the american republic-第39部分

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ct；　there　would　be　unpardonable　　presumption　on　the　part　of　the　present　writer　in　venturing　to　　hazard　an　assertion　contrary　to　theirs。　　But；　if　their　theory　was　　unsound；　their　practical　doctrine　was　not；　for　they　maintained　　that　the　American　people　are　one　sovereign　people；　and　Mr。　Quincy　　Adams；　an　authority　inferior　to　neither；　maintained　that　they　　were　always　one　people；　and　that　the　States　hold　from　the　Union；　　not　the　Union　from　the　States。　　The　States　without　the　Union　　cease　to　exist　as　political　communities：　the　Union　without　the　　States　ceases　to　be　a　Union；　and　becomes　a　vast　centralized　and　　consolidated　state；　ready　to　lapse　from　a　civilized　into　a　　barbaric；　from　a　republican　to　a　despotic　nation。

The　State；　under　the　American　system；　as　distinguished　from　　Territory；　is　not　in　the　domain　and　population　fixed　to　it；　nor　　yet　in　its　exterior　organization；　but　solely　in　the　political　　powers；　rights；　and　franchises　which　it　291　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　holds　from　the　United　　States；　or　as　one　of　the　United　States。　　As　these　are　rights；　not　　obligations；　the　State　may　resign　or　abdicate　them　and　cease　to　　be　a　State；　on　the　same　principle　that　any　man　may　abdicate　or　　forego　his　rights。　　In　doing　so；　the　State　breaks　no　oath　of　　allegiance；　fails　to　fulfil　no　obligation　she　contracted　as　a　　State：　she　simply　forgoes　her　political　rights　and　franchises。　　　So　far；　then；　secession　is　possible；　feasible；　and　not　　unconstitutional　or　unlawful。　　But　it　is；　as　Mr。　Sumner　and　　others　have　maintained；　simply　State　suicide。　　Nothing　hinders　a　　State　from　committing　suicide；　if　she　chooses；　any　more　than　　there　was　something　which　compelled　the　Territory　to　become　a　　State　in　the　Union　against　its　will。

It　is　objected　to；　this　conclusion　that　the　States　were；　prior　to　　the　Union；　independent　sovereign　States；　and　secession　would　not　　destroy　the　State；　but　restore　it　to　its　original　sovereignty　and　　independence；　as　the　secessionists　maintain。　　Certainly；　if　the　　States　were；　Prior　to　the　Union；　sovereign　States；　but　this　is　　precisely　what　has　been　denied　and　disproved；　for　prior　to　the　　Union　there　were　no　States。　　Secession　restores；　or　reduces；　　rather；　the　State　to　the　condition　it　was　in　before　its　admission　　into　the　Union；　but　that　condition　292　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　is　that　of　Territory；　or　a　　Territory　subject　to　the　United　States；　and　not　that　of　an　　independent　sovereign　state。　　The　State　holds　all　its　political　　rights　and　powers　in　the　Union　from　the　Union；　and　has　none　out　　of　it；　or　in　the　condition　in　which　its　population　and　domain　　were　before　being　a　State　in　the　Union。

State　suicide；　it　has　been　urged；　releases　its　population　and　　territory　from　their　allegiance　to　the　Union；　and　as　there　is　no　　rebellion　where　there　is　no　allegiance；　resistance　by　its　　population　and　territory　to　the　Union；　even　war　against　the　　Union；　would　not　be　rebellion；　but　the　simple　assertion　of　　popular　sovereignty。　　This　is　only　the　same　objection　in　another　　form。　　The　lapse　of　the　State　releases　the　population　and　　territory　from　no　allegiance　to　the　Union；　for　their　allegiance　　to　the　Union　was　not　contracted　by　their　becoming　a　State；　and　　they　have　never　in　their　State　character　owed　allegiance　to　the　　United　States。　　A　State　owes　no　allegiance　to　the　United　States；　　for　it　is　one　of　them；　and　is　jointly　sovereign。　　The　relation　　between　the　United　States　and　the　State　is　not　the　relation　of　　suzerain　and　liegeman　or　vassal。　　A　State　owes　no　allegiance；　for　　it　is　not　subject　to　the　Union；　it　is　never　in　their　State　　capacity　that　its　population　and　territory　do　or　293　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　can　rebel。　　　Hence；　the　Government　has　steadily　denied　that；　in　the　late　　rebellion；　any　State　as　such　rebelled。

