New-York daily tribune., 1862-04-15
IN 10
sTATE TREASON.

Ih. Torld luxuriates in the pleasing Illusion
that il cen bring up very short all advocates
! of the theory that State Treason is State Sui
eide, by simply asking them "to name the
&" clause in the [Fedsral] Constitution IN which
I" they find, or from which they dcduce, tie au-
thority Of the Government Lthusl to act"
And it imagines that thus cornered, they will
" eyade tins demand, and take refuge in gen
" eral speculations on the nature Of Govern.
" ment."
We beg leave not only to assure our cotcm-
poraTy that it is mistaken on this roiut, bat TO
prove our assertion beyond controversy. Here
is the passage, which The World, while il haS
been quoting all about, has strangely cOntrivcd
to overlook"
"THIs CONSTITUTION, and the Laws Of the Unte,..
States which shall be made in pursuance thereof,
SHALL BIZ THE SUPREME Law OF TEr
L.SD; and the Judgcs in every State shall be found
thereby, ANYTHING IN THE CossIITUTIoa AMI
! Laws or ANY STATE 10 IHE CONTRARY soIwiIH.
STANDING. ."-Fsder0l Coastiiat,0H, AIT. VI. sec. =
In other words, the Federal Constitution
~as designed 10 transform what wss before 0
Confederacy into a NATION, and il was framed
by men whe kaew how to effect their purpose,
They not only inteaded to make us Nation,
but they d,d it. When that Constitution lad
been duly ratified, we had become, in the most
legitimate and authentic manner, One People.
and thus we remain. Hence this same article
- tie seyersl State Legislatures, and all cIecu.
" tive and judicial officers Of tho several
" States, shall be bound BY cath or affrma.
" ton TO support this Constitution '--sDG Of
course are not such members or cG.ccTs,
and their acts have 10 legal validity, when
they have failed 10 take, or have chosou to
rcpudiate, such cath OF iea!.y to tic Federal
Constitution.
That The political entity known as the State
Of South Carona--not q particular set Of State
officers merely, but TIE SrATE--has rcpudiated
her obligations Is T. member of The Union re.
belled agaas. The Nation. aljured aud dcfcd
" the supreme law Of the iand"-is no sabllciy,
no abstraction, 10 hypothesis, but naked,
literal feet. We are not refining and hair.
splitting, but MGy arc who dream Of ON ideal
South Carolina which is to-day a loyal compo-
neDt part o. tho American Union. The only
loyal South Carolina is composed Of tho -Four
Hundred Thousand CaroIiDians-beiDg = large
majority Of the whole nunlboT-wbo were
never recognized as entitled 60 political power,
Dr possessed Of any rights which white men
we're bound to respect by the traitor arstoc-
Ia'y now wagrg deadly war upon tho Amer-
can Republic
TIE Worid INDUCES in copioqs extracts from
The fcdsralist, which it cites with an air Of
triumph, but which really prove nothing TO the
purpose. True, Mr.. Madison, in No. 43,
a;hrms the sruism that an insurrect;ou pcr.
. 'ading o@ the States. and comprising gu
:" perorlty Of the entire force" "would be
'' without the compass Of human rcmedies:"
but that is not the case in hand. The question
nat challenges our attention and demand. ,
PRACTICAL solution i, this: Suppose an ar.,o-
r0,ie faction, mhteh has hitherto monopol;z.d oU
otitieal power in minority Of tie States, hoid.
ng a large portion Of the residue Of their people
n Starry, shaH see fit 10 eonspire against Tie
Walton and drea. oa into open REBELLION and