It was accepted by both sides that Virginia, New York, and possibly Rhode Island all had secession clauses in their ratification documents that were never denied by Congress; and, the first serious discussions of secession happened in the northern states. It was not accepted by me, and I'm not sure who did 'accept' that. Where in those clauses was the word 'secession' used? Al I read were clauses that predated the Bill of Rights that were the equivilant of the 9th and 10th amendments.
Doesn't surprise me that you don't accept written words. One of the posters on your side of Friday's thread (Lincoln was not elected) accepted the clauses I mentioned, and went on to say they were void because the states ratified the Constitution after it was written (?!?!?!). It was that kind of 'logic,' along with my wife's pre-term labor and its attendant responsibilities it placed upon me at home, that caused me to drop out of the thread.
Read the constitutional ratification documents for yourself and you will see that these clauses really exist. And, if secession was so horribly against the ideals of the Founders, why were these clauses not rebuked by suceeding Congresses? The Founders were some of the greatest minds this country has produced; they wouldn't have let it slide for no reason. If they were dead-set against secession, I doubt if one state's delegation would have ratified the document.