Delaware State journal and statesman. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1855-1870, 1861-02-08
No. ..

We are in the midst of a revolution. This
Union this glorions Unien in and under which
we have enjoyed such blessings, priceless bless
ings, far greater than those ever enjoyed by any
other people on earth, is in imminent danger of
being disrupted aud broken into fragments, by
the folly, the wickedness, and the reckless am.
btion of bad and designing men. Six States
have already claimed 10 have seceded and the
danger is great that all the Slave States may
eventually follow the same perncious, suicidal
course. The South claims I" the right of seces
sion as a peacea5le remedy for the evils they en-
dure under the Federal Government Our at
tention then is directed first, to the nature and
character Of the Federal Union; secondly, to the
evils of which the South complains; and thirdly
TO the remedy they propose to themselves
l, We hold that this Union is not q League
between sovereign, independent States. 1t is
not compact between States, which, having oil
the attributes of sovereignty, have reserved to
themselves their sovereign powers and are
united for offensive and defensive operations
with limited nationality but this is a gov
ernment-a NdiiOn-tstablished by the people Of
the several States. The Constitution of the
United States was " ordained" by GIVE the
People of the United States, in order to form a
more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure do
nestle tranquility, provide for the common de-
fence, promote the general welfare, aud secure
the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our
posterity." This Union, this Government, is o
Nation, clothed by the People with all the aitr.
+ butes Of sovereignty, whose power, action, aud
authority, are superior to the Constitutions and
laws of the several States. The people in thus
framing a National Government subordinated
the States, respectively, to the paramount
authority Of the Constitution and laws of the
Union. They pledged their allegiance, they
! plighted obedience TO the Federal Government,
which they had voluntarily, for the wisest and
most patriotic purposes ''ordained." The States
entered this Union shorn of their sovereignty,
through the action Of the sovereign people in their
several State Conventions. Merging, for oil
purposes of Nationality, their individual claims
to State sovereignty, promising obedience nay,
through all their Federal and State officers,
swedring ,tedly to the Constitution of the United
States, as the fundamental law of the Govern
ment Nor was this Union intended to have a
limited existence. 1t was ''ordaned" to ''secure
the blessings Of liberty to ourselves, TO tue the
people," and our posterity 1t was thus mani
testify designed to be perpetual Union. There
are provisions by which the Constitution Of the
United States may be amended but no process
is pointed out in that instrument by which il
might be abrogated the Union dissolved, and
our Nationality destroyed No such madnes.
is anywhere apparent in that instrument The
wise, good and patriotic men who framed til,
Constitution, looked 10 no such contingency
The people never dreamed Of such suicidal policy
but acting upon the great national idea of theil
Union, 'E. Phiribus Unum," they avouchet
themselves to the world as one people formed by
the union of many peoples; aud they designed Md
Constitution 10 be IL perpetual bond of Union, il
all coming time. This great fact is patent upoi
the face of the Constitution itself as we'll as from
the debates in the Convention Of those great an,
good men who framed it.
We here make bold assertion-an assertion
as true to history as it is bold-that, with the ex
cepton Of Texas, there is not a State now il
this Union, or out of it, that ever did posses
and exercise the sovereign power of a sovereign
independent State. Aud Texas, "the lone star, u
having twinkled and shed her pale aud flicker
ing light for brief space, threatened by thu
Mexicans on one side, aud the Camanche In
dams on the other, was happy to escape tn
peris which heset her, as we'll as her onerou
debt, and iud safety under the Constitution Of
the United States. In entering this Union, upoi
being "annexed," she voluntarily relinquishet
her individuality as a sovereign power, subordi
mated herself to the authority Of the Constitu.
ton; and become a State of the Union, com
ponent part of the nation of "the United State
of America"
What sovereign power pray, what Natonalit
did Louisiana eUsr possess? We the people,
purchased her for a money consideration, as VI
would buy a farm, or horse She was a pro
vince of France, depending upon France 70
e government, and for protection. When $50
) the common benefit" she was purchased by th
n Federal Government, she became Territory o
the United States, subject to the Territorial
Government prescribed by Congress- She thu
G remained, in this subordinate condition, till sh
: was admitted as a State in the Union opHing, a
1 well as oging allegiance to the United States.
e her sovereign. So, too, Of feeble, fussy it'll
Florida She was Spanish province. She wa
0 purchased also for money consideration, US sh
buys her negroes. A feeble thing-what sore
rsigR pOWer did she ever exercise She cost
a large SUN in the fret purchase, and q muc
! larger sum to rescue and protect her from "Bill
g Bowlegs'' and the Seminole Indians and thi
4 Florida Indian war, was, as it is charged, pre-
lenged, and the expenses greatly increased, b
, the Government contractors and others, furnish
ing the hostile Indians with munitions Of wal
! She likewise became Territory Of the Unite
n States and so remained till admitted as a Stat,
, a component part of our Nationality. Tho soi
ereigniy and independence of the several statei
is III theory only, in fact and in practice, it is
q myth,
In our next number, we will endeayor 10 trol
that the States now composing this Union, wer
never sovereign independent States.
= DICKINSON.
, SuBs1x February 4. 1861.