[dangus]

So, let me get this straight...

Congress shall authorize a Union to force the Laws of the Union, but only if those people who refuse to obey the law call themselves insurrectionists instead of secessionists? Yeah, that makes a whole lot of sense. And again, by what means do such a people declare themselves secessionists, instead of insurrectionists?

"Say Mr. President, these people want to abandon the Union!"

"Why that's terrible! Call in the army to put down these insurrectionists!"

"Well, they've called themselves 'secessionists' instead of 'insurrectionists,' and claimed ownership of all federal lands, fortresses, and wealth within their territory, and attacked our mutual army!"

"Oh, thank goodness; I thought we had a problem! Invite their ambassadors here to establish trade treaties with them!"

Or let's look back at the Constitution of Virginia of 1776, shall we?

When Virginia was a separate state, owing no allegiance to any power whatsoever, they established that to secede from the state of Virginia, or invalidate any state law would constitute insurrection on the explicit basis that uniformity of Law was necessary for the proper exercise of Law. But you would suppose that Virginia would join the Union explicitly reserving their own right to sever their ties to the Union, and establish within the former boundaries of that Union an independent nation owing that Union no allegiance?

[rustbucket]

When Virginia was a separate state, owing no allegiance to any power whatsoever, they established that to secede from the state of Virginia, or invalidate any state law would constitute insurrection on the explicit basis that uniformity of Law was necessary for the proper exercise of Law.

Virginia's constitution might have outlawed secession from itself, but the Constitution did not prohibit secession from the Union.

But you would suppose that Virginia would join the Union explicitly reserving their own right to sever their ties to the Union, and establish within the former boundaries of that Union an independent nation owing that Union no allegiance?

They did. Madison, Marshall, and three other Federalists wrote the Virginia ratification document. When Virginia voted to join the Confederate States of American, they reserved the right to secede from them too. I've never seen that 1861 Virgina document, but I've read that they reserved the right to secede from the CSA when they joined in 1861.