Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1866-02-03

he says-"ln vain have the people OF the
several States solemnly y sanctioned The
provisions. In another passage-"Nor
did the States. when they sereraHy rat-
fed the Constitution. &c. /! is truly
singular that the gentleman from Peters
burg should confidently affirm that the
iefms in The Constitution, "we The people
of The United States. in order to form a
more perfect Union." &c., did not mean
that hey acted as one people. and yet the
terms used by the President. 1.-The peo-
pie of the United States formed the Con-
sti,ulon" did mean that they acted as
one people. The sentence in the Proc
lamation being qualified too, by the ex-
pressions, "actng in seperate ConUen-
lions when they ratified the provisions.
We all know, or ought 10 know, enough
iof our own political history, to be aware
that the question of the adoption OF the
Federal Constitution was submitted TO
the States separated y-tha, each State had
one vote on the questlon-the State oil
Delaware as well as the State of New
York. How that vote was given, whelh-
er fer OF sgsins! the Constitution, was de-
termined by the majority Of the votes Of
the representatives OF the people of each
STATE, acting as a separate community.
This is a matter Of history. about which
the authcr of the Proclamation could not
have made so gross bunder as has been
charged upon him.
MI. Chairman, a doctrine new 10 me,
and as ] conceive. of the most dangerous
character TO the harmony and stability oi
tie Union, has been proclaimed in tn.
progress of this debate, end is equivocal-
ly asserted in the Report Of the Commit
lee of 81. 1t is called the right OF peace
able Secession-and feel great appre.
hension that this doctrine will be produc-
tive of as much mischief in Virginia, as
the doctrine of peoceaJle Modification
has been in South Carolina. consider
the principle involved in both, the same.
The principle involved in each, is this {:
that single State has The right, peacea-
bly,, TO act in opposition to. and in viola
States and acts OF Congress, whenever, in
her opinion, The Constitution has been
violated by an act of Congress. Thus
will bare majority Of the people Of the
smallest State in tits Union, have light
to everrule the decision of majority Of
the people of The United States, major,
ty Of the States themselves, and of the
Supreme Court OF the United States. The
question of consti,ulionalIy must have
been passed upon by all these tribunals
before any one State could have any pre-
tence for acting on the subject. The alb
surdity of this theory is so very striking
that the mere statement OF ii would seem
10 be sufficient Tor its TefuiaiiOn. Some
gentlemen seem TO think that State has
right to secede whenever she pieases-
that, in fact, secession by State is ll,tle
more than gentleman retiring from a
drawing room without taking leave. OH
er gentlemen contend ,ha, State has the
right to secede, for cause, to wit: a
breach of the compac, by Congress, but
claim the right of eTclusiUe judgment Of
the cause for such State. The gentleman
from Petersburg claims for a single Stale,
the right to secede, because Of an infrac-
lion OF the compac, by Congress, and the
righ, of Judging o. such infraciion, bu,
comedies 10 the other States as parties TO
the compact, an equal right 10 judge
whether such infraction has been commit
ted, and if they differ. the question can
only be determined by the sword.
The gentleman from Petersburg treats
the Constitution of the United States,
merely as csmpsc,, league or treaty
among twen,y-fou: Sovereign States. Ii
is true that il is compact, but it is d
compact forming Government. The
Government Of the United States can
make laws, and can execute them: ale
glance is due 10 il as Government. All
our Governments are compacts, but every
compact is not Government. The
Government of the United States can be
dissolved in but two ways, by the con-
sent of the parties 10 the compact, or by
re evouton. The President in his Proc.
lam alton has placed The right OF seces
sion on its true ground; il is the right of
revelation, and none other; it can be sus-
tained only by the universal law of ma
lure, the law of self.defence, Of self.pres
Iervalon. which is paramount TO. all lfe
laws iba, man can make. The right 10
resort 10 this law is unalienable and inde
feasible. This remedy has received a
plausible, bu: delusive name-a name
well calculated TO mislesd the people;
call lhe remedy revolution, and.ltey will
all understand it. / have no fear that the
people will commit revolution without