"Secession belongs to a different class of remedies. It is to be justified upon the basis that the States are sovereign. There was a time when none denied it. I hope the time may come again, when a better comprehension of the theory of our Government, and inalienable rights of the people of the States, will prevent any one from denying that each State is a sovereign, and thus may reclaim the grants which it has made to any agent whomsoever."-- Jefferson Davis Farewell Address to U.S. Senate, 21 Jan. 1861
The on-going internet Secession Petition campaign has been quite an affirmation for those of us who were secessionists before secession was cool! Now that the "S word" is being spread all across the land by various media, we think an explanation of the right of secession and its benefits and The League of the South's stand on the issue is warranted. Oh, and before we get started we would like to set three things straight: 1) Secession is not illegal; 2) It is not treason; and 3) it is not lunatic and impractical. Lets also define what it is – Our Founding Principle as espoused and proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence!!
The League's goal is good government for the Southern people. We believe secession—and independence--is the best way to restore good government to the South. Since 1861 the republican system of government established by the Founders has been steadily eroded. Today that government has become the cruel master rather than the obedient servant of the citizens of the several states. We see no way of reforming the corruption within the present system; therefore, the League seeks to spread acceptance of the idea of secession among the people of the South and elsewhere.
We believe in the Jeffersonian principle that free people may change their government if over a long period of time it refuses to protect their lives, liberty, and property. As the present government of the United States has violated the original compact of 1789 and no longer offers its citizens such protection, we believe that the time has come for the Southern States to consider the merits of secession. The League of the South does not advocate the overthrow of the government of the United States; rather, we wish to leave peaceably and form our own nation or nations, as the people of the South shall freely decide.
Secession in 2012 is not premature, impractical, nor against the law. The time is right for separation and the establishment of local self-rule for all peoples who desire to be free. Secession has long been seriously debated in several western states and in Canada. The break-up of the Soviet Empire hastened such movements all across Eastern Europe, and now all of Europe is aflame with secession movements.
The South has clearly lagged behind in the drive for self-determination, undoubtedly because many Southerners believe secession is illegal because the Southern States were forced to renounce and repeal their secession ordinances under the duress of military occupation during the Reconstruction era. However, the right of secession is nothing more than the right of sovereign states to recall the powers they delegated to the federal government when they ratified the US Constitution. This right cannot be renounced because the right to liberty and self-determination is an inalienable right given by God. Therefore, secession is not illegal or unconstitutional. Secession is still a practical alternative to the further dissolution and chaos of a virtually ungovernable union. We must act boldly and take advantage of a favorable cultural and political climate. If we hesitate now, we very well may lose.
If the States of the old Confederacy and the Border States of Missouri, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Maryland were a nation, its GNP would place it among the top three or four nations of the world. Its laws would better reflect the natural conservatism and Christian roots of the Southern people. Our laws on gun control, abortion, school prayer, and immigration would without question be different. We could establish a confederation of states and make the provisions of the Tenth Amendment a reality. We could follow George Washington's sage advice about "entangling alliances." We could leave the United Nations and oppose the globalists' New World Order. We could stop foreign aid to those who despise us and seek our destruction. We could once again reward merit. We could get government out of our children's education. In other words, we could again seize control of our own destiny.
In order to make secession work, we must be tough-minded and willing to stand up to the forces of tyranny that are loose in the land. We must not cast ourselves as victims, for victims are perceived as helpless and thus dependent for their salvation on the goodwill of others. We must not ask permission to exercise our ancient rights and liberties; we should seize them as free men. We also must build a strong organization that is able to give form to our vision: the establishment of a Southern Nation or nations grounded firmly in the hallowed traditions and virtuous principles of our forebears. If you agree with our general position, we invite you to join us.
Michael Hill
The League of the South
Killen, Alabama
14 November 2012
The current secession movement (as typified by the massive petitions recently mentioned) needs to move in the following direction:
ReplyDelete1. Secession is NOT ABOUT geography, north vs south, east vs west, etc. But about FREEDOM vs SLAVERY, free people vs dictocrats in DC. The only geography that need be involved is a 'secede from D.C.' concept.
2. The PURPOSE of secession must be for as many of the states to secede from D.C. as possible, and then RECONSTITUTE the Union, with a new Congress, Executive, court, etc. In short, a NEW duly constituted 'federal government' and a repudiation of the fake, de facto regime in D.C. masquerading as our Constitutionally authorized government.
