American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1851-1863, 1861-07-13

, know lodged The constitution of the Unite
, States, and the laws and treaties of the I ~
ted States made in pursuance of the Con
r gross to be for her the supreme law of tn
, land; the States have their status In the Uni
. MON, and they have no other legal status
they break from this. They can only do s
. against law by revolution. The Union, an
: not themselves separately, procured thei
independence and their liberty by conques
or purchase. The Union gave each of then
whatever independence and liberty il bad
The Union is older than any of the States
and in fact il created them States. Origi
nally, some dependent colonies made tn
Union, and in turn the Union threw of thei
old dependence for them and made then
States. Such as they not one of then
ever had State constitution Independent q
Il the Union. OF course it is not forgotten
that all the new States framed their consttu-
tions before they entered upon and prepare
tory to coming into the Union Unqnestion-
ably the States have powers and rights re
served to them in and by the national eonsti-
I ton, but among them surely are not included
/ all conceivable powers however mischieyous
or destructive, are known in the world al the
j time as governmental powers, and certainly a
power to destroy the government itself had
never known as governmental merely admin-
istrative rover. This relative matter of ma
tional power and State rights, principle,
is other than the principle of generality
and legality. Whatever concerns the whole
should be confided TO the whole-to the gen.
eraI government-while whatever concerns
only the State should be left exclusively 10
the State. This is all there is of original
principle about it. Whether the national
constitution in defining boundaries between
the two has applied TO the principle with ex-
act accuracy, is not to be questioned. We
are also bound by that defining without ques-
ton. What is now computed is the position
that secession is consistent with the consti-
tution is lawful and peaceful. 1t is not con-
tended that there is any express law for it,
and nothing should ever be applied as a law
which leads to unjust or absurd consequent
ces. The nation purchased with money the
countries out of which several of the States
were formed. Is it just that they shall GO off
without leave, without refnndingl The ma
ton paid very large sums believe upwards
of hundred millions--to relieve Florida of
the Indian tribes. Is it just that she should
now go off without consent or without max
ing any return ? The nation is now in debt
for money applied for the benefit of the So
called seeded States, in common with the
rest. Is il just, either that creditors shall go
unpaid. or remaining States pay2 While
part Of the present national debt was con-
tractej to pay the old debts 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 Sc
coded, none is left to pay the debts. Is this
quite just to the creditors? Did we notify
them of this sage view of ours when we bor- /
rowed their money? If we now recognize
this doctrine by allowing the scceders To go
in peace, it ia difficult 10 see what we can do 1
if others choose to go or to extract terms 1
upon which they will promise to remain
The seceders insist that our Constitution /
admits of secession. They have assumed to
make national Constitution of their own +
which, if necessary, they have either discar-
ied retained the right of secession, they +
insist it exists in ours. If they have discarded
they thereby admit that on principle ii ought
not to be in ours. If they have retained, by 4
heir own construction of ours, they show
hat to be consistent they must seeede from
pne another, whenever they shall find it the
easier way of settling their debts, or affect
ng any other selfish or unjust object. The
principle itself is one of disintegration, and
lpon which no go government possibly
endure. If all the States save one should
assert the power to drive that one out of the
MON, if it is presumed the whole class of r
secession politicians would at once deny the !,
power, and denounce the act as the greatest :
outrage upon State rights. But suppose !
hat precisely the same act, instesd of being e
allied driving them out, should he called the u
eceding of the Others from that one, il would q
'e exactly what the seeeders claim 10 do ii
Unless, indeed, that they make the point II
nat the one because IL Is n minority NAV %
ighttully do what the other because il is a
majority may not rightfully. These poiiii-
ians are subtle and profused on the rights
i mIhorltIes- They are not partial to the
over which the constitution gives and which
peaks from preamble in words. eve the peo-
le.' 1t may well be questioned whether
here is to be majority of the legally quali- "
ed voters of any States, except perhaps, W
outh Carolina, in favor of disunion. There ri
J much reason TO believe that the Union men
re in the majority in many, if not in every
ne of the so-called seeded States. The W
ontra"v has not been demonstrated in any w
ne OF them. 1t is ventured to affirm this r.,
ven of Virginia and Tennessee. for the result
an election held in military camps, where
le bayonets all on the side of the qucs-
on voted upon, can scarcely be considered 80
demonstrating of popular sentiment. At such n'
n election all that large class who are at be
nee for the union and against coercion would
e coerced to vote against the union. IL may
e affirmed, without extravaganza, that the I'll
zee institutions We enjoy have developed the Ia
overs and improved the condition Of our To
hole people beyond any example in the
orld. OF this we have had striking aud
q impressive illustration. So largean army hi
the Government has foot, was III
ever before known, without soldier in it r.,
at who had taken his place there of his own
ee choice. But more than this, there are
any single regiments whose members, one IT.
nd another, possess full practical knowledge r'
all the arts sciences and professions, and I,
hateyer of else useful elegant is known Al
the world, and there is scarcely one from
hich their could not be selected n President,
Cabinet, Congress, and perhaps Court, ="
competent to administer the gov Bu
nment itself Now do say this is not true, 70
so, in the army of our late friends, now
lversaries, in this combat. But if it is so
ueh the better reason why the good which An
Is conferred such benefits on both them and To
should not be broken up; whoever in any 70
elton proposes to abandon such a govern
emit, would do well to considerin defence of
hat principle it is lie does what better he An
likely TO get in its stead-whether the sub Sb
itute will give, or be entitled to give, so NJ.
uch of good to the people. There are some
this subject; our adverse
rs have adopted some declarations of In
pendenee in which, unlike the goodsold one
epared by Jefferson, they omit the words g..
III men are created equal,'' while they have OF
optea temporary national Constitution, co
the preamble of which, unlike our good ire