Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1872-10-17
Greeley and the Right to secede

70 a
1t has been denied by the Liberal
Republicans and Democrats that Mr..
Greeley, their candidate for the Presi-
dency, WAS willing to let the Gotten
States go ont of the Union, if they
desired to do so. While he was
in favor of the Union himself, he was
in. favor of letting them go if they
wished to do SO. This fact is evident
from the language in the following
article which we transfer to the col
ums of the HERALD, from his Tribune
article published as soon as it was
known that President Lincoln was
elected in November, 1850 We make
the quotation from the 359th page of
Greeley's American Conflict, vol. l,
which may be seen at the HERALD
Office. Read ! Read!
The telegraph informs us that most
of the Cotton States are meditating
a withdrawal from the Union, because
of Lincoln's election. Very we'll !:
they have a right to mediate, and med
itAtion is a profitable employment OF
leisure We have a chronic, invinci
BILE disbelief in Disunion as a remedy
for either Northern or Southern griev-
ances. We cannot see any necessary
connection between the alleged dis
ease and this ultra heroic remedy still
we say, if any one sees fit to mediate
Disunion, let him do so unmolested. =
That was a base and hypocritic row
that was once raised, at Southern die
tation, about the ears of John Quincy
Adam 8, because he presented a peti
ton for the dissolution of the Union
The petitioner had a right to make
the request; it was the Members duty
to present it. And now, If the Cotton
States consider the vSlue of the Unio n
debatable, we maintain their perfec
right to discuss it. Nay: we hold
with Jefferson, to the ihalienable righ
of communities to alter or abolist
forms of government that have be.
come oppressive or injurious, and, i
the Cotton States shall decide tha
they can do better out of the Unior
than in it, we insist on letting them &C
in peace. The right to secede may
be revolutionary one, but it exists
nevertheless; and we do not see how
one party can have right to do wha
another party has a right to prevent
We must ever resist the asserted righ
of any State to remain in the Union
and nullify or defy the laws thereof
to withdraw from the Union is quit,
another matter. And, whenever a con
3 Ia11 h1o I
deliberately resolve to go out, we shall
resist all coerclve measures designed
70 keep it in. sWe hope never to iv
in republic, whereof one section
pinned to the residue ny bayonets.
''But, while we thus uphold the praC
IL tical liberty, if not the abstract righ
of secession, we must insist that th
step be taken, if it ever shall be, wit
the deliberatioD and gravity befttin
so momentous an issue. Let ampl
/! time be given for reflection; let tt
subject be fully canvassed before th
people; and let a popular vote t
taken in every case, before secession
n decreed. Let the people be told jus
why they are asked to break up tt
confederation let them have bot
= sides of the question fully presented
let them reflect, deliberately, the
vote; and let the act of Secession |
:. the echo of an unmistakable populi
fiat. A judgment thus rendered.
mand for. separation so backed, wou
either be acquiesced in without the eff
g sion of blood, or those who rusht
upon carnage to deIy and defeat
ne would place themselves clearly
the wrong.