| The Refutation of the Perpetual Union Argument. |
| The perpetual union argument is often used by those who say that secession was and is illegal. The basic primes of this argument is, that from the Articles of Confederation through now; the states agreed to join a union that could not be dissolved. In this article I will argue that this is not true. I will start with this point. Everyone knows who George Washington is. If I was to ask, you would say things such as general, president of the Constitutional Convention, and most importantly, he was the first President of the United States. If you agree with this statement you have already proven that I am correct. This will be made clear in a moment. While you may have heard some of the following names before, most will mean nothing to you unless you are really into history. The men I am speaking of are Samuel Huntington, Thomas McKean, John Hanson, Elias Boudinot, Thomas Mifflin, Richard Henry Lee (If that Lee sounds familiar; it should), John Hancock, Nathaniel Gorham, Arthur St. Clair, and Cyrus Griffin. These men were all Presidents of the United States. They achieved that honor before George Washington. They were Presidents under the Articles of Confederation. The simple fact that we do not recognize them as Presidents or our nation is proof that we are not the same union. The states were also not obligated to join this new union. In order for the new Constitution to take affect, it had to be ratified by nine states. New Hampshire was the ninth state to ratify the new constitution on June 21, 1788. March 4, 1789, was set as the day the new Constitution would take effect. On that date, two states had not ratified the new Constitution. Those states were North Carolina and Rhode Island. Because those states had not ratified the new Constitution, they were not yet part of this new nation. So not only was the old union under the Articles of Confederation DISSOLVED in order to create the new union, but several states existed as sovereign nations for a short time. North Carolina and Rhode Island finally ratified the Constitution on November 21, 1789 and May 29, 1790 respectively. Note that little Rhode Island was independent for over a year before they joined the new union. This should prove in itself that the union is not perpetual. Furthermore, there is ample evidence that the framers of the constitution and other prominent men of the time felt that the states had a right to leave the union. Thomas Jefferson said in his first inaugural address �If there be any among us who wish to dissolve the Union... let them stand undisturbed..." He also said on another occasion �The future inhabitants of the Atlantic and Mississippi states will be our sons. We think we see their happiness in their union, and we wish it. Events may prove otherwise; and if they see their interest in separating why should we take sides? God bless them both, and keep them in union if it be for their good, but separate them if it be better." Even some individual states reserved the right to leave the Union when they ratified the constitution. Virginia said in the same resolution that ratified the Constitution �...the powers granted under the Constitution, being derived from the people of the United States, may be resumed by them, whenever the same shall be perverted to their injury or oppression." Secession is a fundamental right and holds a true historic precedent in this nation's past. I say this to defend the secession of the southern states at the time of the war. I do think that we have the right to secede, but I in no way advocate that we invoke that right at this time. Our best safe guard as a people is to vote. |