New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-04-29

In letter from Mr.. Beverley Tucker, former
liz Consul at Liverpool, now Virginia Rebel
we read thus:
Educated in a political school whose principles
taught me that my frs allegiance was due TO my native
state freely gave ali that had and loved 10 what
con scentously believed Ia b. her righteous cause
feeling as shall ever feel that her people are my
people, and her God my God. For this claim NC
PRAISE and willingly submit to 10 eensaTe'
l How any one can believe, as Mr.. Tucker
There processes to do is proper subject for IN
Ioury and discussion; but that very many d.
sbeleve it, or sincerely think they do, is entirely
sbevond question. And that this radical error
the assumption that "my first allegiance was
fdue to my native Siate"--that this allegiance
was paramount to that confessedly due to the
| Union-has lured Half Million Of our country
men to bloody graves and vhelmed hall The
Nation in grief and ruins truth which needs
to be reiterated, and emphasized and insisted
on. until our rising generation shall have
learned to loathe the doctrine above pro-
pounded as thoroughly as they dcttst slavery.
How any American can hold that "my frst
allegiance was due TO my native state may
1 b
chosen TO Congress, or appointed TO any Fed
eral Office were TO say, when appearing to
qualify, 81 viii take the oath of fidelity to the
Union, subject TO my first allegiance tony native
State" we presume his proner would be deemed
Invalid, and on that ground rejected. We are
quite sure that, if jeff Davis, Robert L. Lee
and Joseph Johnston had made such a tender
on presenting themselves for entry ~ cadets at
West Point, they would each have been re-
iected without ceremony. Wccan safely say that
ue do not see how any one can, in good conscience
take the oath of fidelity to the Federal Con-
stituton vet hold the estate Rights doctrine
|propounded by Mr.. Tucker. Yet upright men
lhac, held it. do hold il. Mr. Calhoun held 1T;
and be was not merely a great man but es-
sentially an honest one. Blinded and mislcd
by ambition be probably was; but we recall no
utterance of his life that was not palpably sin
cere. Col. Hayne was iearully deicatcd-nny,
crushed - in his Senatorial encounter with
Webster; yet we never doubted that Hayne be-
leved his position a sound one. And the fear
full Rebellion which has so recently ensanguined
and devastated our country is no rebellion at oil
If "the resolutions Of %" embody the true
theory of our government and institutions.
For these famous resolves embody along
with some truth, the radical error implied in
the assumption that part is greater than the
whole-they look to and justify IN appeal from
tho higher TO the lower tribunal. Legislative
acts are often unjust and oppressive-rulers
misule; legislators, nnd alas! even judges,
are swayed by their own lusts or passions
rather than by their convictions All this is
|indsputably true. But what them Is it not
as true Of the lower rs Of the higher tribunal 2
Are our State legislatures, State courts, and
municipal dictionaries, so seraphic that we can
trust then 10 nullify acts of Congress and
reverse judgments of the Supreme Court If
majority of the whole People cannot be trusted
to right grievous wrongs, how can a lean
minority What is more repugnant to genuine
Democracy than this notion Of final appeal
from the Congress Of the United States to the
Legislature of South Carolina or Of Delaware
to protect the rights or redress the wrongs of all
our countrymenl
When jeff. Davis, in 1850, asked Henry Clay
if he would not stand with Kentucky against
tho Union, be was answered psremptorily No.