and　irresponsible　majority。　　Is　the　　remedy　in　written　or　paper　constitutions？　　Party　can　break　　through　them；　and　by　making　the　judges　elective　by　party；　for　　short　terms；　and　re…eligible；　can　do　so　with　impunity。　　In　　several　of　the　States；　the　dominant　majority　have　gained　the　　power　to　govern　at　will；　without　any　let　or　hindrance。　　Besides；　　constitutions　can　be　altered；　and　have　been　altered；　very　nearly　　at　the　will　of　the　majority。　　No　mere　paper　constitutions　are　　any　protection　against　the　usurpations　of　party；　for　party　will　　always　grasp　all　the　power　it　can。
  Yet　the　evil　is　not　so　great　as　it　seems；　for　in　most　of　the　　States　the　principle　of　division　of　powers　is　carried　into　the　　bosom　of　the　State　itself；　in　some　States　further　than　in　　others；　but　in　all　it　obtains　to　some　extent。　　In　what　are　　called　the　New　England　States；　the　best　governed　portion　of　the　　Union；　each　town　is　a　corporation；　having　important　powers　and　　the　charge　of　all　purely　local　matterschooses　its　own　　officers；　manages　its　own　finances；　takes　charge　of　its　own　　poor；　of　its　own　roads　275　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　and　bridges；　and　of　the　education　of　its　　own　children。　　Between　these　corporations　and　the　State　　government　are　the　counties；　that　take　charge　of　another　class　　of　interests；　more　general　than　those　under　the　charge　of　the　　town；　but　less　general　than　those　of　the　State。　　In　the　great　　central　and　Northwestern　States　the　same　system　obtains；　though　　less　completely　carried　out。　　In　the　Southern　and　Southwestern　　States；　the　town　corporations　hardly　exist；　and　the　rights　and　　interests　of　the　poorer　classes　of　persons　have　been　less　well　　protected　in　them　than　in　the　Northern　and　Eastern　States。　　But　　with　the　abolition　of　slavery；　and　the　lessening　of　the　　influence　of　the　wealthy　slaveholding　class；　with　the　return　of　　peace　and　the　revival　of　agricultural；　industrial；　and　　commercial　prosperity；　the　New　England　system；　in　its　main　　features；　is　pretty　sure　to　be　gradually　introduced；　or　　developed；　and　the　division　of　powers　in　the　State　to　be　as　　effectively　and　as　systematically　carried　out　as　it　is　between　　the　General　government　and　the　particular　or　State　governments。　　　So；　though　universal　suffrage；　good　as　far　as　it　goes；　is　not　　alone　sufficient；　the　division　of　powers　affords　with　it　a　not　　inadequate　protection。
  No　government；　whose　workings　are　intrusted　276　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　to　men；　ever　is　or　　can　be　practically　perfectsecure　all　good；　and　guard　against　　all　evil。　　In　all　human　governments　there　will　be　defects　and　　abuses；　and　he　is　no　wise　man　who　expects　perfection　from　　imperfection。　　But　the　American　constitution；　taken　as　a　whole；　　and　in　all　its　parts；　is　the　least　imperfect　that　has　ever　　existed；　and　under　it　individual　rights；　personal　freedom　and　　independence；　as　well　as　public　authority　or　society；　are　better　　protected　than　under　any　other；　and　as　the　few　barbaric　elements　　retained　from　the　feudal　ages　are　eliminated；　the　standard　of　　education　elevated；　and　the　whole　population　Americanized；　　moulded　by　and　to　the　American　system；　it　will　be　found　to　　effect　all　the　good；　with　as　little　of　the　evil；　as　can　be　　reasonably　expected　from　any　possible　civil　government　or　　political　constitution　of　society。
  277　CHAPTER　XI。
  SECESSION。
  The　doctrine　that　a　State　has　a　right　to　secede　and　carry　with　it　　its　population　and　domain；　has　been　effectually　put　down；　and　the　　unity　and　integrity　of　the　United　States　as　a　sovereign　nation　　have　been　effectively　asserted　on　the　battle…field；　but　the　　secessionists；　though　disposed　to　submit　to　superior　force；　and　　demean　themselves　henceforth　as　loyal　citizens；　most　likely　hold　　as　firmly　to　the　doctrine　as　before　finding　themselves　unable　to　　reduce　it　to　practice；　and　the　Union　victory　will　remain　　incomplete　till　they　are　convinced　in　their　understandings　that　　the　Union　has　the　better　reason　as　well　as　the　superior　military　　resources。　　The　nation　has　conquered　their　bodies；　but　it　is　　hardly　less　important　for　our　statesmen　to　conquer　their　minds　　and　win　their　hearts。
  The　right　of　secession　is　not　claimed　as　a　revolutionary　right；　　or　even　as　a　conventional　right。　　The　secessionists　disclaim　　revolutionary　278　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　principles；　and　hold　that　the　right　of　secession　is　　anterior　to　the　convention；　a　right　which　the　convention　could　　neither　give；　nor　take　away；　because　inherent　in　the　very　　conception　of　a　sovereign　State。　　Secession　is　simply　the　repeal　　by　the　State　of　the　act　of　accession　to　the　Union；　and　as　that　　act　was　a　free；　voluntary　act　of　the　State；　she　must　always　be　　free　to　repeal　it。　　The　Union　is　a　copartnership；　a　State　in　the　　Union　is　simply　a　member　of　the　firm；　and　has　the　right　to　　withdraw　when　it　judges　it　for　its　interest　to　do　so。　　There　is　　no　power　in　a　firm　to　compel　a　copartner　to　remain　a　member　any　　longer　than　be　pleases。　　He　is　undoubtedly　holden　for　the　　obligations　contracted　by　the　firm　while　he　remains　a　member；　but　　for　none　contracted　after　he　has　withdrawn　and　given　due　notice　　thereof。
