The southern aegis, and Harford County intelligencer. (Bel Air, Md.) 1862-1864, 1862-03-29
STATES NOT REBELS.

come, and how shall they be governed -
Without pausing to consider the prema-
tureness of any such discussion it is well
to meet at once and dispose of the crude
and impolitic notions which are put for
ward by some men, the adoption ofiwhich
as mere theories would seriously interfere
with the prosecution of the war for the
suppression of the revolt. The chief and
most dangerous heresy which is taught by
some of the radical men, is that which Mr..
Charles Sumner embodied in series of
resolutions that were at once tabled in the
Senate never, let us hope, to be raised from
the dead in that body.
The doctrine that States have ceased to
Eexist as States because more or less oftheir
inhabitants are in revolt against the United
States, would suitsvery we'll the men who
desire to place all State institutions in the
hands Of Congress, aud then press Congress
to abolish slavery. This was the confessed
object of Summers resolutions, confessed
because so stated in the succession of pro-
positions laid down in them. But there
is prominent difficulty in the way Of dop-
ting this view. Massachusetts and other
States, few years ago, passed acts in vio-
lation of the Constitution, and defiant TO
the laws of the United States. This was
a'revolt by State Legislatures. When the
Courts pronounced the laws unconstitution-
al, the people of the States took them into
their own hands, and we heard stories of
rescues from United States Marsbals, and
popular sovereignty, in the way of mobs,
was brought to bear in the various States
which had arrayed themselves against the
law. 1t would have been very unfortu-
rate precedent, if such had been found, for
declaring Massachusetts, a suicide, and her
State existence forever terminated because
of condition of rebellion. For there
would be found abundant politicians to
argue that the rebellion was complete, and
Massachusetts, might have been suddenly
declared territory! /,
Without, however, going to the past for
Illustrations of the folly Of this doctrine, it
better suits the importance of the subject
for Americans to argue on principle that it
is erroneous, and tends to anarchy. The
administration of Mr.. Lincoln has had
great difficulty in contending with those
who have endeavored to draw it over to
the work of conquest and resulting tyran-
ny. The war has been stoutly maintained
thus far on principle that a State cannot
secede, cannot cease to exist; that Legis.
latures or Conventions en- citing ordinances
of secession do mere utilities, so far as
these acts are concerned. That such Or
dinances are waste paper, and every con-
stitutional act of the State authorities re-
mains law, to be obeyed and observed, so
far as they can be consistent with the pre-
sent necessities Of war. This principle
forbids any discussion of this question how
to govern the States hereafter. They will
govern themselves forever, until the whole
form of the American Constitution is over
thrown Their laws, their institutions,
their rights, are equally with our own the
subjects of constitutional protection; nor
is it possible, without the most violent and
fatal blow to Republican institutions, that
Virginia Or North Carolina or New York
or Massachusetts, should ever become ter
ritory Of the United States, to be governed
by Congress, or that the U. States should
ever be able to hold one foot of land in any
one of those States, to the exclusion of the
State jurisdiction over it, without permits
sion from the State. If pestilence, or
famine, or the visitation of God in any
form, should sweep away from Massachu-
sets her vast and busy population, leaving
her cities deserted and her. fields unculti-
waited, So long as ten men remained to claim
the succession of that sovereignty which
dates back of the United States Ooustitu-
ton, just SO long it would remain 10 them,
and When the last man was gone from her
soil, it would still be impossible for the
United States to claim any jurisdiction
over it by virtue of the Constitution, ex-
cept only to the extentssbe now exercises;
and if she took possession OF the vacant
territory, it would only be as she may now
take possession of unoccupied islands in
the sea, and her authority would date from
the act Of taking possession, and not from
any previous rights OF the central govern
ment over Massachusetts. VI
This is the necessity Of our form Of gov
eminent. Its to be hoped we shall not
be led 20 lose sight Of it. The days of the
French revolution would return with light
ming speed, if these gentlemen could induce
the adoption of the idea that the South is
no longer part ofthe United States, and
is the Legitimate subject Of conquest, to be
held as subjugated foe. Thisiis no war
~ States against States Tt ia a war NJ