[Old Teufel Hunden]

"Are we then to stand to our arms, with the hot-headed Georgian? No. That must be the last resource, not to be thought of until much longer and greater sufferings. If every infraction of a compact of so many parties is to be resisted at once, as a dissolution of it, none can ever be formed which would last one year."

The above part is very important. Or to put it another way in the modern tongue, if our first thought was to secede it would be anarchy and we wouldn't last a year. But lets not stop with the Federal government, what if a part of one state wanted to secede from that state? Can you see where this could go? Anarchy. Not the West Virginia example either. Let's remember, the state was in rebellion at the time. A unique circumstance. As I've stated, and Jefferson and Madison have alluded to many times, if only one party agrees to it, then it's rebellion. If both parties agree, then its secession.

[conimbricenses]

You are reading Jefferson’s statement selectively. Simply saying the threshold of secession is high doesn’t preclude its use when that threshold is met. Hence his conclusion, “Between these two evils, when we must make a choice, there can be no hesitation.” And there’s absolutely NOTHING in that conclusion that even hints at requiring consent of both parties.