National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1879-01-07
AN uNs,BDrED REBEL.

AN JNSi BDUED REBEL.
We have little hope of accomplishing
good by n continued controversy with the
vOluble and eccentric editor of the Savan-
nah RCcod,J. for the reason that lie 50 badly
coniounds terms and principles in his con
fusion of ideas, that should we bray him IN
mortar his pcryersty would not depart
from him, The Rrcoydcr holds that any
state has a constitutional right to break
away from the Federal Union at any time,
at its own pleasure, and under any prcicXt
it may be pleased to plead in Justification
of the act. As the greater includes the
lesser, this doctrine OF secession covers tca-
son and rebellion on the part Of any
people who follow State sovereignty to
the point where it delies the Con-
stitution, the Union, and the laws
Of the Government in which it has been
held in the relations Of constitutional unity,
and attempts to break the family compact
of States by an overt act 10 think or to
threaten secession. as the RccordCr intimates
that the Hartford convention did in l~l2
and JOHN QUINCY ADAMS did in lsl6, is
not practical secession or rebellion, hut
merely theoretical, and involves no absolute
crime No earnest step i'll the direction Of
secession has ever been taken by New Eng
land or any of its statesmen but if it had,
that State which led OF followed would have
been confronted, Us the South was, by the
rest of the family of States and forced back
within the bond of Union. To admit the
! right of any State or section of
the United States TO break the
| bond of National Union at will is
10 surrender national sovereignty, admit
that there is no binding power to hold the
| national integrity intact against rebellion
at any point OF period, and that the Union
| is mere rope Of sand that can be dsinte-
grated and dissolved by the spirit Of discoa-
tent, rendering the Republic sham and
| plaything of caprice.
We hold that the American citizen who
believes and advocates State sovereignty to
the extent of breaking up this Union at
will. is an incipient rebel, and that as soon
as he enters upon the work of secession he
becomes practical rebel, and must con-
front the consequences that the Con-
stitulion indicates for such ollenses.
All this class of otlcnses cluster under the
head of treason in the Constitution and
laws, for which penalties arc therein de-
fined. Secession Is only treason in its cradle
but it is nevertheless treason, and there is
no power oil sOphistry, no parity OF reason
ing, no framework of argument that can
ole DO,
heart and mind. II was hoped when the
rebellion surrendered that il surrendered all
the dogmas that had brought ii into exist,
ence to aillict the nation. But, according &c
the RecoWer's theory the rebels only sur,
rendered to superior force without any
change Of heart, and are only waiting {
favorable opportunity to sccede again and
inaugurate another eilusion of blood sC
soon ~ they think, rs they did in 1861, that
they can be successful; and the editor Of III,
Rcco,dy declares his readiness 10
follow his State again into secession
and rebellion whenever its camiC,
shall lead in that direction. IL this doctrine
and purpose does not make the editor OF tht
R(co,d,r nm "unsubducd rebel, we are at {
loss 10 characterize him. 1t certainly doe
not make him loyal and devoted citizen o
the United States. That man who enter
tains the belief that the people OF q STAT
hold sovereignty which justlies them il
breaking any of the links in this Union
thus destroying the national integrity q
pleasure, owes no sound allegiance TO gov
onmcnt which is based upon the SACRED
bond of unity, This pretending to holC
citizenship in government of the peopl
; without subordnntng every opinion anC
, feeling to the general good, the public peace
and the union OF the States in family compact
thus rendering us iueyocably one govern
l mcnt and one people, is 4 fraud which cal
never he tolerated with safety so long NS tn
, Republic stands. We are more and nor
+ convinced that our Georgia cotemporay
= an "unsubdued rebel