The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1861-07-11


ones in and by the Declaration OF lnde-
ra,denee. Therein the united colonies
were declared to be free aud independent
States. But even then the object plainly
vas not to declare their independence OF
one another of the Union. but directly
the contrary, as their mutual pledge and
their mutual action before, at toe time,
and afterward, abundantly show. The
express plighting of fsith by each and all
OF the original thirteen States in the ar
tcies of confederation two years later.
that the Union shall be perpetual. is most
conclusive, having never been States eth
er in substance or in name OUTSIDE OF the
Union. Whence this magical omnipo
tence of State Rights. asserting claim
of power to lawfully destroy the Union
itselfi Much is said about the soscF
eiguty of the States. but the word even is
not in the National Constitution. nor, as
is teioyej, in any of the State Const'tu
tons.
What is a sovereignty in the political
sense of the termi Would it be far
wrong to defne it political conu unity
without a political suPoriorl Tested b.
this no one OF our States, except Texas,
was sovereignty, and even Texas gaze
up the character on coming into the u
nion. by VI hich act she ackuowled ged the
Constitution Of the United States, and the
fIlaws and treaties of the United States
IN ade in Pursuance Of States, have their
status in the. Union made in pursuance oi
the Constitution. to be for her the su
preme law. The States have their status
in the Union, and they have DO other ie
sal status. If they break from this they
can only do so against Law and By reVo
luton.
The Union, and not themselves seps
rately, procured their Independence aud
their Liberty By conquest or purchase; the
Uoion gave each of them whatever OF in
, dependence and libert3 it has. The u
MON is older than any of the States, and
in fact it created them as States. Origi-
, naly soue dependent colonies ,ade the
Union, and in turn the Uuion threw of
their old dependence for them and IN ade
them States, such as they are. Not one
of them ever had State Constitution IN
, derendent of the Union. OF course it Is
cot forgotten that all the new States form
ed their Constitution before they cntereg
the Union, nevertheless dependent upon
and preparatory to coming into the Union
, Unqucstionably the States have the Pow
ers and rights reserved to them in ana b
tue National Constitution, but ar.one
these surely are not included all couceiv
able powers, however mischievous or De
struc,ige, but at mot such only as wcr'
known in the world at the time as coYern-
mental powers; and certainly poser tc
destroy the Government itself had never
teen known as a governmental. As Z
merely adGipistrative power, this rcla
tive u natter of national power ard State
rigbt-, as principle, is 10 other than The
principie of generality and locality -
Whatever concerns the whole should ;,
confined to the whole General Govern
nent, while whatever concerns ouly tLt
State should be left exclusively to til,
State.
This is all there is of original priuci
pie about it, Whether the National Con
sttDtion, in defining boundaries betseet
the two, has applied the principle witl
exact accuracy, is not to be questioned
We arc all bound by that defuiug with
out question What is now combatted i,
the position that Secession is con,istepl
With the Constitution--is lawful and
peaceful 1t is not conteuded that there
is any express law for it, and nothing
should ever be implied as law which lcads
to unjust or Ubsurd consequences. TT,
nation purchased With money the countrie.
out of which segeral of these States were
formed. Is it just that they should 20 q
without leave, and without refunGing =
The natioo paid very large SUNS 10 tn
aggregate-I believe nearly hundred
millions-to relieve Florida of the aborig.
inal tribes.
Is it just that she shall DOW be off with
out consent or without any return? The
nation is now in debt for money applied
to the benefit Of these so-callcd seeding
States, in common with the rest l. il
just either that creditors shall 90 unpaid
or the rem aiming States pay the whole
A part of the present national debt was
contracted to pay the old debts of Texas
Is it jast that she shall leave and pay no
part of this herseifl Again, if one Staty
may secede, so may another; and when
all shall have seeded, none is left to pay
the detts. Is this quite just to creditors!
Did We notify them of this sage view Of
ours when We borrowed their money =
If we nov recognize this doctrine BY al
loving the seceders to 60 in peace, it is
difficult to see what we can do if others
choose to 60 or to extort terms upon which
they will promise to remain.
The secedcrs insist that our Constitu-
ton admits OF secession. They have as.
sune9 TO make National Constitution OF
their oEn, in which, of necessity, they
have either discarded or retained the
right of secession, as they insist it exists
ID ours. II they have discarded it, they
thereby admit that, on principle, it ought