Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-07-05

ness % take up arms az ainst the government the
day ar some assemSlage OF men nsse sns s ,s
Union, who could have been brought TO no such
thing the dav bsfSs.
This .ophism derives much, perhaps the
whole, Of Its currency from the assumption that
there Is some omnipotent and sacred sup 'emacy
pertaining TO a Stofe-to each State OF our Fede-
raj Union. Our States have neither more, nor
Union, by the Constitution-no one Of them ever
having been State out Of the Union. The orig
inaf ones passed into the Union even b,fore they
cas-. of their British colonial dependence; and
the new ones each came into the Union di rectly
from a conditi-n of dependence, excepting Tex
as. And even Texas, In Its temporary indepen
dence, was never designated a State. The new
ones only took the designation Of states. on com.
adopted for the old ones, In and by the Declara-
ton of indie dependence.
Therein the "United Colonies" were declared
to be ''free and independent States" but, even
then, the object plainly was not to declare their
independence Of anotke-, or Of the Usios, but
directly the contrary, as their mutual pledge, and
forwards, abundantly show. The express plight.
ing Of faith by each and all CT the original thir
teen, In the Articles Of Confederation, tive years
later, that the Union shall be perpetual, 10 most
conclusive. Having never been States, either In
substance or In name, outside Of the Union,
whence this magical omnipotence Of ''State
rights,'i asserting a claim Of power 70 lawfully
destroy the Union itself
Much is said about the 90 sovereignty Of the
States; but the word even. 10 not in the national
Constitution; nor, az Is believed, In any OF the
State constitutions. VIVA. lisa {" sovereignty" In
the political sense of the term! Would IL be far
wrong to define IL, a .liticsl community,
without political superior!" Tested by this, no
one Of our States, except Texas ever q sover-
eighty. And even Texas gave up the character
on coming into the Union by which act she
acknowledged Constitution Of the United States,
and the laws and treaties Of the United States,
made in pursuance Of the Constitution, to be,
hSY La of he md kaa fst&s
have their status IN the Union, and they have
no other legal stalks IL they break from this,
| ton. The Union, and not themselves sepa-
| rately, procured their independence and their
| liberty.
By conquest, or purchase, the Union gave each
Of them, whatever OF dependence and liberty II
has. The Union is older than any Of the States,
and in fact, IL cre4ted them a. States Originally
| some dependent colonies made the Union, and
In turn the Union threw Of their old de pend ence
| for them, and made them States, such they
| are Not one Of them ever had State constitu
\ ton independent Of the Union. OF coufse, IL 10
not forgotten that all the new states framed their
constitutions before they entered the Union; new.
ertheless, dependent upon, and preparatory to
| coming into the Union.
| PROFESSIONALLY the States have the powers
and rights reserved to them in and bv the nation
| al Consultation; but among these, surely, are NOT
| included ali conceivable powers, however mis-
chievious or destructive; but, at most, such only
| as were known in the world, at the time, as gov
1
| stroy the government itself had never been known
| as aeovernmental-as merely administrative
| power. This relative matter OF national power
and state rig hts. as principle, 10 no other than
the principle Of generality and locality.
! Whatever concerns the whole, should be con-
! hded to the whuls-to the general government;
while whatever coacerns only tle State, should
be left exclusively 70 the State. This all there
| 10 of original principle about It Whether the
national Constitution, In defining boundaries be-
tween the two, has applied the principle with
exact accuracy, is not to be questioned We are
| all bound by that defining, without question.
What Is now combatted, Is the position that
cession IL coRsistsnt win the ConstitutiOn-is
id,cfE9, and peaceful Il is no commended that
there is any express law for IL; and nothing should
ever be implied DIS law, which leads 10 unjust or
| absurd co.'s, quences The nation purchased,
with money, tie countries out OF which several OF
/ these States were formed. 10 q lust that they
: The nation paid very large SOks, lin the aggfe-
gate, believe nearly hundred millions,) to re-
heve Florida Of the aboriginal tribes 10 II just
: that she shall now be Oh without coasent, or
! without making any return! The nation Is now
| In debt for money applied to the benefit Of these
/; so-ca led seeding States, In common with the
rest. Is II just either that creditors shall 90 un-
! paid, or the remaining states pay the whole :
! A part Of the present national debt was con.
/, tracted TO pay the old debts Of Texas 10 Il Just
that sue shall leave, and pay no part Of this her
self,
| Again, If enc State may secede, 20 m ay another;
and when all shall have seeded, none 10 LEFT to
| pay the debts. 10 this quite just to creditors
DID we notify them Of this sage view Of Oh 9
recognize this doctrine by allowing the Dec eders
| 10 90 In peace, IL Is difficult to what we can
do II Others choose TO go or 10 extort terms upon
| which they Will promise to remain.
| The seceGers insist that our Consultation admits
! OF secession They have assumed to make ma
honsl constitution Of their own, I'm w hich, of nc.
cesslty, they have either discarded or yetaissd the
right OF secession, as they ms ST. II exists In oufs
| IL they have discarded IL, they thereby admit
That, on princ:I lie, Ii ough not to be in ours IL
they have retained IL, by their own construction
OF ours they show that to be consistent they must
secede from one another, whenever they shall ind
IL lne easiest way OF settling their debts, or effect
| Ing any other selfish or unju object The prin-
ciple itself Is one Of dislntegraiion, and upon
which no government can posi- oily endure.
III all the states, save one, should assert the
power 70 drtre that one out Of the Union, IL 10
| presumed the whole class Of seceder politicians
| would at once deny the power, and denounce the
act az the greatest outrage upon State rights But
that precisely the same act, instead of be-
Ing called "driv!ng the one out, should be
called the seeding Of the others from that one
would be exactly what the srceders claim to do:
nnless, Indeed, they make the point that The one,
because IL Is minority, may rightfully do what
The others, because they are a majority NAV not
| rghiiully do These politicians are subtle and
profound on the rights Of mnorities. They are
| not partial TO that power which made the Consti
! tuition, and speaks from the preamble. oaIIIng
| Itself 1--WE, the People 4"
Ii may well be uestioned whether there Is. 70.
10y "'JoDty VI the lSk ally Qualified voters of
any State, except, perhaps, SJuth Carolina. IN
favor of disdnton. Tnefe is much reason 10 he .
1 Iieve that the Union men are the majority I'm
many II not In every other one, Of the so-calIed
seceded States The contrary has not been de-
inonstTated in any one Of them. II is vsntured to
dhim this even Of Virginia and Tennessee; for
tue result Of an election, held In military camps.
~nere the bdyonets are all on o3e side of ths
question voted upon, can scarcely be Considered
| as demonstrating popular sentiment At sue h
an election all that large class who are at once
Jor the Union, and agdtas, coercion, would h.
coereed to voie against the Uaion.
IL may be affirmed, without extravagapce ,b,,
the free institutions we enjoy have Developed the
the powers, and improved the condition. of our
whole people, beyond any example in the world
Of this we now have a striking, and an impres-
sive Illustration. So large an army as the rov.
eminent has now on foot, was never before
Known, without a soldier In Il, but who had
taken his place there, Of his own free choice
But more than this: there are many single repi.
ments whose members, one and another, possess
full practical knowledgs Of all the arts sciences
professions, and whatever else, whether usefni
or elegant, Is known In the world; and there Is
scarcely one from which there could not be sr
iected President, Cabinet, a Congress- ana
perhaps a Court-abundantly competent 10 ADJ
minister the government itself!
Nor do say this 10 not true also In the army NJ
our late friends, now adversarea I'm this cont.st
m Ia -.