Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-08-08

nlicatiop of this principle IL tine partner
shin by its terms, be for fixed time or
nernet,iol-it not being considered by the
law sound policy to hold men together In
hnsiness association against their WILL
NOW il n partnership between persons Is
purely voluntary and subject to the VIII OF
It's members severally, how much more Is
one between sovereign States; and II fol-
lows that, Just as each State separately IN
the exercise of it's sovereign Will entered
the Union, so may it separately In the eN-
ercise of that will withdraw thereirom.
And further, the Constitution being COM
nsct. TO which the States are parties, nav
ING no cannon judge, each party mas an
email right to Judge for itself, rs well Oh
ATTRACTIONS as of the node and measure OF
redress ~ a. declared by Mr.. Jefferson and
Mr. Madison, in the celebrated resolutions
of ,as and the right of secession lrreslst-
ably follows. But aside from the ooctrine
of either of partnership or compict, upon
the ground of State sovereignty, pure anu
simple. does the right of State secession
impregnably rest. Sovereignty, Us uenhed
nv poiitical commentators Is the rignt oil
commanding in the last resort Ana just
as a State of the Union, in the exercise oil
this right, by her ratification oil the Ioti-
stitution, delegated the powers therein 81
ven To the Federal government, ana acced-
ed tn he Union; So may she in the exercise
oC the same right. by repeating that ratific'i-
tion. withdraw the delegated powers, ana
secede from the Union, The act OF ratfhe'-
ton by the State is the law which MAKES
the Union for it, and the act OF repeal oil
that ratification is the law which disSoives
it,
II appears from this review of the origin
and character of the American Union, that
when the Southern States, deeminS tne
constitutional compact broken, and their
own safety aud happiness i'll imminent din,
ger in the Union, withdrew theretrom ana
organized their new Contederacy, they but
asserted in the language Of Mr.. DAVIS, the
RIGHTS of their sircS, won in the war oil the
revolution. tue State sovereignty, freedom
and independcncc which were left us rs an
inheritance 10 their poSterity forever, ana
il waS;in defense of this high and sacred
cause that the Confederate soldiers Sicrl-
feed their lives. There was 10 need al war.
The action of the Southern States WAS ie-
cal and constitutional, and history VIII at-
test that il WAS reluctantly taken III the
last extremity, in the hope OF thereby
Snyinv their whole constitutional rights
and liberties from destruction by Northern
aggression, which had just eliminated IN
| triumph at the presidential election, py
| the union OF the North rs section against
! the south But the North, lett IN posses
| sion of the old government Of the lnion,
flushed with power, and angry lest It's dcs-
tined prey should escape, found ready
nrrtrxi for war. Immediately upon SeceS-
sion by force OF the act itself, the Jurlsdic'
ton of the seeding States respectively,
over the forts, arSenalS and dockyardS
within their limits, which they had before
cedcd To the Federal government Tor icde-
ral purpoScs. reverted to and reinvcsted IN
them respectively. They were OF course
entitled to Immediate rrpoSsc,Ssion ol these
nlocrs, csScntal Ia their defense III the cN
rrcisr of their rcaSsumcd powers of war and
pcacc. lcay ing all questions ot mere prop
ertv value apart for "parht" ahluS'hi'h''
| I'm most cases the seeding states rcpoSs'S-
scd themselves of these places without
difficulty; but in some the forces OF the
! United States still kept possession. Among
these last was Fort Sumter, in the harbor
| of Charleston South Carolina. Souih Gar
| lima in vain demanded the pcaccable pos
session of this fortress, offering At the same
| time To arrange for the value at the same
~ property, and sent commissioners 10
! Washington 10 treat with the Federal gov
| eminent for the same liut all her attempts
! 10 treat were rcpulscd or cNided, M ike
wise were these subsequently made by the
! Confederate government. Oh course the
! Coniedcracy could not continue Ia allow Il
foreign bower 10 hold possession of Il for
trcss dominating the harbOr Of her chici
| Atlantic seaport; and the Federal govern
ment having sent Il powerful expedition
with rrinlurcrmcntS for Fort Sumter, the
! Confederate government 1T last prOcccdeh
| 10 reduce it. The reduction, however, WAS
bloodlcSS affair; while the captured gar
rison received all the the honUrs OF war,
and were at once sent North, with every
attention to thcr comfort, without even
/ their parole being taken.
! But forthwith President Lincoln At
| Washington issued his call for militia to
corrcr the seeding States; the cry rang all
/ over the North that the lla% Ind been fired
upon: and amidst the tempest OF passion
which that cry everywhere raised the
! Northern MALTA responded with alacrlty,
| the South WAS invaded, and war Oh SUD
! iupltiOn. destined Ia be the most gigantic
| which the world has ever seen, was begun
| bv the Federal government against the scce-
ding states. in compete and amazing dis
regard of the foundation principle or its
own existence, ~ affirmed in the l'cciara-
ton of independence, that governments
| derive their just powers from the consent
of the governed" and ~ established by
| the war of the revolution for the people OF
the states respectively. The South ac-
! ccptcd the contest thus forced upon her
with the eager and rcsolutc courage charac-
trristic of her proud spirited people. BIT
the Federal government though weak IN
! right, was strong in power; for II was aris-
/ tanned by the mighty and multitudinous
! North. In effect, the war became one be-
| tween the states: between the Northern
States, represented by the Federal govern
mcnt, upon the one side; and the Southern
States: represented by the Confederate gov
eminent, upon the Othcr-thc border South
crn States being divided.
The odds in numbers and means in IL
v0r of the North were tremendous. Her
whitcpopulatiGu of nearly twenty millions
was fOur-fold that Of the strictly Confedcr-
ate territory; and from the border Southern
States and communities Of Missouri, Ken
| lucky. East Tennessee. West Virginia,
Maryland, and Delaware, she got more
men and supplies for her armies than the
! Confcdcracy got for hers. Kentucky alone
furnished as many men To the Northern
armies rs Massachusetts, In available
money and credit the advantage Of the
North was vastly greater than IN pOpula-
ton, and it included the Possession Of all
the chief ccatcrs OF banking and commerce.
Then she had possession of the old govern
ment, its capital, its army and navy, and
mostly, its arsenaIs, doekyards, and work
shops, with all their supplies OF arms and