  So　of　a　sovereign　State　in　the　Union。　　The　Union　itself；　apart　　from　the　sovereign　States　that　compose　it；　is　a　mere　abstraction；　　a　nullity；　and　binds　nobody。　　All　its　substance　and　vitality　are　　in　the　agreement　by　which　the　States　constitute　themselves　a　firm　　or　copartnership；　for　certain　specific　purposes；　and　for　which　　they　open　an　office　and　establish　an　agency　under　express　　instructions　for　the　management　of　the　general　affairs　of　the　　firm。　　The　State　is　held　279　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　jointly　and　severally　for　all　the　legal　　obligations　of　the　Union；　contracted　while　she　is　in　it　but　no　　further；　and　is　free　to　withdraw　when　she　pleases；　precisely　as　　an　individual　may　withdraw　from　an　ordinary　business　firm。　The　　remaining　copartners　have　no　right　of　compulsion　or　coercion　　against　the　seceding　member；　for　he；　saving　the　obligations　　already　contracted；　is　as　free　to　withdraw　as　they　are　to　remain。
  The　population　is　fixed　to　the　domain　and　goes　with　it；　the　　domain　is　attached　to　the　State；　and　secedes　in　the　secession　of　　the　State。　　Secession；　then；　carries　the　entire　State　government；　　people；　and　domain　out　of　the　Union；　and　restores　ipso　facto　the　　State　to　its　original　position　of　a　sovereign　State；　foreign　to　　the　United　States。　　Being　an　independent　sovereign　State；　she　may　　enter　into　a　new　confederacy；　form　a　new　copartnership；　or　merge　　herself　in　some　other　foreign　state；　as　she　judges　proper　or　　finds　opportunity。　　The　States　that　seceded　formed　among　　themselves　a　new　confederacy；　more　to　their　mind　than　the　one　　formed　in　1787；　as　they　had　a　perfect　right　to　do；　and　in　the　war　　just　ended　they　were　not　rebels　nor　revolutionists；　but　a　people　　fighting　for　the　right　of　self…government；　loyal　citizens　and　　true　patriots　de…　280　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　fending　the　independence　and　inviolability　of　　their　country　against　foreign　invaders。　　They　are　to　be　honored　　for　their　loyalty　and　patriotism；　and　not　branded　as　rebels　and　　punished　as　traitors。
  This　is　the　secession　argument；　which　rests　on　no　assumption　of　　revolutionary　principles　or　abstract　rights　of　man；　and　on　no　　allegation　of　real　or　imaginary　wrongs　received　from　the　Union；　　but　simply　on　the　original　and　inherent　rights　of　the　several　　States　as　independent　sovereign　States。　　The　argument　is　　conclusive；　and　the　defence　complete；　if　the　Union　is　only　a　firm　　or　copartnership；　and　the　sovereignty　vests　in　the　States　　severally。　　The　refutation　of　the　secessionists　is　in　the　facts　　adduced　that　disprove　the　theory　of　State　sovereignty；　and　prove　　that　the　sovereignty　vests　not　in　the　States　severally；　but　in　　the　States　united；　or　that　the　Union　is　sovereign；　and　not　the　　States　individually。　　The　Union　is　not　a　firm；　a　copartnership；　　nor　an　artificial　or　conventional　union；　but　a　real；　living；　　constitutional　union；　founded　in　the　original　and　indissoluble　　unity　of　the　American　people；　as　one　sovereign　people。　　There　is；　　indeed；　no　such　people；　if　we　abstract　the　States；　but　there　are　　no　States　if　we　abstract　this　sovereign　people　or　the　Union。　　　There　is　281　　　　　　　　　　no　Union　without　the　States；　and　there　are　no　States　　without　the　Union。　　The　people　are　born　States；　and　the　States　　are　born　United　States。　　The　Union　and　the　States　are　　simultaneous；　born　together；　and　enter　alike　into　the　original　　and　essential　constitution　of　the　American　state。　　This　the　facts　　and　reasonings　adduced　fully　establish。
  But　this　one　sovereign　people　that　exists　only　as　organized　into　　States；　does　not　necessarily　include　the　whole　population　or　　territory　included　within　the　jurisdiction　of　the　United　States。　　　It　is　restricted　to　the　people　and　territory　or　domain　organized　　into　States　in　the　Union；　as　in　ancient　Rome　the　ruling　people　　were　restricted　to　the　tenants　of　the　sacred　territory；　which　had　　been　surveyed；　and　its　boundaries　marked　by　the　god　Terminus；　and　　which　by　no　means　included　all　the　territory　held　by　the　city；　　and　of　which　she　was　both　the　private　proprietor　and　the　public　　sovereign。　　The　city　had　vast　possessions　acquired　by　　confiscation；　by　purchase；　by　treaty；　or　by　conquest；　and　in