[SCDogPapa]

(It seems a bit hypocritical of them to claim that they "devotedly cherish the constitution" out of one side of their mouth, while working against the Constitution out of the other.)

Exactly! They twisted the Constitution to suit themselves. By doing so they were violating the Constitution that the South lived by.

[WhiskeyPapa]

(It seems a bit hypocritical of them to claim that they "devotedly cherish the constitution" out of one side of their mouth, while working against the Constitution out of the other.)

Exactly! They twisted the Constitution to suit themselves.

No. That is what the Taney Court did in the Dred Scott decision -- ignore the Constitution. The Taney court attempted to use the same sort of judicial activism condemned today to end agitation on slavery.

Taney said that blacks had no rights under the Constitution when the Constitution says nothing that can support that.

Of course I've seen no quotes from Taney suggesting that secession was legal under U.S. law.

Walt