Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: WhiskeyPapa
Okay, hotshot, let's see some of the letters between James Madison and General Washington that you claim support a prohibition of a state's right to withdraw. You've cut and pasted several of their letters before but they don't contain any such references. Remember, words have precise meanings, and historical context adds to the overall meaning of the correspondence.
904 posted on 05/06/2003 6:27:59 AM PDT by HenryLeeII
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 880 | View Replies ]


To: HenryLeeII
Okay, hotshot, let's see some of the letters between James Madison and General Washington that you claim support a prohibition of a state's right to withdraw.

That would be hard, because no one suggested during Washington's life that any state -could- withdraw.

Madison is amply on the record that unilateral state secession could only be done for intolerable abuse, and that unilateral secession is but another word for revolution.

In his letter to Daniel Webster, dated March 13, 1833, James Madison wrote:

"I return my thanks for the copy of your late very powerful speech in the Senate of the U. S. It crushes "nullification" and must hasten an abandonment of "Secession." But this dodges the blow by confounding the claim to secede at will, with the right of seceding from intolerable oppression. The former answers itself, being a violation without cause, of a faith solemnly pledged. The latter is another name only for revolution, about which there is no theoretic controversy."

The rebels made little distinction in what they were doing -- until it was time to make excuses.

Today the excuses continue.

Walt

908 posted on 05/06/2003 6:36:52 AM PDT by WhiskeyPapa (Be copy now to men of grosser blood and teach them how to war!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 904 | View Replies ]

To: HenryLeeII
How about a letter between James Madison and Danial Webster, dated March 15, 1833?

"I return my thanks for the copy of your late very powerful Speech in the Senate of the United S. It crushes "nullification" and must hasten the abandonment of "Secession." But this dodges the blow by confounding the claim to secede at will, with the right of seceding from intolerable oppression. The former answers itself, being a violation, without cause, of a faith solemnly pledged. The latter is another name only for revolution, about which there is no theoretic controversy. Its double aspect, nevertheless, with the countenance recd from certain quarters, is giving it a popular currency here which may influence the approaching elections both for Congress & for the State Legislature. It has gained some advantage also, by mixing itself with the question whether the Constitution of the U.S. was formed by the people or by the States, now under a theoretic discussion by animated partizans."

915 posted on 05/06/2003 7:03:02 AM PDT by Non-Sequitur
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 904 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson