[rustbucket]

Secession would be a state act and therefore subject to Congress prescribing laws for a state to prove their act of secession.

"The sovereignties which imposed the limitations upon the federal government, far from supposing that they perished by the exercise of a part of their faculties, were vindicated, by reserving powers in which their deputy, the federal government, could not participate; and the usual right of sovereigns to alter or revoke its commissions." [John Taylor, New Views of the Constitution of the United States, 1823]

Congress, the creature of the states, can not impose conditions not mentioned in the Constitution upon her creators.

BTW, welcome to FreeRepublic, Historian. I've been enjoying your posts.

[#3Fan]

The sovereignties which imposed the limitations upon the federal government, far from supposing that they perished by the exercise of a part of their faculties, were vindicated, by reserving powers in which their deputy, the federal government, could not participate; and the usual right of sovereigns to alter or revoke its commissions." [John Taylor, New Views of the Constitution of the United States, 1823] Congress, the creature of the states, can not impose conditions not mentioned in the Constitution upon her creators.

I don't care what John Taylor says. I can read the law for myself and the Constitution says that the Congress may prescribe laws for the states to prove their acts.