The  Southern  people  have  injured  their  cause  by  the  manner
in  AV'hich  they  have  exercised  their  pretended  right  of  seces-
sion. Granting  for  the  sake  of  argument  that  right,  it  is  an
ungracious  act  at  best  to  AvithdraAv  from  the  Union. It  neces-
sarily implies  injury  to  the  interests  and  the  feelings  of  the


UNION. 185

other  States  and  dissatisfaction  >vith  the  Government. It  im-
plies loss  of  power  and  territory  to  the  nation. When  coupled
with  the  doctrine  that  the  withdrawal  of  a  State  severs  the
tie  that  binds  the  others  together,  the  right  pf  secession  im-
plies the  right  to  utterly  destroy  the  nation  and  its  Govern-
ment. These  are  high  powei's  to  be  exercised  by  a  single
State,  or  even  by  a  majority  of  the  States,  Is  it  unreasonable
to  expect  that  those  who  use  them  should  do  their  spiriting
gently  ?  Arc  the  States  whose  Union  with  each  other  is  to
be  thus  sundered  against  their  will,  and  whose  interests  are  to
be  sacrificed, — is  a  Government  which  is  to  be  thus  suddenly
extinguished, — is  a  great  nation  which  is  to  be  in  this  summary
manner  blotted  out  from  the  Avorld's  roll  of  nations, — are  all
these  momentous  concerns,  and  the  deep  feelings  connected
with  them,  and  the  profound  attachments  they  inspire,  and  the
large  hopes  that  hang  upon  them,  entitled  to  no  consideration,
no  comity,  no  courtesy  ?  A  haughty  demand  and  a  haughty
threat ; — must  the  Government  abdicate  its  power,  and  the
Union  fall  to  pieces  before  these,  like  the  walls  of  Jericho  at
the  blast  of  Joshua's  horns  ?

All  rights  known  to  the  law  have  some  formal  and  orderly
manner  appointed  for  their  assertion,  all,  it  seems,  except  this
right  of  secession. It  may  be  preceded  by  secret  conspiracy  and
official  breach  of  trust,  may  be  veiled  by  lying  professions  of
loyalty  up  to  the  moment  of  action,  and  may  be  announced
by  words  of  insult  and  deeds  of  violence  and  outrage. Such
crimes  cannot  accompany  the  exercise  of  any  legal  right  or  be
authorized  by  any  law. 