3. Secessionists better be prepared to fight for their freedom if this movement succeeds, because only a complete fool would think secession can be done 'peacefully'. The bad guys have already planned for this, they realize that the secession of the states from DC and reconstitution of our legitimate governmental system is THE THREAT to their little global, socialist utopia. False flags are already in the works and psyops via controlled media to demonize all secessionists/Constitutionalists as hillbilly whackjobs declaring themselves 'King of Tennessee' from their run down trailer house in the hollers of Backwoodsia will be running rampant. We must be aware of this and ready for it, and make sure our MESSAGE is clear - the states must JOIN TOGETHER to RESTORE THE REPUBLIC, evict the criminals in D.C., hold them accountable.
In other words, the Original Plan of Secession (1776) is the blueprint that worked then and WILL WORK AGAIN IF WE MAKE IT HAPPEN.
The idea of Balkanizing America into a bunch of totally independent fiefdoms is EXACTLY what OPFOR wants to promote as 'secesson'.
We must demand our legistlatures REPUDIATE the criminal D.C. regime, re-organise the Committee of the States, and reconstitute the original federal government. This must be done by LOBBYING and DEMANDING our legislatures do this, get more petitions out promoting this idea, get as much publicity as possible for the concept of 'secede to save the republic'.
It is not seceding from the Union, but seceding from the corrupt globalist 'new world order' faux corporation run from D.C. by banksters and closet communists.
Agreed, but if indeed this does happen, you cannot make all of the seceding states join together if they do not wish to do so.
DeleteAnd for those who say that our state legislatures will not listen... keep in mind that a growing grassroots movement that REFUSES TO SHUT UP must be reckoned with.
ReplyDeleteOur founding fathers understood all this, and they were willing to make the stand. It took time (probably 10-15 years prior to the actual Declaration of Independence) to develop the 'colonial rights movement' (18th century version of states' rights movement), and it will take time once again.
But it IS time for us to quit whining about how nothing can be done and how every plan is doomed to failure, and DO SOMETHING productive.
But it IS time for us to quit whining about how nothing can be done and how every plan is doomed to failure, and DO SOMETHING productive.
DeleteAbsolutely.
A commenter, James Parker of Norfolk, VA, who heard Patrick Henry's Liberty or Death speech wrote, to his friend Charles Steuart, on April 6, 1775: "You never heard anything more famously insolent than P Henrys speech. He called the King a Tyrant, a fool, a puppet & tool to the Ministry, Said there was now no Englishmen, no Scots no Britons, but a Set of Wretches Sunk in luxury..."
ReplyDeleteSounds like my brother's AL governor is in that Set of "Wretches Sunk in Luxury." I just hope Michelle shares the lobster with him.
I can always find a quote by one of my Virginia heroes from the 1760s and 1770s that exactly applies to the current mess. T Jefferson, G Mason, P Henry, J Madison, R Henry Lee were not the last of the honest, staunch, true Patriots. Can we not find their equals today? At least L Graham and J McCain stood forward on Benghazi. About all we have with R Paul gone is Neo-cons so I'll support them until we get better. This is now, three centuries after the Revolution. Send out a call for leaders. If we have none, then we don't deserve to reverse the downward spiral. But, I am confident that such men can be found. M Romney had none of the attributes of the Founders. He would not have reversed our course, but if he had pledged his 240 million dollars to the cause of Freedom, I would have voted for him, nevermind Life and Sacred Honor.
I would travel, with difficulty, as indeed the Continental Congress always traveled, a long way to hear Gary Johnson, Allen West, and Ron Paul tell us what we need to do now.
I couldn't watch Ron Paul's last speech video all the way through for crying. I'll get through it eventually. As he spoke I remembered that there was a day in Williamburg, Virginia in the 1760s when Thomas Jefferson was lecturing at the College of William and Mary at the West end of the main street, which I have walked. That day, Patrick Henry was in his Law Office further East, and at the East End of the street, George Washington was sitting in the Virginia House of Burgesses. I can't even type that without crying. Call me a sentimental old fool but I know what worked before and I think would work again.
The Initiator of this thread calls himself Anonymous. He's way too wise and valuable to stay in the closet. I challenge him to come out and be the leader that he sounds like. The essayists who called themselves Federalists and Anti-Federalists started their writing anonymously but most took off the masks early on. Nobody signed the Declaration of Independence as "Anonymous." Heh.
Horace Smith
NCSU 1955
Aurora, Colorado (definitely Not-South)
Great thoughts, Horace.
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