The daily clarion. [volume] (Meridian, Miss.) 1863-1866, 1866-02-27

[For the Clarion
have read with attention your remaEks
in the paper Of the 22nd inst. upon one oi
my communications I find nothing 70 com
plain of in the spirit which dictated them' /
but think YOU have fallen into one or two |
m;seoneeptions of my meaning. Forinstance
7 Aid not mean to argue, nor do l think L
said. that vast majority OF the people, North
and South, regarded the right OF secession as
olo;nea. "a revolutionary and unjustlha-
HE - INTENDED to speak of it in that con-
nection simply as revolutionary, leaving
the question of justification untoucheu.
cited the action of all the recently heid
State Conventions in the South as evidence
that this opinion was not confined TO any
narticular section. The distinction at
temnted to draw between revolutionary and
constitutional acts applies to such as are
clearly and confessedly OF the one klho VI
the other. think it cannot be necessary u
arpue that under institutions ike OURS
where all power is held in trust, govern
ment cannot consent to be revolutlonlzed'
but is bound to resist any attempt at reVolu-
+iop II the character of an act be doubtful,
those who administer the government must
iudee for themselves whether it is to be
| classed under the one or the other. head
This iudment. like that of those who attempt
| to do the act, must be justified or condemned
| according to the result. No one questions
the right of revolution; but 1t is a rght
which only attaches after the revolution mas
become an achieved fact 1t may, In some
sense be said to be the right of any body to
| attempt a revolution; if it were not it is dit
ficult to presume how revolution could
ever be effected. am willing, for the sake
of argument, to say that any citizen OF the
State of Mississippi has right to say to her
constituted authorities, "I redounce all con-
nection with YOU; / never gave you any au-
thority to interfere in my affairs, or II did
I henceforth withdraw it. need not your
protection, and defy your power. This mueh
claim as my reserved right, OF which nc
government shall deprive me-" This Wouio
be the unmistakable language OF rebellion
: in which all revolution commences. say 1t Is
the natural right of every man so to declare
and to endeavor to make his declaration goods
bu he does so at his peril. Society ha
RIGHTS as well as individuals, and those Of
the latter must be regarded III connection
with and in subordination to those OF the
former Society imposes severe penalties
on those who disturb her peace, OF endeaVol
TO elevate themselves above the reach OF he
authority. Those who succeed in their as
pirations become the heroes of history, tn
demigods OF mythology, or it may be tn
founders of empires and Gymnastics. Ihos
who fail, and they are the more numerou
f class, are usually chronicled as obscure bu
ambitious adventurers.
: The wrongs and expressions which Ju'
} tifv resistance to constituted authority ca
never be determined beforehand for eac
depends upon its circumstances, and mus
Q he Judged of by the immediate actors, a
r well as by an impartial world and by po
terity. At least nine-tenths of mankln
have always submitted, and do now p;
: tientlv submit, to what would be regarde
Il by an American or an Englishman, as II
tolerabIe wrong and oppression Even l
the two countries named men have alway
IS differed, and probably always will, as
what constitutes such wrong and oppre
4 ! SlOn Jdch Cduc anu Il1o 1OlIo"Sio IlAO"s
: that the establishment of grammar school
things previously unknown in Englan
was justification enough; but his sistant
was a failure, and the world has not great
honored his memory. Hampden and his co
1t temporaries thought the persistent and
n legal attempts of the first Charles to ley
i0 ship money sufficient Justification II
L. with him his II
sistance was perfect success, and his naI
is one of the most glorious in history. II
statesmen who expelled the second Jam
s from the throne for many usurpatiOns
; power and malfeasanees in office are en-
tied to the lasting gratitude of both
glishman and American for they laid bro
and deep the foundations of civil slibert
and the American Declaration of IndepeI
ence and the Constitution of the Unit
States are but extensions and applicable
of the principles then established The
statesmen were, nevertheless, rebels, q
n success alone has vindicated their meme
at and made it glorious There are still ms
tie in England and some in this country, II
M of tory and high-church principles, believ
in the doctrine of passive obedience and
divine right of kings, who denounce the
ng and its authors and such would have b
ty, the prevailing opinion had the atten
n proved failure. But find myself say
ool much more than intended in this conr
ton The laws of Cod in so far as they
recognized and attempted to be enfor
by adequate sanctions, become also hun
al laws We understand murder, theft, peri
IN and the like to be violations of the law
God but we do not understand that
nm ciety has any right to punish them until
- has first defined these Otfenses, and attacl
'"A a penalty to their commission. Until th
of things are done, the vindi cation of
Divine law must be left to its author; w.
" they are done, the laws by which they
dooe are human laws, and they have bi
ing force as such, no matter how often OF
whom violated The obedience due t.
Chl- government or a law, is often question
the fact, rather than of principle; the quest
bu- being, rs it the government Is it
-. law2" As I understand the matter,
Gam French Constitution of l845 has heen
ent, completely displaced by the empire of L.
ION. Napoleon, as the Articles of Confedera
were by the Constitution of the n
States, and is entitled to no sort of oh
ence AS respects the Mexican Constitut
lch am not certain that Mexico ever had ;
tic thing worthy of the name but if she
'' it is a question of fact to be determines
all the event of the struggle going on in
70 country, whether or not she has it still.
lins