Washington telegraph., 1865-05-03

I have always regarded the States as free and
Independent in voluntary association for a
line with he other States. Of the Union. but
having the lisht to Withdraw. snd establish
other governne nents fer themselves, Whenever
the PaoPle OF the different States might suppose
tn, il best interests to require such a course.
VTe have regarded 1t rs an inherent right over
and above the Constitution Of the United States,
and tacils reserved from the obligations in
Cured by c--,sring the Federal association. No
one can rsad the history Of tho Convention es-
teh'isbine that Federation, and honestly, w
rhiuk. come to = different conclusion.
Even farther back in the declaration of In
dependence. no constitutional right to Withdraw
from the government of Great Britain wss
! claimed The right to set up a separat, gov
| ernrlant for ourselves was placed upon the
bro,d rround that to secure the rights Of life.
! liberty. and happiness, governments ara in
! s.iruted among mon, deriving their just powers
| from the consent Of The governed; that wher-
ever any form of government becomes deslrUe-
tive of these ends, Ills the right Of the people
| 70 alter or abolish II. an3 to institute new gov
| eminent. laying its foundation on such prinri-
! Ples, end organizing its powers in such form.
as TO Them shall seem most likely TO offectih ir
safety and happiness. Prudence indeed viii
/ dictate that COVE nmon.s long established
shcull not lie changed for light and transient
causes, and accordingly all experience hath
/ shown. that mankind are more disposed 20 snf-
/ fer while evils are suffcrable, than to RIGHT
4 L I 1.s =
they ara accus. .orncl. But when long train
of abuses and rsurpations, pursuing Invariably
/ the same object, evinces a design to reduce
them under absolute despotism {, is he;r rigI'.
! If ;s their 9rfy to throw Off such government.
and to provide new guards tcr their future se-
sr,ritv."
/ w have given this quotation AT length. be-
! csuee not n word e-r He dispensed with, snd a
lee :, conviction Of IFS truth aad IN urfelt~rin-
determination to u,trfsin this right. is now Vi
/ tai f, every eo~ h-~n maa. to preserve hin
/ f-7m tn disgrace Of its has,v abandonment il
on hour Of gloom and Dependency.
! Observe .~o. This right ia clafmed over and
above constitutions and in opposition TO chem.
/ No one reuora-io1 has fhr right t0 establish an
I unrhaureahlc government for all postr,ifv. M
/ der all change of circumstances Eleven years
afterwards when shis principle was fresh in 'he
minds Of men. a1d the dearest foundation stone
Of .h~ir new form o. government. t1,, delegates
/ from he Sovereign S-atos met and formed the
/ Federal Constitution. In that convention "a
/ proposition ~ss brought forward. fs confer rr-
/ on the Federal government the rich to cosrc@
a7v refractory State into obedienee. T. was
/ rejected. The delegates from q majority of ths
/ States, thus implicitly hut uudepiablv assorted
tho rir:t Of secession. and with this fact before
them. the people of the States adopted the
constitution.
This righ. Of secession was again adopted
snd advocated b. successive resolutions. in
Virginia and Kentucky, and afterwards in the
most determined aud explicit manner by many
Of the most eminent statesmen of New England.
If we mistake not & was first announced boldly
i'm Congress by Massachusetts membor. dur
irrihs fprea discussions attendant on the war
with England, and wss proclaimed by New
England MN from the Hartford convention.
We have been informed also thst the Nassa-
cha.at.s Legislature at s.jl later period,
claimed and th-ea.sned to exercise this right in
case Of the annezation Of Te1s-.
We ara not aware that any large body OF
Southern Statesmen vas ever disposed to deny
them this right. Nor 90 we believe tha. those
amongst as, who doubted the propristy of ss-
cassion ever waived it as one which we always
had II reserve, t. BE exercised when I'll efforts
1t coueiliat.on might fIl; one, ths sense and
consciousness Of which constitute osr claim 90
consider our States "a free ana independent, and
! ourselves IS freemeu, and l.ot sbisct subjects
But the old honeIy fable OF our bull goTiIg
the northern OK came to be realized in this
rnat;ar also, as it IS il thousand others with
selfish and unprincipl5d people.
1t was for the calm, conc iliatory assertion Of
this right, hallow-d IS it was by the declaration
Of independence and confined by this regard
for it by succeeding generations, IS tbs founda-
| tion of our liberty that war s2d invasion has
come upon the South with all their unjust woe.
| Il is somewhat strange that the inhabitants
! of ew England and the West, have not seemed
to reflect that by assisting 70 rivet chains upon
| the free viii of the Southern States, they doom
| themselves to slavery, by discsrdius all State
| independence. Hereafter when they may be
corad beyond endurance by dominant maj oritie:
of which the Southern States which they now
endeavor to force into the union may constitute
| a part, they will be compelled 70 submit. The
{ moral sense Of tho world viii east /. in iheil
teeth. that tho measure which thoy have metsC
| 20 she So1th must be measured to them again
By their own action. if successful they throw
away ;heir freedom. They are bound to thc
chariot. wheels Of = dominant central power
which they can never resist, without finding
their condemnation in history written by the N
selves. They have no resource but to pass
submissively under 4 consolidated tyranny, anC
thus Will the poisoned cAalico which they woui'
force upon as he commended TO their own lips
Stranger still that any citizens OF the Souti
should have &c; themselves in opposition tC
their own States in asserting tn cir freedom, snC
assisted to strike q bow which '5in bind thei
pos:-r.ty in tile most hateful fcttsrs. Hereto
fore they nay have had fattayrg sense o
freedom, from Northern domination. If they
succeed they VIII have it no longer, but will bt
confessed and willing subjects Of a crushing
central power. They voluntarily yield the main
r;,rJ, osccr+a1 on .ba A4I of Y,rI,- .-I ;f .ba-