Negotiating with the secessionists.

5fish

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2019
Messages
11,221
Reaction score
4,687
He is asking you to weigh in with your arguments on dealing with secession.
We only be repeating the Southern misconstrued view of the Constitution. I think the best argument is Jefferson's social contract argument that future generations are not bound by their forefather's decisions and every 20 years people renew the constitution with a vote. This was not the secessionist argument during the secession crisis. I would argue the states not renewing the Constitution get to leave the Union. The South should have proposed this at the latest during the Nullification crisis and created an amendment to put this mechanism in the Constitution. In truth, the vote should not be by state but by the nation as a whole is another question.

Nullification crisis

The Constitution does not say a state cannot secede from the Union and the argument becomes if the Constitution is a continuation of the Articles of Confederation or a new nation with a new government. The South argues for clarification and demands an opted-out cause in law.

Perpetual Union - Wikipedia

I think the Perpetual Union theory can be beaten in debate for one thing we list Washington as our first President but if we were a perpetual union we had 14 presidents before him. We do not count them so something changed like we became a new nation under the constitution... The bonds under the Articles of Confederation were voided...

America's Secret: The Presidents Before George Washington

The Hall of Presidents Before Washington

The arguments about protecting State Rights or a Way of Life or Property Rights of Slavers do not apply to the Constitution.


https://www.britannica.com/topic/nullification-crisis
 
Top