Year: 1860

State to dissolve her connection with this
Government has long been question OF Sc
rious consideration. The old Federalists
denied it, but since the doctrine of State
soveringuty has been more thoroughly dis.
cussed, the right ofits exersise is becoming
generally conceded. Northern politicians
never boldly took up the cudgel for the
rights of the States as sovereigns, until the
passage of the Fugitive Slave law. Then
they began to declaim against the tyranny
of the Federal Government, and ventilate
strict construction For this reason, we
are disposed to regard the passage of the
Fugitive Slave law as very fortunate oc-
currence. 1t gave Greedy and bis party
tendency in the right direction, and forced
them, in their efforts to sustain themselves
in nullifying that law, to assume the strong
est State Rights attitude. To this do we
attribute it, that the Tribune can write
such sensible article as the following, vim
dicating the right of peaceable secession
1t is an extract from its editorial columns Of
the 9th instant:


"The telegraph informs US that most of
the cotton States are meditating withdraw
al from the Union because of Lincoln's cleo.
ton. Very well; they have right to
mediate, and mediation is profitable en-
ployment of leisure. We have chronic,
invincible disbelief in disunion as rene.
dy for either Northern or Southern griev-
ances; We cannot perceive any necessary re-
lation between the alledged disease and this
ultra heroic remedy; still, we say, if any
body sees fit to mediate disunion, let them
do so unmolested. That was base and
hypocritic row that the House raised, at
Southern dictation, about the ears Of John
Quincy Adams, because he presented pe'
tition for the dissolution of the Union. The
petitioner had right to make the request !;
it was the members duty to present it
And now, if the cotton States consider the
value Of the Union debatable, we maintain
their perfect right to discuss it. Nay, we
hold, with Jefferson, to the inalienable right
of com munities to alter or abolish forms OF
Government that have become oppressive
or Injurious and if the cotton States shall
become satisfied that they can do better out
of the Union than in it, we insist on let
ting them 60 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 what another
party has a right to prevent. We must
ever resist the asserted right of any State
to remain in the Union, and nullify or de-
| fy the laws thereof; to withdraw from the
Union is quite another matter. And when
ever considerable section of our Union
shall deliberately resolve to 60 out, we shall
resist all coercive measures designed to
keep it in. We hope never to live in Re.
public whereof one section is pinned to
the residue by bayonets.


"But while we thus uphold the practical
liberty, if not the abstract right of seces-
sion, We must insist that the step be taken,
if ever it shall be, with the deliberation and
gravity be6tting so moneutous an issue
Let ample time be given for reflection !;
let the subject be fully cauvassed before
the people, and let a popular vote be taken
in every case before secession is decreed.-
Let the people, be told just why they are
urged to break up the confederation let
them have both sides of the question fully
presented; let them reflect, deliberate, then
vote and let the act of secession be the
echo of an unmistakable popular fat. A
Judgment thus rendered, a demand for Sc
paration so backed, would either be acqui-
esced iu without the effusion of blood, or
those who rushed upon carnage to defy and
defeat it, would place themselves clearly
in the wrong"