Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1863-01-28
Tbe principles Upon which the
war Against the sOutn AAHs
beem Conducted, COnstrestea
with those Upon Wnlcn
should have beest CoRductep 2.

which even now prevail, among the people OF
,he Eastern and Western States, in regard to
the principles upon which the war against the
soutb should have been conducted, from its
commencement until the present time. When
the Southern States seeded; or withdrew
from the Union, they severaly threw of the
authority Of the government at Washington,
declared themselves no longer subject to it's
control, ia any. manner whatever, and pro-
ceedeS to form nev political relations with
each other. This was the act of sovereign,
States, or separate communities, speaking
through their conventions, not of individuals
and must therefore he viewed either as
legitimate act of separation, resulting from
the sovereignty of the States and the pature
of their connection with the federal govern.
ment, or else, it must be regarded as a revoIu-
tionary measure, in conflict with the spirit, III
not the letter, Of the federal compact
For myself have always believed and
maintained, The right Of each and every State,
to withdraw from the Union, whenever il may
please the people thereof, thus to sever their
connection with the federal government, nor
have ! ever heard or seen, an argument,
which has tended to weaken this solemn con,
vict' on of my mind il the States do not
possess this right, then they are wholly at
the mercy of the federal government, which
notwithstanding the Constitution, may legis-
late for the destruction of their separate inter-
ests, and against the liberties of their people
and then compel obedience at the point of the
bayonet The moral obligation, imposed
upon rulers, by ,Orittsp constitutions, has not
always been found sufficient to prevent usur.
pations of power, by ambitious and designing
meu,-a fact, well known to the trainers OF
the federal constitution and Lence | con,
cude, as well from the character Of those wise
and proydent statesmen, as from the primer
pies announced in the declaration OF indepen.
denee, which we're adopted by them, and the
nature of our State and federal systems TO.
gethsr with the interpretations which were
placed upon the constitution of the United
States, by the several State conventions prior
to its adoption, that the right of secession
has always existed, as the only reliable check
upon federal usurpation.
Itiis not, however my present intention to
defend the rights of States TO withdraw from
the Union, but assuming that such right does
not exist, and that the withdrawal OF the
Southern States was an act of revolution,
which was necessarily followed by war, to en-
ciples, the war should have been conducted
against them
For the sake of convenience, and in orde,
that / may be more clearly understood | will
divide political revolutions under two distinct
heads. First, Those which involve change
in the government of an entire people, con.
sidered as nation. Second, Those in which
, the change is only partial, or confined to a
particular district, or division of the country
but made by the consent of the inhabitants
OF such locality. Changes OF government
or revolutions of the kind first named, may
be effected peacefully, as when all or most O.
the people within a nation are desirous tC
make such change; or they may be prece
: ded by cipii war when the old Goyernmen
, retains q sufficient number Of adherents tt
resist the contemplated change, in,which id
own overthrow is involved By cfpit ,oar h
meant contest Of arms between inhabitant
; of the same district or region of country
Thus if the people of Ohio, should 90 10 wa
: with each other, this would properly be terme,
8 civil war but if Ohio should Withdraw from
: the Union, such withdrawal would be an ae
= of revolution, on the hypothesis, that the bon
. connecting her with the Federal Governmen
/ 4 is indssoluble, but il war followed upon sue
. FAot, by the United States seeking to bring he
q back tO'thsancient allegiance, such war Soul
8 not be civil war but war beta0esR too di
fiRef stations, just as much so as il il ha
r been prosecuted against France or Russii
For notwithstanding the fact, that Ohio, i
: the case supposed, might have no rights
i withdraw, and thus take upon herself the cha
a acter Of an independent nation, yeti cannot
: denied that she has withdrawn, and Ia so dt
y ing dissolved her conneetion with, and owe
thrown the authority OF the T ederAl Cover
ment, within the limits Of the State. B
= reason whereof she has acquired ''de facto
a, nationality, which will ultimately become Il
" gitinaie, or ''de jure,' unless DESTROYED b
\. superior force As the Southern States 70
4 merly stood in precisely the same relation
~ N the Federal Government, which Ohio oocupit
y at the present time, it is hardly necessary
~ say, that their secession from the Union WI
% followed by the same Identical eonsequenc,
y which would have attended the withdrawal
the last named State They BECAME, thereb
n in lrpeHdent nations, from the respective dat,
"a q heir secession, with this single eonditiC
auus xed, that :.ths duration, (not the exi
tence,) Of their nationality, is made 70 d
n pend upon their ability to defend and mai
r. tan i against the Government from whic
n, they have separated themselves
TO cons poSI W The, inquiry, what go
,ir sequences flow from this Yde (ecto'i nationl
in ity2 The frat Of these, as that the o