Our Constitution and Secession

Potomac Pride

Sergeant Major
Joined
Oct 28, 2011
Location
Georgia
That's one interpretation.

The other is once they realized the institution was in danger because of the call for troops, Arkansas and Virginia quickly aligned themselves with their sister slave states.

Slavery was THE important topic and the reason they finally withdrew from the Union.
The fact is that was the same coercion anyone faces when they break the law. It's not a misuse of power, but the fulfillment of a duty and responsibility. VA had it right the first time, when they were calmly using their heads; the Constitution, and the Union, nation, and government it established, belonged to “the People of the United States” (note how they had even copied the capitalization of the Preamble). And from 1861 to 1865 “the People of the United States” defended them. Pro-slavery interpretations of the Constitution were self-serving, which is why they did not try to take them to court.


And by the same illogical logic:

The issue of slavery was important to the Cotton South states. However, they did NOT secede until Lincoln was elected. Therefore, the issue of slavery by itself was not important enough for them to withdraw from the Union.

All 11 states seceded to preserve slavery. Timing was just a matter of the degree of the perceived threat to their peculiar institution, which in turn was a matter of the degree of a state's reliance upon slavery.

Even before a secession convention was called in Virginia, the state had declared that it was vehemently opposed to any type of federal coercion against the states that had already left the Union. In fact, the Virginia General Assembly had even passed a resolution in early 1861 opposing any type of federal coercion which they would resist by any means necessary. They considered federal coercion to be a violation against the rights of the states. In Arkansas, there was a significant pro-Union sentiment and the secession convention initially decided against withdrawing from the Union. However, the Unionists and other delegates all agreed that any type of federal coercion would be legitimate grounds for secession in the future. Subsequently, after Lincoln's call for troops to suppress the southern states, Arkansas voted to secede as it had previously stated. Therefore, slavery was not the only issue involved in regards to the secession of both ARK. and VA.
 
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