Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1863-06-23
5euti-WteklQ 9tanhara.
For the Standard.
TIE RIGHT OF SECESSION.

THE RIGHT OF SECESSION
Mr.. EDIroR:-It would seem that the time Tor the as
euSsiOn of this question had passed. were II not LOT ne
that its adycates-he original secessonsts- If still
doubt whether their theory correct yet dscussn
the question: with the vain hope of satisfying tner o
consceuces, and their deuded victims that sucn rs
existed under the Constitution Of the United STATES
Especially alRy this be said of their recognises nT
President Davis. In almost every State paper Ina M
of the proysaI of the Confederate States
he has devoted or less space to tine oscusscu VI az
most elaborate not the abest of all his papers, he has de-
voted considerable space to IT. altnouSn neay VI 49,
two years has elapsed since the right has Deen $3.50
by the seven ,tton States. In that message ne
discovery which it is to be hoped will forever SCI
his conscience if it does not satisfy ms
discovery of which he may justly claim to De lne OI
autbor and which entirely escaped the observation Of all
the great minds of the Revolutionary era anu W
attracted the attention OF any OF lne greI az f
men who have ved that tme aad therefore 10 some
extent uses the remark of George saunders tna' ne
"the grelesr all American Statesmen, past or present.
In that message he makes the grand discovery not only
that right sS buSthat has actually been exercises
once before in the history of the United States In tha
message he gray tells that in the year SS eleven
the tben Un.tel States becoming dissatisfied with s
Constitution 1t then seeded from the Union anu
established the present Constitution of the United
and new Union under it, winch lated till the second
cesSon portion of the Southern States IN loo ana oil
which the part of said eleven States he nolds 70 DC
nrecedeut entirely iustyng the late secession of the
Southern States! On first reading the message struck
that if the Presidents premises sOers correct ne mad
remained doubt that secession recognized right al
least of all Confederate governments began TO nope
that my doubts thai question might be removed
that might see the whole matter in g ht different from
that il which had heretofore viewed III that might De
come satisfied that the seceSons of the South were not
in any resp nsioe for the dreadful war; winch IS now
desoatng proud and happy country but that II
a wicked of aggression waged by one lnuePen
dent nation against another nation equally independent
and with equal ghts its independence, for the purposes
of conquest and dkninion.
But believing it uuwiSe to take Mr. DAVIS or any otner
cd IN
the Constitution of the United States and oil our heVo
tonarv era winch had not read for some years. ~ Tue
hope that it sustain the President But was us
tined to sore dsappOntment-all my FOND hopes were
dashe to the ground My researches not only proved IN
contesbly to M mind that the great statesmen and pa
tots of that had conceived of the exlstence Oh
such right but that the great and paramount OBJECT
which the statesmen who assembled at Phaaep9la
in Nav 1887 All in the different State conventions be-
tween that time and March, l7S9 had In view was NM u o
solve but to -, consolidate AID PreSeree the CH~a
In order to prove that the idea of secession IRON tue
LOT eds I,o Ss minds of the trainers of the
Constitution of the United States, but that ther oecL
to consolidate" and preserve the Union ae erts
ina and that their proceedings were IN accordance WIN
the provisions If the Constitution for amending the same
let facts be submitted candid pubie let the record
speak and if only fails to sustain the President Dut
convicts him q gross error, the fault is his own
Simultaneously with and consequent upon, the Deciara
ton of Independence provision for an adequate national
government became manifesy Indispensable that on
the Ilth day of June, NO. it was resolved 0y congress
that committee be appointed to prepare and digest tne
O
colonies Aud after due deliberaton the Articles Of On
fsdi2 agreed to in Congress, on the l5ih OF No
vember l777 subject to the ratification OF the several
States 1t until the LIST of March, l7Sl, these Ar
tcies were fully ratified and sooner were they rateu-
and indeed befre they had been fully rated-thau was
found that th powers conferred BY them upon Congress
were totally inadequate to the indispensable purposes OF
national government The defects first became apparent
in the of necessary of raising revenue and
in the nce of power to regulate or control the
foreign Trade and commerce of the country and on the I'd
of February 1881, member from New Jersey, moved
recommendation to the States in pursuance OF the proVs
ions of the 18TH Article of the Confederation that Con-
gross be vested with additional powers to provide means
for paying the public debt and prosecuting the existing
war; BY laying duties imports and prize goods Rhode
Island alone refused this grant of power aud consequently
it male In the Congress of the Confederation
Oh Monday December 10TH l72 an elaborate report was
made By Committee consisting OF Mr.. Hamilton, Mr..
