The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1861-12-18
COMMUNICATION.
Iron THE LANCASTER LEDGER.1

! Independent, and free, when the Decara.
= tlon Of Independence Of the United States
was proclaimed for they were integral
Confederate States at that time. AS such
they were acknowledged by Great Britain
and all other civilized nations.
When the Constitution of the United
States was established, the Sovereignty
of each State was preserved but as to
their external relations with other Sover-
eigns, they ceased to be independent of
each other for awarding to the federal
compact, each agreed to refer its foreign
affairs to the general Government.
The Southern States, by repeating the
Constitution Of the United States, have
broken the federal compact, and abolish
ed the authority Of the general Govern
ment, within their respective territorial
limits. This ACT was cause of lawful war
with each Of the Confederate sovereign.
ties, with whom they had broken their
compact.
Lawful war can only be waged by
Sovereigns. The General Government
deri0ed its authority to make war or
peace with other Sovereignties, under
grant OF power from the Sovereign States
of the Federal Union. 1t was the Agent
of each, and all the Sovereign States, AS
union, or copartnership of individuals
who do not lose their integral existence
by any pact Of union, or contract Of CO.
partnership.
There was no condition IN tive Cousti
q tuition for the withdrawal Of any Of the
States, nor for its continuance, after such
withdrawal. Therefore, the union or CO.
partnership was dissolved on the with
drawal Of any Of its members. The at.
tempt to carry on the General Govern.
ment, except for the purpose Of liquida.
, ton among the States, is usurpstion
against the Sovereignty Of every one of
the members Of the former Union, or co
partnership. Such usurpation is no, sane.
toned by the personal submission OF the
citizens of any of the States ; and is not
clothed with right, unless the individual
submission Of those citizens be recopp;zsd.
and formally approved by tho regular
Sovereign authority Of the States. of
which those citizens are the people.
Sinca fha Ii.eoln,inn e al.
O. powers OF the ostyled United States
Government are everywhere usurped
and in each State, where that Govern.
ernment is obeyed, its own Sovereignty
Is, Tor the time, abated. Such is the con-
dItion Of the Northern States and the
power OF their people is aggregated by
the dovernment at Washington. Though
1t wields the power Of al! the people OF
the Northern States, under the defunct
forms Of the Government Of the United
States, 1t has none Of the right. of Sow.
ereignty. The Southern States can new.
er, without an abatement of dignity, ac
knowledge that Government TO be Sow
ereign. That Government can never ac.
knowledge the Sovereignty of the South,
erh states, without con:essing its own
usurpation over the Northern States.
The people Of the Northern States, who
have submitted to the usurpation, are i'm
PEELED by fear of that Government. bv
false pride under the consciousness of their
"tased sovereignty, 20 impose their own
condition on the people OF the Southern
states and yet more, they are instigated
ny the hope Of southern subjugation as
reward for their disIoyal.y to their own
,rightful sovereignties
The people Of the North and the peo.
pie OF the South are in hostility. The
former under no just Sovereignty, to force
the usurpation TO which they submit, owe,
the latter; who are defending their Sow.
ereignty, independence, and freedom.-
The former have already sacrificed these
precious sacred rights for power; and de-
sire to sooihe their conscious degradation
by debasing others. To this Satanic pride,
Is joined the lust Of gain, to be glutted
by the confiscation Of Southern property.
Thus then the two people are arrayed.
Pride, malice, mammon. on one side. Sa.
cred sovereignty, right and liberty, on the
other The North are deluded also by
their arrogant confidence in their fscti.
tious wealth and numbers and mani
fest the bravery Of the coward, who un.
conscious Of courageous spirit, cannot ap.
preciate il in Others.