American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1865-08-16


PEELED by force If this be the rule, I'm
der the laws of all civilized governments,
with regard to individual contracts, how
much more necessary is it to apply the
rule to the highest and most solemn of
all contracts that man can enter into
that of people each agreeing with each
and all the others to the formation of a
government for the protection and benefit
of all. Such a contract can never be
violated or disregarded upon any defensi-
BILE principle, except that of resistance to
such an abuse of power as has changed
the character of the Government and
made it curse instead of blessing. No
one has ever yet charged the United
States Government with wrong to any
State or citizen. But the theory of the
right of State to secede was utterly un-
practicable. If it is true that one State
could, with or without cause, withdraw
from the Union, it is necessarily involved
the right of all the others to withdraw
from any one, and thus kick her out of
the Union without cause. Suppose that
the other States of the Union, acting upon
this theory, had determined to Withdrag
from Tennessee. They could have said,
We withdraw from you; henceforth you
are an independent Government, foreign
to us. We will form with you no treat
Use of amity or commerce; we will not
allow your citizens the right of way, Ell
ther for themselves or commerce, across
our territory we hem you in ; you are free
and independent, but you shall live and
die independent upon your own soil, cut
off from all the outer world. What would
have been said of this by the civilized
world? What would we of Texas have
srid if we had been thus treated by the
| United States Who were the parties
to the contract which brought Texas into
the United States? Two Governments
were the parties to the solemn agreement
Texas and the United States. Were
the obligations Of that contract not mu-
tual were the rights resulting from it
not reciprocal? Surely no sane and dis
passion mind can dispute or doubt it.
Then if, according to the doctrine of
secession, Texas could disregard the con-
tract and Withdraw from the Union, the
United States could have done the same
thing and driven Texas ont of the Union
at any time since annexation.
1t will also be admitted that while 9TH
er States were going out, Texas had the
tight to remain in the Union if she tbo't
proper, nay more, that none Of seeding
States, in such case, had any right to in-
terfere with any privilege or interest of
hers, resulting from her membership in
the Union
But after the withdrawal of Louisiana,
Arkansas and Kansas, what would have
been the condition? Still in the Union
legally, but in fact out of it. Bound to
the other States of the Union, both by
solemn contract and in heart and hopes,
but territorially discovered and denied
the right of way to her sister States.
But the assertion of the Democracy
of Texas before alluded to-that Texas by
annexation yielded SONG of her original
sovereignty.
She was acknowledged and recognized
among the nations of the earth with
whom she made treaties of friendship
and commerce. She could and did make
war=s-raise armies-equip navies-regu-
late trade and commerce, emit bills of
credit, appoint ministers to foreign Gov
ernments, and do and perform all other
acts pertaining to national sovereignty.
But when she entered the Union she
agreed to do none of these things, but
resigned such powers to the United States
Government, of which she became part,
and whose Constitution expressly forbids
the exercise of any such powers by the
States. :.
But it is needless to pursue the argu-
N ent further Now that the blood let
ting of terrible civil var has brought
the people once to think and reason, all
will be able to perceive how pernicious
and wicked such doctrines are. Hereaf-
ter let truth be the object of our political
arguments and conclusions. ! have re-
ferred to these things because they we're
the means used to delude a people who
had meyer bean wronged by their Gov
ernment, to engage in armed resistance
to its authority.
Thd Southern heart must be fired, and
hence the people must be made to believe
they were in some way wronged, although
they were prosperous and happy.
They must be prepared to tear up the
Government. if only to show that they