The end of the Federal Reserve would make our ruling class uncomfortable, too. As would term limits, and yanking their pensions.
Even Alexander Hamilton, the greatest advocate of a strong central
government, stated that the government would never have any right to
coerce a State. Jefferson in his later years took it for granted that the
Union would break up—probably into eastern and western
confederacies. There was nothing wrong with that. The sacred thing
was not the Union but the consent of the people, which might be better
represented in two or three confederacies rather than one. What, after
all, is wrong with Americans creating other Unions if that is what the
people want?
If time allowed I could give you quotations from now until
Christmas proving that the right of secession was clearly understood at
the establishment of the Constitution and for long after. But let me try
to illustrate my point.
In 1720 the people of South Carolina, acting through their own
legislature and militia, exercised their sovereign will by declaring
themselves independent of the Lords Proprietors who claimed to own
their territory. In 1775, acting in the same exercise of their sovereign
will, they threw out the King’s government and became an independent
nation. And they made this good well before the joint Declaration of
Independence by defeating a British attack on Charleston. In 1787 the
people through a convention specially elected to express their sovereign
will considered whether or not to ratify the United States Constitution.
If you believe that government rests on the consent of the people, then
this is the only place the consent could be given. And it was an entirely
free act of a sovereign who could say yea or nay without responsibility
to any other authority. They ratified the Constitution under the
understanding that they were joining in a Union that would be of mutual benefit to all the partners. This was the will of the only
sovereign, the people of each State.
In 1860, the people of South Carolina assembled once more in a
convention and repealed their previous ratification of the Constitution,
which as a sovereign people they were entitled to do. They were now
once more an independent nation as they had been before they had
given their consent to the Union. They did this because the Union was
no longer to their benefit but had become a burden and a danger. They
said: We have acted in good faith and been very patient. But obviously
you people in control of the federal government intend permanently to
exploit our wealth and interfere in our affairs. Our contract with you no
longer serves it purpose of mutual benefit and is hereby dissolved.
As you know, our North Carolina people did not want to bring on
a crisis. They did not rush into secession, though they were never in
doubt about their right. Then Lincoln announced that the legitimate
governments of the seven seceded States were not States at all but are
merely what he called “combinations of lawbreakers.†According to
him, the act of the people was merely a crime problem. Once you had
accepted the federal government the consent of the people could never
be exercised again. He ordered the States to disperse within 30 days and
obey his authority, or else. The issue was now clear for our State and the
sovereign people of North Carolina elected a convention that
unanimously seceded from affiliation with the United States.
Our forefathers were right, and they knew they were right. Their
Lost Cause was a loss for all Americans and for the principle that
governments must rest on the consent of the people. Imagine for a
moment how different our situation would be today if we were able to
get together and disobey the federal government which has usurped our right to consent to our rulers.
But I am of good cheer. One of the bad South-hating historians
recently whined in print that even though he and other brilliant experts
have declared the truth over and over, people still continue to admire
the Confederacy and honour that mythical Lost Cause. Why, people still
write novels and songs about Lee and even about his horse! Why
doesn’t anyone write about Grant and his men like that? That they can’t
understand this tells you what kind of people they are.
Here is our great advantage. Our Confederate ancestors are truly
admirable, and decent people all over the world know it. Let’s always
remember that. -Clyde N. Wilson