Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1861-05-25
Has the Nation a. Right TO be,
ny HORACE GREELEY.

lhe magnificent uprising of tho people
OF the Free States to defend their govern.
ment and flag has doubtless had precedents.
and yet it may fairly be claimed as without
"a tull parallel. Our grandsires who left
Their plows in the half-turned furrows at
Inc hrSt news of Lexington and Concord
and IN few days Invested Gen Gage and
his army with "a force of twenty thousand
men, were military people not long be.
lore involved in the trials and perils of a
seven years war, and never quite secure
from savage forays. The Uni0nists of to-.
day have scarcely known what war is, save
as freSide tradition. Not tenth Of
them ever saw shot fired at an advancing
column, or heard the fierce shout of battle
Even our Militia system had fallen into
general diSuse aud decay, and many populous
and wealthy counties did not possess effect.
i've arms sufficient for an infantry regiment
That people thus surprised by the sound
OF the bugle when just preparing to SOW
their fields should, within mouth from the
fail OF Fort Sumter, enroll Four Hundred
Thousand Volunteers, all ready to march
to the scene Of conflict at an hours notice.
provided the proper arms aud equipments
martial republics OF antiquity might have
been proud 10 claIm as It's OWL.
The rally for the preservation of the
Onlon proves tue strength Of that Union
in the hearts Of the American People. The
traitors conspire to divide aud thus destroy
the republic. The patriots muster TO strike
for It's defense and perpetuation. So far,
all Is simple aud clear. But behind these
antagonist positions lie conflicting assertions
OF abstract right touching point of the
graveSt Importance. Has the nation q
right to exist ! Has disappointed section
right to dIssever and destroy the Repub,
lie Is this right legitimate deduction
from the mutually conceded right of pGoI
pie 10 govern themselves Z
Doubtless, if u portion of this republic
large enough and Stroug enough to form al
independent nation had wished TO do SO,
and had lraternaIly expressed that wish
to the residue, it would have been warmly
seconded from The other side Of the pr0po.
sed llue. II, for instance, the cotton states
had peaceabIy and kindly minated such u
wish TO be set off from the union. | GER
lanly should have urged the free states TO
consent. But secession at the point Of the
bayonet-Dlsnnlon enforced by pistol at
the head Of the MISUNDERSTANDING
based on all assumption of right, and inau.
gnrated by wholesale spolialion of the re-
publIc--lS quite another matter.
The progress of events has already rem
dered clear the fact that the nation must
have fought for its life with the secession
lists either before or after conceding their
original demands. The rebellion we now
confront had its origin in a contemptuous
opinion at the south Of the military resourc-
es and spirit OF the free states-in a preya-
lent conviction that they might be bulied
aud outraged with impunity, as they would
not venture to resent it. Had we tamely
allowed the Gulf States to depart with
whatever they could steal, we should have
thereby ripened and strengthened that cou-
Victon. Had we chosen not TO resist their
secession, they would have signalzed their
independence by expressions which we could
not have endured without even inearring
even our own contempt.
Secession, mauifestly, is no constitutional
right. The Federal Constitution iguores
it. The Trainers of the constitution express
ly condemned it. The bare suggestion Of
a reservation Of the right to secede by this
state elected the most peremptory negatlon
from Madison. The men who framed the
constitution in every way secuted that am
blguous and qualified assertion Of the right
of state resistance TO federal authority EN-.
bodied in the Virginia and Kentucky re-
solves of 1919. The authors of those re-
solves, the original antagonists of the fed
eral union, expressly repudiated the notion
OF such state resistance when they in time
were elevated to power Mr.. Jefferson, in
his Inaugural, proclaimed as Que Of the car
dinal principles of bis republican faith, Ao'
solute acquiescence in the decisions OF Inc
majority-the vital principle OF republics
from which there is no appeal but TO lofees
the vital principle aud immediate parent ol
despolism.' This seemed at the 'ins
statement of a very obvious truth J oGt
what emphasis is lent TO IL by The spectacle
Tbsro being no shadow OF basis for the
orstsnded right Of secession in the federal
compact, Is there any 10 nature or the Ihhe'