Here’s what you don’t understand: states today already have far more power than they have been willing to exercise.
How is that?
It’s because the states have been bought-off and corrupted by the overwhelming size and wealth of the Federal Government.
When the Federal Government is handing out billions and trillions of dollars, what state can refuse to line up at the Federal trough.
If the states were willing to stand up against the Feds today they could help reign it in.
And a significant example of that could turn out to be Obamacare.
One state acting alone can make a small difference.
Many states acting together could make a big difference — especially if those states consistently elect Representatives and Senators who share a strongly conservative view of the Federal Government.
And if they wish to secede, then that’s a matter for Congress to debate and decide, just as it was in 1860.
One who believes the oppressor must gain the permission of the despot to throw off the chains of tyranny has no understanding of the intent of of our Founders or our nation’s early history. Neither the Declaration nor the Constitution could ever be cited to justify such an idea. Though it is true that many in the States have been bought by Washington, as you mentioned, and I do agree that the States have far more power than they are asserting. But if they ever try to assert them, the Feds will close them down or circumvent them in a second. That’s they way they roll.
Hope you’ve had a happy holiday season :-)
Madison's words on this are quite clear: conditional approval of the Constitution was not approval, the Constitution must be adopted in toto and forever.
And disolving the Constitution had to be by mutual consent, or by "usurpations" or "abuses" having that same effect.
But in 1860, none of those conditions existed.
So your argument above is a total lie, pal.
Nothing like that happened.
In 1860, there was no "oppression" by the Federal Government -- only oppression of slaves.
There was no "despot" in Washington -- only despotism of slave owners.
There were no "chains of tyranny" from Washington -- only Southern chains on their slaves.
So it's all a lie, pal -- what you were told as a child is completely untrue.
In 1860, Washington did nothing to deserve the Southern War of Aggression against the Union.
But the Deep South seceded anyway, and declared war on the United States -- not because of what Washington had done, but rather because of what the South was afraid it might do, to prevent the expansion of slavery.