Madsen and Ir FtzSmmons in the shape OF an address,
the object of which induce Rhode Island 10 recon-
slider her refusal, but it failed of success.
The subject again brought up in Congress on the
18th of April l7s5 when resolutions were passed recon-
mendng to the several States to invest the Congress with
Certain spec powers for raising revenue to restore and
maintain the public credit, &c These resolutions were
transmitted to the several States with an address, pre-
pared By COMMITTEE consisting of Nj Madison Mr. Els
worth and Nj Hamilton and adopted by Congress the
26th of April 1888 The action of the States beng exceed
gy tardy the matter again up in Congress
the Both OF APRIL 1854. On that day Congress took into
NesSrs. Gerry Reed Williamson Chase IND jefferson to
whom were referred Sundry letters and papers relative to
commercial matters, and Came TO the following reSOu
tionS:
Reg0Ced That it be, and it hereby is recommended
to the Legislatures of the several States to the United
States In Congress assembled for the of fifteen years.
with power 10 prohibit any goods, merchandise,
nom being imported into, or exported from, any of the
states In vessels belonging to- nayigated by the SUBJ
cs OF any power with whom these States shall not have
formed treaties of commerce.
ReSot0ed That it be, and it is hereby recommended TO
the Legislatures of the several States to the United
States IN Congress assembled for the of fifteen years
with the power OF prohibiting the subjects of any foreign
State kngd I'M or Empire unless authorized by treaty. from
importing the United States any goods wares or e
chAndlse Which not the produce nuacure of the
dominion OF the Sovereign whose subjects they are Pro-
0t That to all acts of the United States in Congress
pursuance OF the above powers the of
nine States shall be necessary"
The consent of all the States being necessary to vest
Congress with the powers required and but few of the
States having given that power the subject again con-
sdered IN Congress July the 18th, 1885, On that day Con-
gIess agreed TO report of committee consisting of
Messrs Monroe, Spaght. Houston, johnson and King
win view to obtain the desired power by amendment
70 the nlnh Article of the Confederation vesng Con-
Ress the power of regulating trade &c Similar proceed
gs to the foregoing had in Congress of the Confed-
eraton at different times in the wear 1885 but II was
found Impossible to get all the States to agree upoh the
powers necessary to enable the to regulate
trade AMI commerce and collect adequate 10 the
demands OF the national treasury It. therefore became
evident That some other plan must be adopted in order to
harmOnze the conflicting views and interests of the differ
emf STATES plan was finally fallen upon which had been
1st recommended by the State of New York. early as
Juy 7S2 The Legislature of that State then adopted
series OF resolutions of which the following the closing
one: 49,.
RtSOosd That appears to this Legislature that the
foregoing important ends be attained By partial
deliberations Of the States, separately but that it is es-
sena to the common welfare that there should as soon
as possible conference of the whole the subject and
nat would be advisable for this purpose to propose to
congress 70 recommend and to each State to adopt the
measure on assembling general Convention of the States
specially authorized to and amend the Confedera
ton reseryng right to the respective Legislatures to
rstify their determinations"
Virginia was the first State to appoint Commissioners
for that purpose On the lth of September 1855 Com
mlssiOners from the States of New York New Jersey
Pennsylgan Delaware and Virginia assembled Annap,
os IN the State of Maryland As majority of the States
Were not represented at this conference the Commission
ers od not deem expedent to go into the business for
hey had assembled but after full interchange of
senhens and deliberate consideration of what would be
proper 70 De DONE they issued able and elaborate I'D.
oes 70 tne states there represented which address
a. 70 the Executives of the other States and
UnlIeo states IN Congress assembled. From this
appears that four Of the States had authorized
.ne commissioners to meet such Commissioners as
T OF might be appointed by the other States in the
70 take into consideration the trade and commerce.
VI sne United Stotes to consider how far an uniform sys
S III snelr commercial intercourse and regulations miSht
,on 70 tner common interest and permanent har
nou '1as Ine state of New Jersey had enlarged the
P"er OF her commissioners by ADDING tn