But　as　a　State　cannot　rebel；　no　State　can　go　out　of　the　Union；　　and　therefore　no　State　in　the　late　rebellion　has　seceded；　and　the　　States　that　passed　secession　ordinances　are　and　all　along　have　　been　States　in　the　Union。　　No　State　can　rebel；　but　it　does　not　　follow　therefrom　that　no　State　can　secede　or　cease　to　exist　as　a　　State：　it　only　follows　that　secession；　in　the　sense　of　State　　suicide；　or　the　abdication　by　the　State　of　its　political　rights　　and　powers；　is　not　rebellion。　　Nor　does　it　follow　from　the　fact　　that　no　State　has　rebelled；　that　no　State　has　ceased　to　be　a　　State；　or　that　the　States　that　passed　secession　ordinances　have　　been　all　along　States　in　the　Union。

The　secession　ordinances　were　illegal；　unconstitutional；　not　　within　the　competency　of　the　State；　and therefore　null　and　void　　from　the　beginning。　　Unconstitutional；　illegal；　and　not　within　　the　competency　of　the　State；　so　far　as　intended　to　alienate　any　　portion　of　the　national　domain　and　population　thereto　annexed；　　they　certainly　were；　and　so　far　were　void　and　of　no　effect；　but　　so　far　as　intended　to　take　the　State　simply　as　a　State　out　of　the　　Union；　they　were　294　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　within　the　competency　of　the　State；　were　not　　illegal　or　unconstitutional；　and　therefore　not　null　and　void。　　　Acts　unconstitutional　in　some　parts　and　constitutional　in　others　　are　not　wholly　void。　　The　unconstitutionality　vitiates　only　the　　unconstitutional　parts；　the　others　are　valid；　are　law；　and　　recognized　and　enforced　as　such　by　the　courts。

The　secession　ordinances　are　void；　because　they　were　never　passed　　by　the　people　of　the　State；　but　by　a　faction　that　overawed　them　　and　usurped　the　authority　of　the　State。　　This　argument　implies　　that；　if　a　secession　ordinance　is　passed　by　the　people　proper　of　　the　State；　it　is　valid；　which　is　more　than　they　who　urge　it　　against　the　State　suicide　doctrine　are　prepared　to　concede。　　But　　the　secession　ordinances　were　in　every　instance　passed　by　the　　people　of　the　State　in　convention　legally　assembled；　therefore　by　　them　in　their　highest　State　capacityin　the　same　capacity　in　　which　they　ordain　and　ratify　the　State　constitution　itself；　and　　in　nearly　all　the　States　they　were　in　addition　ratified　and　　confirmed；　if　the　facts　have　been　correctly　reported；　by　a　　genuine　plebiscitum；　or　direct　vote　of　the　people。　　In　all　cases　　they　were　adopted　by　a　decided　majority　of　the　political　people　　of　the　State；　and　after　their　adoption　they　were　295　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　acquiesced　in　　and　indeed　actively　supported　by　very　nearly　the　whole　people。　　　The　people　of　the　States　adopting　the　secession　ordinances　were　　far　more　unanimous　in　supporting　secession　than　the　people　of　the　　other　States　were　in　sustaining　the　Government　in　its　efforts　to　suppress　the　rebellion　by　coercive　measures。　　It　will　not　do；　　then；　to　ascribe　the　secession　ordinances　to　a　faction。　　The　　people　are　never　a　faction；　nor　is　a　faction　ever　the　majority。

