Year: 1860




The present indications are, that South Car.
olina will through her Convention, which is to
meet on the 18th of December, formally declare
herself out of the Union. A few other extreme
Southern States may follow her example.


We often hear expressions to the effect, that
"if South Carolina is determined to secede, let
her go-we hope no attempt will be made to
detain her." &c. This idea has been thrown
out, in various forms, by some Of our leading
Republican journals. Yet we very much doubt
whether many who ;adulge in such expressions
have any very clear ides,, as to their meaning.


No Republicans, we presume, and very few
Northern men of any party, are ready to con.
cede the right Of State to separate from the
Union, and thus bring about its dissolution, at
pleasure. How, then, do they suppose that the
Federal Government can "let" State "go,"
which may resolve to secedef A vague idea
seems to be entertained by some, that the Fed
eral Government may, through the action Of
some Of its departments, agree to the secession
of State, without conceding the absolute right
of secession. This, however, is gross falls;y
What department of the Federal Governn INT
does any one suppose possesses the power 20
consent to a dissolution of the Union? Is 1t
the Executive2 Let US examine.


Whenever a State shall assume to secede
from the Union, she must necessarily repudiate
and set at defiance all Federal laws and Fed
eral authority within her jurisdiction. The
Eala oh
stain from any attempt to execute the Federal
laws within the jurisdiction Of such State, or
must attempt to overcome resistance by the
powers vested in him by the Constitution and
laws. To abstain from any attempt to execute
the Federal laws, would be simply to admit the
absolute right of State to secede at pleasure,
and TO acquiesce in the exercise Of that right.
And this he could not do except in fragrant
violation ofthat clause of the Constitution which
enjoins upon him the duty to "take care that
the laws be faithfully executed"


Is it supposed that the President and Senate,
through the treaty.making power conferred by
the Constitution, can consent to the secession
Of a Slater This cannot be, for the plain rea.
son that treaty can only be made with . for
eign Power. So long as State is in the Union,
she cannot be party to treaty with Cor
ernment of which she is an integral aiember.
She must first get out of the Union, before she
can be in condition to enter into treaty with
, the Federal Government.


San State be turned out of the Confederacy,
and abs>lyed from her allegiance to the Con.
stitution, by an act Of Congress2 Surely not.
Congress, like all other departments of the Fed.
eral Government, derives its powers from the
Constitution. It is unnecessary to say, hat the
Constitution noSS f.iEfs ar
fers upon Congress =. s,5;3s ~.
State out Of the Union, :'is~i - Z.
her own consent. And SUI eSi;}t5 n W
to find among the implied ~ = (, ~ q
the power to dissolve the Go ~which
it is department.


In short, it is sheer nonsense to talk about
permitting State 10 secede from the Union.
So long as the present Constitution stands, no
State cs.n get out of the Union, except by
f;3rcible and successful revolution. The Federal
Government is as powerless to consent to the
secession Of a State as it is to espel State from
the Union without her consent. However de.
sirable it may seem, therefore, that State
whose people are desirous of dissolviug their
connection with the Federal Union should be
permitted to ego in peace" the thing is ccnsti.
tutionally impossible. . o.-~----


Wedo not deny the power to amend the Con.
stituton, in the mode pointed out by that instru.
ment, SO as to provide for the secession of a
State or States. But no one who talks about
permitting restive States to ego out" proposes
to prepare the way by an amendment of the
Constitution. In fact, it would be an anomaly
in history for the organic law Of Government
to provide the means Of its own dissolution.
Nevertheless, those who think it would be wise
to incorporate such provision into our Con-
sttution may advocate its amendment to that
effect without talking sheer nonsense, which is
more than we can say of those who, while de-
nying the absolute right of secession, talk Of
permitting State 10 secede under the Consti.
tuition as it now stands.


We do not think ii wise OF prudent to irrtate
public sentiment at the South by unnecessary
threats of coercion. But we may as we'll look
this matter of secession fairly in the face, and
see in what it must result, if persisted in. To
talk about acquiescing in it, OR consenting to
it, is only to encourage, with false hopes, the
spirit of disloyalty now unhappily rife in certain
States of the Union.


Some Of our Democratic contemporaries are
prophesying that the four years rule of Repub.
lcanism under Mr. Iincoln will ohou o