[bayliving]

The Presidential Proclamation declaring peace between the United States and Texas after the Civil War, dated August 20, 1866, states very clearly in the following passage that no state had the right to leave the Union (emphasis added in all capitals.)

And whereas, the President of the United States, by further proclamation issued on the second day of April, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, did promulgate and declare, that there no longer existed any armed resistance of misguided citizens, or others, to the authority of the United States in any, or in all the States before mentioned, excepting only the State of Texas, and did further promulgate and declare that the laws could be sustained and enforced in the several States before mentioned, except Texas, by the proper civil authorities, State, or Federal, and that the people of the said States, except Texas, are well and loyally disposed, and have conformed or will conform in their legislation to the condition of affairs growing out of the amendment to the Constitution of the United States, prohibiting slavery within the limits and jurisdiction of the United States;

And did further declare in the same proclamation THAT IT IS THE MANIFEST DETERMINATION OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE THAT NO STATE, OF ITS OWN WILL, HAS A RIGHT OR POWER TO GO OUT OF OR SEPARATE ITSELF FROM, OR BE SEPARATED FROM THE AMERICAN UNION; and that, therefore, each State ought to remain and constitute an integral part of the United States;

Was this a Federal Law radified by the States? Or was this just a proclimation?

Furthermore:

If states aren't sovereign then why do we have them?

Why do they tax in addition to federal taxes?

Why do we have state and local police departments, fire departments and schools?

If states AREN'T sovereign we should just have a federal system and do away with states all together. After all, what difference does it make?

You see, you can't have a sovereign state that "CAN'T" leave the union. Either it is a sovereign state that has the right of self interest and can leave the union if the union no longer has the states interests at heart or it is part of a federal conglomeration with NO states rights. That all laws are passed at the federal level and flow down from there.

Which is it here? You can't have it both ways.

[mad_as_he$$]

First I am not having trying to have it both ways. States are sovereign to govern their own affairs. States are not sovereign to in matters that of interstate trade, foreign treaties. the common defense etc. My point is that the is NO existing mechanism for a state to legally leave the Union. That is all. There are acts from the post civil war period that pertain to states rights etc. Read some of the annotated notes on them it will help you see the web that was woven after the CW was over.