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US Civil War
Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2005 12:40 pm
by alan peacock
Was there any provision in the US constitution or the laws
of the individual states of the union to secede from the Union
if a state so wished in 1861 ?
US Civil War
Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2005 2:39 pm
by Lon
The decision to secede from the Union was a decision that was made by the individual state legislatures.
US Civil War
Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2005 4:08 am
by Accountable
http://www.house.gov/Constitution/Constitution.html
http://www.house.gov/Constitution/Amend.html
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/constitution/browse.html
Here's the constitution, amendments, and some extra information about interpretations, etc.
The right of a state to secede from the union is stipulated in the clause that anything not mentioned in the constitution as a power of the fed is left to the states.
Our great nation was originally created with a weak Fed and powerful states. Lincoln violated the Constitution many time to preserve the union and broaden federal government powers. Further power grabs were made during the Great Depression and WWII. Today, people meekly accept that all power flows from the great and glorious Washington DC. If we could harness the power generated by our forfathers' grave-spinning, we could be independent of foreign oil.
US Civil War
Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2005 12:35 pm
by alan peacock
Many thanks for your reply, I looked up the websites you suggested
on the US constitution and found the appropriate clause you mentioned.
As I understand the clause, would it be fair to say that any state has
or had the right to secede, without fear of intervention by force or
otherwise by the Federal Union. If this is so, was it technically illegal
for the federal government to use force of arms against the seceding
states in 1861. Hence the quote 'The war of Northern agression'. ?
US Civil War
Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2005 12:45 pm
by Kathy
>
Dig 'em up!
US Civil War
Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2005 6:55 pm
by Accountable
alan peacock wrote: Many thanks for your reply, I looked up the websites you suggested
on the US constitution and found the appropriate clause you mentioned.
As I understand the clause, would it be fair to say that any state has
or had the right to secede, without fear of intervention by force or
otherwise by the Federal Union. If this is so, was it technically illegal
for the federal government to use force of arms against the seceding
states in 1861. Hence the quote 'The war of Northern agression'. ?
Yup. :yh_flag