, 1863-10-03
NI)tfdqe Grtbn11e.
SATURDAY. OCTOBER 8. 1868.


SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1868.
CAN'T BE DONE.
It is often said, II will not do to admit
1hat the rebel States are out OF the Union,
because by so doing you admit that States
can secede. Whereas the act Ct secession |
is unconstitutional, therefore null and !
yoid, and no act at all And however
and formally any rebel State
may have passed It's act Of secession, it
has really accomplished nothing whatever
TO change its condition, or status as State
still within the Union. The Inference
made by those who maintain this argu-
ment, is, that the seeded States being
still within the Union, retain all their po"
litcal rights and powers, and can be de-
nrived of none Of the franchises or priv-
ilcres which they possessed before the
passaec Of their empty and void acts Of
secession. The object, plain to all, is to
shield the States against any acts Of the
National Government, or any course Of
policy, which might conflict with sup
posed State interest or opinion
We could never feel the force Of this
Kind Of reasoning; and the closer We ex-
anime the more utterly illogical and ab-
surd it becomes. 1t assumes TINT it is I'M
possible for State to do what it has no
legal right to do. Because the Constitu-
ton forbids an act, therefore it cannot be
done; than which more palpable mis-
statement can hardly be made. The Con-
stitution prohibits State to make a
foreign alliance, but it certainly can make
one, If it can find the foreign State that
also consents. The Constitution forblds
the States to coin OF issue money, but
surely the Confcderacy have both made
and issued paper money in large amounts.
It would be only repeating what JEFF.
Davis has done once before, to repudiate
that paper and debt, on the ground that
the issue was unconstitutional, and so
null and void. But what would the cred
ito1s say to such IN argument. How
would it strike the holders OF the Confed-
crate currency? What would the world
think Of such conduct? That the law
prohibits certain acts does by no means
permit their being often done by bad
men. We all wish the law had more
power, aud that its prohibition might be
thus eacctual, for then We would have ne
thieves, no murdercrs, no traitors, and nj
secesh. But it is very plain that we hay'
them all, and in spite Of the Constitution
VIC also have secession.
If the States in the South have not sc
ceded, then State eau perform no &C
whatever. A State can by no possibilit
do anything more really than they Sc
cedcd. It was IN net done with all til
dcliberation, in compliance with all til
forms, with q full declaration Of intention
and purpose and if it turns out to be n
act, there can be so far as we see no wa,
in which State can act, We admit
State has no such right, that the act is
crime, but the crime has been perpetratei
the guilt has been incurred. The assel
ton TINT because secession is wronl
therefore there has been no secession, is
more absurd pfoposinon' ana a mo-
moDsuous clalm 1nan YVES ever urged .
fore. Even the preposterous dogma til
the h'ng can 90 no "tons' Is mol so o.
as 1ms' because 1hat aomlts 1hat "roi
may be done, only tne h1ns must moi
charged WIN J" whereas th's assef
that there is no CRIME OF quit no ota
mas cone N1ongs II 1ac1 Ao Ac1 "ia'es