Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-01-01

t'oie vi Wnlc! declared i to be II hr1l tcIgu.
ior common defence" and ''gcncrai welfare
Anothcr article [tl.e l3th) decarct! that I'll
articles Of the confederation shall be inv;olabl
observed BY every State, and the Union sha
be perpetual; nor shall any alteration at AZ.
time hereafter be made in any Of them, ruieS
such alteration beagrccd to bya Congress Of III
Sn9ed States, and be afterwards confirmed T.
THE legislatures Of every State" and it concl.
ded BY Saying that the Union shall hc perpctu
a" ""asthst Union PERPETUAL? Here was posi-
tive and. emphatic denial q the right Of scces
s'on, OF any. alteration, unless confirmed b,
every. State, Does not history tell us :ha
this! perpetual. union" was. dissolved by III,
parties to it, and against the consent of some
OF the States that were parties to it. If tho
States, after decreeing a perpetual Union,
could destroy it, what is there in the
Constitution lt! TIC Of tho United States more
obligatory J. upon the::sparties to i, than
81 E|stahe,spledge Of :sperpetual Onion" in The
kNa centedtsatiou' Nothing shaievcr.-
T =. aIid ae:tIHsT
Of those they had pledged themselves never
to separate from. these same States destroyed
that perpetual Union after few years OF
trial had demonstrated its utter failure to Sc
cure their common defence, their liberties ard
their mutual and genera! welfare"
These same States then formed ~ more per-
feet Lnion" They did not again attempt "a
perpetual Union;" they did not again sa!' there
should be no alterations The perpetual
Union" had failed by the secession Of nine
States, against their rositi:e agreement with lhc
other States not TO do 30 Experience
having taught them that As their 'rcrpe.
tua! Union had passed away, they had
best make no more pledges and promises, bnt
make N more perfect Union" 20 las, as long as
the parties to il desired Experience tansh!
them the folly Of not permitting celebrations. "
so they provided for amendments which
they hoped might render the Union perpetual.
| but which they did not undertake to say could
prevent its dissolution.
The trainers Of the Constitution were mcH
with whom secession had become almost chron
ic. They seeded from England, and war fol
lowcd-thcy seeded from Tic perpetual
Union" Of tho confederation, and war did no,
| follow. They then made another Cnion, and
agreed to say nothing about secession, but tc
leave each State to Judge f"r herself when hcl
defence, general welfare aad liberty demanded
another secession Now this secession has
broke out again, and will break up tic Consti
tuition OF the United States, just as it broke II
the perpetual Cnion.' Ii war follows, tbs
South will be no worse of than when scccs
sion separated the colonies from England, anc
it will result in tho independence o! tho Sout!
Just Ms it did Of the colonies. But II the wis
dom of our forcfathers prevail, as in the disso
luton Of the perpetual Union" war Will no
follow, md reconstruction of another GnioE
will result as Il did when the old confederation
went TO pieces But it is said this government
operates upon individuals, while the old con
federation operated upon States, and, therefore
the Federal Government can compel o5cti!enc'
of the people wilhs91 making sar aaH'. 70 IS
suming that for granted which secessionist:
deny. The people constitute the State, unt
making war upon the people is making wa
upon the State, or the Cnitcd States Ina%ia:
war upon themselves is nonsense.
The people c,."not he separated from t.,
S:atc-the people crnnot hcwarrcd uH0n with
ont the Stale hcing warrc'l upon. II! the &c
neral Government can const!tnt;onaily rc>oT
to force. against the will OF one STATE" to en-
force its laws, it can III the Sauc il iwn. or al!
number Of States, or against alI, or declare i;
self absolute ard beyond I'll. control "f oiiie
States. This is revolution, bur it is revolution
BY the Federal Government, aud whch th
States must dcstroyeein its infancy, or they vii
be destroyed by it when it has attained tn
strength Of manhood. The denial Of the rigti
Of secession by Congress, is the tacit asscrtc
ii the right TO cocrcc one State, AID is H.
:St step 10 absolTtiSm il thr Federal Govern
mcn:. South Carolina has taken Steps To tc>
,I,is ami Virginia anil all the Sou,heri: Stale
will sustain her.
War can result frum secession u-t Is We
as from revolution, We do not say :igh;fuliy
bul as cIlcctuaiIy. The i:Sac "E peace, Wit
lie prospect Of reconstruction, u. 81 Il war wi;
the bloody re rictis Of rcvolui"u Is with r.
Eorth--aEd by them must be decided.