Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-11-16

powers take place prior, or subsequent to,
The date of the treaty, but in either case
the effect is the same, as the validity OF TIE
treaty is dependent upon the action OF sep
arafe States. ,,n
Suppose, for instance, tits agreed by the
treaty making powers that the State OF
Ohio shall become part OF the Coined
crate States, when an overwhelming ma,
;oritv of her people in convention, called
Nv the proper State authority, decide by
solemn ordinance to remain with the Uni
ted States or suppose it is agreed by the
treaty making powers that kentucky shall
remain part,of the United States, when
two-thirds of her people decide to go with
the Confederate States Will any one
contend that the treaty making power has
the right thus to dispose OF States and as
SIGN them their future position without
their consent? And. will anybody say that
a treaty of peace can be made without de-
tiuins the government with which Ohio
+: and Kentucky shall be associated in future!
Suppose, again, that the treaty making
powers, in fixing the boundaries Of the two
Confederacies, should agree to a division
Of Virginia, and that the territory en-
braced in the pretended new State formed
of part of Virginia, shall become part of
! the United States, and that the balance
shall gowith tie Confederate States. VIII
any Southern man contend that she can
| be thus dismembered, and part of her ter
ritory ceded by the President and Senate
| to the government of the United States
without her consent? He, who so contends,
denies the very fundamental principles
upon which the government Of the Con-
Iederate States was organized. What
would the old Virginians Of the Jefferso.
man school say to this sort of State sover-
eighty? What wond Washington, Jeffer
! SON, Madison, Monroe, Henry, Lee. Ma
son, Randolp phi, and other statesmen oftheir
day have said, if they had been told that
the Constitution of the United States con-
ferred upon the treaty making power the
right to cede one-half the territory Of Fir-
ginia to a foreign State without consulting
her or obtaining her consent?
If President Davis and the Senate have
the power to cede part Of Virginia to the
United States, in fixing the boundaries of
the two Confederacies, without her consent,
they have as much power to cede the
whole State to Great Britain or France for
commercial advantages, or that the other
States shall be recognized and the war
cease. Such proposition is too preposter-
Gus for serious argument.
He, who claims such powers for the Pres.
ident and Senate, would not only degrade
the States to the position of provinces, but
would clothe the treaty making power Of
the Contederacy with imperial dignity
greater than the most emil shtenened mon
arcfs Of the present day assume to them
selves. 1t has been claimed rs one of the
prerogatives Of soyereigns that they could
cede to each other their provinces at will.
But in the late treaty between the empe-
} rors of France aud Austria, the former re-
fused to accept province coded by the
f latter, anG Incorporate it into his Empire
r and govern it, till the question was submit
= ted to the people Of the province and they
gave their consent.
!. 1t is certainly too clear to be successful
9 ly questioned that the governments of the
: two Confederacies have no power to make a
# treaty Of peace and fix the boundaries of
s the two countries, which, situated as we
o are, is necessary part of the treaty, with
# ont the concurrence and consent of the in
d dvidual States to be affected by it. Ifthis
d cannot be done without the consent of the
e States, where is the objection to a conven-
d ton of the States, to settle in advance the
d necessary preliminaries to which their con:
d sent is indispensable before the treaty can
l, be valid and binding? In the convention
If it could be agreed which States would go
< with the North and which with the South,
r and the ratification of the action Of the con-
e vention by the treaty-making powers, and
4. bv the people of the several States to be
II affected by it, when of character to re-
d qnre their separate action, wonld fix the
a future status of the different States, and
t. the proper boundaries Of the two Confed-
e eracieS.
While I am satisfied that separate State
to action may and most probably will be a
TO necessary preliminary to treaty Of peace, ]
do not wish to be misunderstood upon
ID this point. The sovereign States of the
n Confederacy each seeded from the old
is Union. This they had a perfect right to
st do And each is as sovereign in the present
+, Contederacy as she was in the old, and has
n the same right under the like circunlstan.
g ces which she then exercised But when
. these States seeded and formed the pres
le ent Confederacy, and entered into the
N present defensive war together, they, al
c. least by strong implication, pledged them
It. selves to stand by and aid each other
d against the common enemy till the end Of
the struggle. Thus situated, deny that
n any one ofthe States can honorably with
re draw from the contest, without the consent
ut of her sister States, and make separate
lie treaty of peace with the enemy.
in The people of the States can meet in
le convention and abolish the Confederate
Of government whenever its usurpations and
,e abuses Of power have reached a point