Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-01-29
CONMUNICA7ED.
Federal Power: Secessions Revolution,
Old Compact, New Compact, Union.
II. S. FooTE.

Federal Power: Secession, Revolution
Old Compact, New Compact, Union.
| To the Editors of the Union and american:
In cur government, political power is in th'
people; they have at all times. right to alter, Vi
abolish it. The exercise Of this power, by tbs
| dAnple may he secession. or revolution, when thu
object is a change in some material principle.
This political power first takes for in the State
government, which is designed to regulate and con
troll the internal affairs OF the State her domestic
| relations; with the rights Of property snd Of per
sons.
The Federal government rests upln such rights
as are set down in the compact between the States;
and was intended to regulate the external and fer
eign affairs Of the nation.
The State governments, deriving their authority
from the people, come into existence first; the Fed
eral government, was created afterwards, By the
States, and has no power, except what was granted
by the States and the Incidents to carry The ex-
press grant. into effect. 1t is, therefore, the
ture of the States brought into existence, by the sep
arate act of each, they gave their assent to the
present compact, or constitution; and they
expressly declared at the time, that the right to
alter, reform or abolish It was reserved and they
were the judges, CAsH and for Thdt causes, they
would exercise this reserved right.
This was part of the compact known as the Con-
sitution and sll the States entered into it with
equal rights, it extends to ALL
The people in their sovereign capacity are the
judges, and not amenable TO any other tribunal
for the exercise of this right IL the people, there
fore, Of State come together in convention, by
themselves agents, and revoke all political pow
er granted to the Federal Government, for reasons
satisfactory to themselves, no offence has been COM
miLted and penalty incurred, 1t is not material
about the language used to express it. l contend
it is but the exercise of clear right and call it
TepO}utio1
The right Of revolution is not denied by any
The right Of secession is denied. Whyl Revolution,
in monarchies, is generally followed by conflict
at arms Revolution, in republic Of States, nay
simply be declaration Of the people that they
intend to alter the existing government in some
points deemed important and material TO the rights
Of the citizens. This declaration in conven-
ton is made in peace. and intended to be
executed ID peace, far as their own acts go. In
consequence of carrying the olive branch into the
Convention, il has been called "secesson." The
act done is the same-when called secession, the
right is denied; but when called regoEuoH, it is
ADMITTED.
Six States-South Carolina, Florida, Mississippi,
Alabama, Georgia. and Louisiana-hsve already, in
Convention, revoked all power granted to the Fed
eral Government. Suppose for a moment, all the
Sts.es were to do the same thing. There would be
NO such organization as Federal Government No
President, and no Congress; yet the State Govern
ments, with their Legislative, Executive, and Judi
cisry departments would be in full force .snd ef,
feet
The Federal Government, therefors, may be sbOl-
ished without mpedment to the great business Of
the States, either in agriculture or manufactures.
1t is the working Of this Federal Government,
which has been diverted from the external affairs
of the nation and turned as an engine Of eppres-
sion and wrong upon the domestic Institutions Of
the Southern States, which will destroy it for the
time being, AMI cause new compact, to cult the oc-
casion, to be adopted
More than seseaty years age, when there were
but thirteen States, the old compact, under
which tina Union has existed was adopted. For that
time it was work Of wisdom; but now we have
thiry-three States the cotton interest, the sugar
interest," the rice and tobacco interests in the Soub
in the North wehsve different pursuits, in deadly
hostility institutions and religious belief Of
duty, which are placed higher than the OBJ igstions
Of the Constitution.
This nsw state Of things, requires alteration in
the old compact This alteration, is not refec-
ton upon the wisdom or patriotism, of our fore
fathers. The Federal compact is broken, if not en-
tirely dissolved. The fifteen slave States and the
two Pacific States, make majority Of the whole.
The chances are they will unite and form Union,
under the new compset-beeause they are one peo-
pie, ard are connected by interest
l am for this Union, and l hope the patriots of
Tennessee mean this, when they say they are for
Union am for secession forthwith; or if more ac-
ceptaOle, call IL reFOlullOns why because, IN
my opinion, Tennessee cannot adopt the HeW com
pqct, until she Withdrsws from the DID, She has no
right to treat, or be treated with, whilst she
is bound by her former obligations She came
into the compact by her own act, and she mast dis
solve it in the same manner; and until that is
done she is bound by its obligations and bound to
unite her destinies with the higher laV Abolition
States of the North. see no alternative but this
if she folds her arms and refuses to sci1
The pride and honsr and pSOvsss Of the State
can only be maintained by action. She then be-
comes, for the time independent, and can join, in
the reconstruction of the Union, the Nerth or the
South. She is, entitled to equality, and clear
declaration of her glghls in The Union, and l hope
she will never submit TO less. When her sons and
daughters say they are for Union, cannot believe
they mean anything less than this In the present
Union believe she is to be degraded, and hence
sar, withdraw from that alliance, and stand indie
pendent, upoa he's reserved tights, end take part
in the formation Of q UniOB under which abe can
live in peace and where her rights viii be respected
We have nothing to expect save by our avn ao-
tion. The Black Republican party have offered no
terms Of adjustment, and Indignantly rejected
those offered in behalf Of the South by Mr.. |
Critsenden. The cotton States propose to write