Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1861-01-02

4
delberation hath enabled ms to tece thereon, 20
in the name and on behalf of the people Of Virginia
declare and make known, that the power granted
under the Constitution being derired from the peo-
pie of the States, may he resumed by them whenso-
the SAME shall de perverted to their injury or
oppression" :.
stronger language in justification Of the right Of Sc
cession.
WHY, it is tho very thing itssl, for it speaks Of
the people Of Virginia reserving right of resuming
~ hats Why, resuning the poners which the sep
arate States were then comforting upon the consti-
tuted authorities of the General Government. When
could she do this? Whenever the same shall be
perverted to their injury or oppressi9A."
Here, then. you have the open and unqualified
declaration, that the Pendletons, the Parkers, the
Ncholases, the Taylors Of (Carone,) the Marshals,
the Washingtons, and Henrys delegates in the very
that each State possessed the right to resume the
powers conferred, whenever they were perverted to
their "injury oppression"
We could give you substantially the same Ian.
guage used BY three or four more States at the time
Of ratification; but this of itself is enough to put
doubt to flight -..-.
We conclude, therefore, that the federal govern
nent is neither more nor less than compact or
agreement among sovereign States, in which they
nave ciltcTeu WTlIIell 0uOuS tH0m-
selres (the government being no party to the COM
pact) to provide a common government for express
~ stipulated purposes; that when this common
agent fails either to discharge the trust rcposed or
so "perrerts" abuses the powers conferred to the
injury oppression" of each any Of the States,
so to fail Ito establish justice, insure domestic
tranquility, provide for the common defence and Sc
cure the blessings of liberty" each or any of these
being failure. then it is both the right, well as
the most sacred duty of State to step forward and
release her citizens from any and from all the obli-
cations she had previously imposed
But it has been said by those miserable fanatics,
who are now threatening the incendiarys torch to
our dwellings, that this doctrine Of secession cannot
be maintained for what then becomes of the millions
of acres of public lands the common property of
all the States? Are the seeding States to have
all that may happen to be within their limits
1t cannot be maintained, say they. for as sover-
eighty is co.extensve with domain, having the lat
ter there would be no Limitation to the taxing pow
er of the former; and even though the seeding
States might agree upon fair division Of the lands,
yet at any time the taxing power might effectually
render null and void the benefit supposed to have
been conferred.
This, so far from being an argument against the
USE is at most only an argument against the abuse
of the right of secession and it will apply with
equal force against many of our well secured and
admitted rights.
Take the acknowledged right, that from time in,-
memorial the law has thrown around the hearth
stone and altar you have the undoubtet right torci
bly, to eject any person who shall come within your
enclosures unbidden and unwelcomed; and its lit
bility to abuse is no reason with the law why it
should be withheld; for if not granted greater
abuses might and would flow in its wake.-your
family would be insulted. your property p,llaged.
and your life put in peril for then your house,
your castle of Defence would cease to give You, as
now, protection, but it would be invaded by every
man who sought quarrel with You.
Just so with sovereignty it is the citizens castle
of defence from enemies without as well as within;
he is too ueak to protect himself and it is to the
protecting ags of his State in her sovereign char
acter, that he looks up, and asks to be protected
from the war of determination which blind fanati-
cism is now waging,-in which neither age sex or
condition will receive the least mercy at their hands
He cannot protect himself and he has the most
serious and honest apprehension that tie govern
ment niN not.
Where, then, in the name of everything most sa-
cred he go for protection if not to the State?
1t is nide mixtdkc to suppose that secession az
fects to have to do with any other than political
equitable right, arising from any supposed partner
ship of the public lands is not in the least impaired
thereby.
No. so far from it secession goes no further than
TO prevent unricndly concurrent jurisdiction
the lands in question: leaving the equitable claim Of
the copartners a debt uncancelled and untouched
and to be enforced precisely in the same way that
all claims are now enforced between sovereigns-by
an appeal to their of Justice and should that
fail by an appeal to the last resort the ultima ratio
regum :" and in resorng to the sword, it is not be-
the State has right to secede, but only be-
cause she claims, as a consequence of secession,
rights, privileges and exemptions that do not attach
to it, and which in teay essential to its
cise
Nothing attaches to it but that which is essential
y necessary to its exercise and the discharge ofany
equitable and moral obligation, pecuniary or other
wise not being necessary, is not in the least affected
thereby.
Hence it is that nations always look to the govern
ment "de f;tcto" for any remuneration they may
have righuHy claimed at the hands Of the govern
ment displaced
We trust then, that upon the abstract right of a
Sate to withdraw We have made ourselves distinct-
| ly understood; and We will now proceed to the
7 naming interrogatory, "What steps should now be
| taken by North Carolina to avert the impending
! storm?"
| Here permit me to say, that although recognizing
the right am not yet prepared to say that the time
has arrived for its erercise on the contrnry in my
humble opinion, it has not and if therefore called
upon for advice in the language Of the Hon. A. II.
Stephens, OF Georgia, would say, "Iet us DO all
we can, SO that in future if the worst come, it may
never be said We were negligent in doing our duty
| to the last"
Let inc still further adopt his language and say,
"bcfore looking to extreme measures let rst see
that erery thing which can be done to preserve our
rights our interests and our honor as we'll as the
peace of the country in the Union, be first done "
for rest fully assured that such priceless heritage
the gaze and admiration Of the world, If it can be
maintained intact by the perversions and miscon'
structions of blind anaticism is we'll worthy Of the
most watchful solcitude Of the most exalted patriot
! ism.
We cannot say that We believe it can, but still
there is hope and he who would not defer to hope,
(although it may be faint and when he cannot poss
IDLY incur any injury thereby, and when there is Sc
much at stake, loves a constitutional. Union less
than do.
We 20 in then for Convention of States, but no:
for consultation of the entire South; and that 70,
reasons We shall afterwards give.