There　has　been　a　disposition　at　the　North；　encouraged　by　the　few　　Union　men　at　the　South；　to　regard　secession　as　the　work　of　a　few　　ambitious　and　unprincipled　leaders；　who；　by　their　threats；　their　　violence；　and　their　overbearing　manner；　forced　the　mass　of　the　　people　of　their　respective　States　into　secession　against　their　　convictions　and　their　will。　　No　doubt　there　were　leaders　at　the　　South；　as　there　are　in　every　great　movement　at　the　North；　no　　doubt　there　were　individuals　in　the　seceding　States　that　held　　secession　wrong　in　principle；　and　were　conscientiously　attached　　to　the　Union；　no　doubt；　also；　there　were　men　who　adhered　to　the　　Union；　not　because　they　disapproved　secession；　but　because　they　　disliked　the　men　at　the　head　of　the　movement；　or　because　they　　were　keen…sighted　enough　to　see　that　it　could　not　296　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　succeed；　that　　the　Union　must　be　the　winning　side；　and　that　by　adhering　to　it　　they　would　become　the　great　and　leading　men　of　their　respective　　States；　which　they　certainly　could　not　be　under　secession。　　　Others　sympathized　fully　with　what　was　called　the　Southern　cause；　　held　firmly　the　right　of　secession；　and　hated　cordially　the　　Yankees；　but　doubted　either　the　practicability　or　the　expediency　　of　secession；　and　opposed　it　till　resolved　on；　but；　after　it　was　　resolved　on；　yielded　to　none　in　their　earnest　support　of　it。　　　These　last　comprised　the　immense　majority　of　those　who　voted　　against　secession。　　Never　could　those　called　the　Southern　leaders　　have　carried　the　secession　ordinances；　never　could　they　have　　carried　on　the　war　with　the　vigor　and　determination；　and　with　　such　formidable　armies　as　they　collected　and　armed　for　four　　years；　making　at　times　the　destiny　of　the　Union　well　nigh　　doubtful；　if　they　had　not　had　the　Southern　heart　with　them；　if　　they　had　not　been　most　heartily　supported　by　the　overwhelming　　mass　of　the　people。　　They　led　a　popular；　not　a　factious　movement。

No　State；　it　is　said　again；　has　seceded；　or　could　secede。　　The　　State　is　territorial；　not　personal；　and　as　no　State　can　carry　its　　territory　and　population　out　of　the　Union；　no　State　can　297　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　secede。　　　Out　of　the　jurisdiction　of　the　Union；　or　alienate　them　from　the　　sovereign　or　national　domain；　very　true；　but　out　of　the　Union　as　　a　State；　with　rights；　powers；　or　franchises　in　the　Union；　not　　true。　　Secession　is　political；　not　territorial。

But　the　State　holds　from　the　territory　or　domain。　　The　people　are　　sovereign　because　attached　to　a　sovereign　territory；　not　the　　domain　because　held　by　a　sovereign　people；　as　was　established　by　　the　analysis　of　the　early　Roman　constitution。　　The　territory　of　　the　States　corresponds　to　the　sacred　territory　of　Rome；　to　which　　was　attached　the　Roman　sovereignty。　　That　territory；　once　　surveyed　and　consecrated；　remained　sacred　and　the　ruling　　territory；　and　could　not　be　divested　of　its　sacred　and　governing　　character。　　The　portions　of　the　territory　of　the　United　States　　once　erected　into　States　and　consecrated　as　ruling　territory　can　　never　be　deprived；　except　by　foreign　conquest　or　successful　　revolution；　of　its　sacred　character　and　inviolable　rights。

The　State　is　territorial；　not　personal；　and　is　constituted　by　　public；　not　by　private　wealth；　and　is　always　respublica　or　　commonwealth；　in　distinction　from　despotism　or　monarchy　in　its　　oriental　sense；　which　is　founded　on　private　wealth；　or　which　　assumes　that　th