The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1861-06-22
A PLEA FOR THE UNION.
LITTER FROM JOHN LOTHROP MOTLEY,
TINE LONDON TIMES INSTRUCTED.

1
/ The London Times publishes in II, nrm.
bers Of the 23d and Gath Of Nav lstss,
upon the secession rebellion from Mr.. Johr
Lothrop Motley. the American historian
who has lately won 90 many honors abroad
and so much popularity a. home. The let.
terlis very long, aud able as il 10, we are
obliged to omit the frs. part of its 6rst in
ssaiimens, which is the least interesting to
readers on this side Of the water. After
taking the position that secession is revolu-
ton, and mus: be treated as such, and, ono
ting high authorities 10 support Of that
opinion, Mr.. Motley goes on to say:
The Constitution is perpetual, not provis-
ional or temporary. Its made for all time
flor ourselves and our postertiy." II is
absolute within its sphere. "This Consti-
tuition shall be the supreme law Of the land, !,
anything in the Constitution or laws of a
State 70 the contrary Notwithstanding OF
what value, then, is the law of State de-
claripg its connection with the Union dis
solved? The Constitution remains supreme e,
and is bound to assert its supremacy
till overpowered by force. The use of force
of armies and navies and Of whatever
s.reng.h-in order to compel obedience to
the civil and constitutional authority is not
"wicked war;" is not war at all.
SO long as it exists, the government is
obliged toput forth its strength when assail.
ed. The President, who has taken an oath
before God and man to maintain the Con-
s'itution and laws, is perjured if he yields
the Constitution and laws TO armed rebellion
without struggle. He knows nothing of
States. Within the sphere Of the United
States government he deals with individuals
only, citizens of the great Republic, in what
ever portion OF it they may happen to live.
lie has no choice but to enforce the laws of
the Republic wherever they may be resisted.
When he is overpowered the government
ceases to exist. The Union is gone, and
Massac cbusetts, Rhode Island and Ohio are
as much separated from each other as they
are from Georgia or Louisiana. Anarchy
has returned upon us. The dismemberment
Of the commonwealth is complete. We are
again in the chaos Of 1885. But it is some
times asksd why the Constitution did not
make special provision against the right
of secession: How could it do so? The
people created Constitution over the whole
land. with certain defined, accurately emu
merated powers, and among these were all
cheif attributes Of sovereignty. 1t was for
hidden to State to coin money, to keep
armies and navies, to make compacts with
other States, to hold intercourse with for
eign nations, to oppose the authority of the
government. To do any one of these things
is to secede, for it would be physically i'm
possible to do any one Of them without
secession, 1t would have been puerle for
the Constitution to say formally to each
State, "Thou shalt not secede." The Con-
stitution being the supreme law, being per-
petual, and having expressly forbidden TO
the States these acts without which secess-
ion is an impossibility. would have been
wanting in dignity had it used such superfous
phraseology. "This Constitution is supreme,
whatever laws State may enact" says the
organic law. Was it necessary to add, sand
no State shall enact law Of secession 7"
To add to great statute, in which the SOW
ereign authority of the land declares its will.
a phrase such as sand be it further enacted
that the said law shall not be violated, ;"
would scarcely seem to strengthen the stat
ute. 1t was accordingly enacted that new
States might be admitted; but no permis-
sion was given fora State to secede.
A peaceful revolution is conceivable in the
case Of the United States. The same power
which established the Constitution nav
justly destroy it. The psople of the whole
land may meet, by delegates in a great na-
tional convention, as they did in 1887. and
declare that the Constitution no longer an
suers the purpose for which it was ordered;
that it no longer can secure the blessings of
liberty for the people 10 present and future
generations, that it is therefore forever
abolished.
When that proiec: has been submitted
again to the people voting in their primary
assemblies, not influenced BY fraud or force,
the rev volution is lawfully accomplished, and
the Union is no more. Such proceeding
is conceivable, although attended witk innu-
merabIe difficulties and dangers. But these
are not so great rs those of the civil war
into which the action of the seeding States
have plunged the country. The division OF
the national domain and other property, the
navigation and police Of the great rivers, the
arrangement and fortifcation Of frontiers,
the transit Of the isthmus. the mouth OF the
Mississippi, the control Of the Gulf OF Mexi-
co-these are significant phrases which have
an appalling sound for there is not one Of
In anv separation, however accomplished,
these difficulties must be dealt with; but
there would seem less hope Of arriving at
,..acsful settlement Of them, now that the
action s,f the seeding States has been 80
nrec;pi;,,e and lawlsss. For single State,
On. after nuS her, to resume those functions
.. sovereignty wn.sch it had uneondit'onaiy
abdica,ed when iss peop,s raaned tne Con
s:i,u,ien of l7sI--to seize fo.a' afseoss'
custom houses. pest. Offices, mints Al y osnef
valuable property Of the Union, paid for y
the treasure of the Union-was not the ex.r-
else of legal function, but il Vas rebellion,
treason and plunder.
I, 10 strange that Englishmen should hnd
dncuity in understanding that the Unised
States government is nation amsnE the
uasiops Of the earth constituted aushor,-
", which may be overihrown oy violence,
a NAV be fate Of any State, whether KING
dom Or republic, but which is false to TIE
psople If il does not It's best to preserve
them from the horrors Of anarchy, even =.
the cost Of blsod. The "Uuised Statss
happens to be plural title, but the com
mon nwealsh thus designated 10 unit . pts.
v,bus unuu." The Cunion alone u clotoeo
With imperial astributes; the Union alone
hold, the purss and the sword, requisites
foreign intercourse, imposes taxes oo fore'gn
e.mmeree, msk.s war and concludes peace.
Tn. armies, the rayies. the militia, belong
I, the Union alone, and the President y
romnarder-in. chief Of all. no State can
Keen troops or aeet.. What man 70 the
c;,,l,red ~arid has not heard Of the tnised
S,atess What man 10 England can tell sne
..u.s NJ ali the indisijaAl States? Ana
rst. vi,h hardly superficial examinasion OF
our history and eur eoas1'Iassoo. NJ !.
.,,hlv shous Q consederacT, eonpaes. 2
san.r,a er.hip, and the right OF state %
sseede Al pleasure, nos kaoEDs s0J ~