another
selfish or unjust object.
! The principle itself is one Of disinte-
grafton and on which no Government can
endure If all the States save one should
affect the power to drive that one out Of
the Union, it is presumed the whole class
Of the seeded politicians would at once
deny the power aud denounce the act as
the greatest outrage upon State rights.
But suppose that precisely the same act
instead Of bein. called driving. one out,
should be called the seeding" Of the
others from the one, it would be exactly
what the secedcrs claim to do, unless, in
deed, they make the point that one, be.
cause it is minority, may rishtfully
do that which the others, because
they are the majority, may not right
fully do.
These politicians are profound 10 the
rights Of minorities. They are not par
tial to that power which made the Con.
stitution and speaks from the preamble
calling itself ave the the people. p" II
may we'll be questioned whether there is
to-day a majority of the legally qualified
voters Of any State, except, perhaps
South Carolina, in favor of disunion.-
There is much reason to believe that the
: Union men are in msjorito in many, il
not all, Of the seeded States The con
trary has not been demonstrated in any
one Of them. 1t is ventured to affirm
even those of Virginia and Tennessee
for the result of elections held in militia
~ camps, where the bayonets were all on
one side of the question voted upon
can scarcely be considered as dcmonstra
, ting the popular sentiment at such ar
election. All that lurge class who are a,
| once for the Union and against coercion
would be coerced to vote against the Tn
ion It even may be affirmed without ex
travagance that the free institutions VI
, enjoy have developed the powers and i'm
{ proved the condition of our whole people
ascvond any example in the world Of
this we now maze striking ana impress