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“When any one state in the American Union refuses obedience to the Confederation by which they have bound themselves, the rest have a natural right to compel them to obedience.” - Thomas Jefferson, 24 January, 1786

>>OIFVeteran quoting: ““When any one state in the American Union refuses obedience to the Confederation by which they have bound themselves, the rest have a natural right to compel them to obedience.” - Thomas Jefferson, 24 January, 1786

Where did Jefferson make that statement, and under what circumstances?

Mr. Kalamata

>>OIFVeteran quoting Jefferson: "“When any one state in the American Union refuses obedience to the Confederation by which they have bound themselves, the rest have a natural right to compel them to obedience.” - Thomas Jefferson, 24 January, 1786"

Have you read this by Jefferson?

"where powers are assumed which have not been delegated, a nullification of the act is the rightful remedy: that every State has a natural right in cases not within the compact, to nullify of their own authority all assumptions of power by others within their limits: that without this right, they would be under the dominion, absolute and unlimited, of whosoever might exercise this right of judgment for them… In questions of power, then, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution… That they will concur with this commonwealth in considering the said acts as so palpably against the Constitution as to amount to an undisguised declaration that that compact is not meant to be the measure of the powers of the General Government, but that it will proceed in the exercise over these States, of all powers whatsoever: that they will view this as seizing the rights of the States, and consolidating them in the hands of the General Government, with a power assumed to bind the States, (not merely as the cases made federal, but in all cases whatsoever, by laws made, not with their consent, but by others against their consent: that this would be to surrender the form of government we have chosen, and live under one deriving its powers from its own will, and not from our authority; and that the co-States, recurring to their natural right in cases not made federal, will concur in declaring these acts void, and of no force, and will each take measures of its own for providing that neither these acts, nor any others of the General Government not plainly and intentionally authorized by the Constitution, shall be exercised within their respective territories.
[Resolutions Relative to the Alien and Sedition laws, 1789, in Thomas Jefferson, "The Writings of Thomas Jefferson Vol 17." Thomas Jefferson Memorial Association, 1903, pp. 385-390]

It appears Mr. Jefferson would have been none too happy with "honest" Abe.

Mr. Kalamata

OIFVeteran to Kalamata quoting Jefferson: "When any one state in the American Union refuses obedience to the Confederation by which they have bound themselves, the rest have a natural right to compel them to obedience.”
- Thomas Jefferson, 24 January, 1786"

Given the year (1786), Jefferson is here advocating for stronger national government than then existed under the Articles of Confederation.
His words could apply to such things as taxes and national defense.

Years later Jefferson worried about a Federal government too strong and needing Nullification by states.
But nearing the end of his life Jefferson had another thought:

"I regret that I am to die in the belief that the useless sacrifice of themselves by the generation of 1776, to acquire self-government and happiniess to their country, is to be thrown away by the unwise and unworthy passions of their sons, and that my only consolation is to be, that I live not to weep over it.
If they would but dispassionately weigh the blessings they will throw away, against an abstract principle more likely to be effected by union than by secession, they would pause before they would perpetuate this act of suicide on themselves, and of treason against the hopes of the world.
To yourself, as the faithful advocate of the union, I tender the offering of my high esteem and respect."

And Madison refers to similar Jefferson opinions (which I've not seen):

"Even in the case of a mere League between nations absolutely independent of each other, neither party has a right to dissolve it at pleasure; each having an equal right to expound its obligations, and neither, consequently a greater right to pronounce the compact void than the other has to insist on the mutual execution of it.
[See, in Mr. Jefferson's volumes, his letters to J. M. Mr. Monroe & Col. Carrington] "

Bottom line: our Founders believed in and practiced disunion from necessity (1776) or mutual consent (1786) but never unilateral secession at pleasure (1860).