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 AND JOURNAL OF POLITICAL ECONOMY 51 general consent of the States, would not your en-, tire Allegiance be then due v to your own State without dispute? If yea, does this not convince you that the right to your entire Allegiance resides ultimately in your State? Do you admit that a State has a right, peacefully, to secede from the Union? If yea, is that not then a right to discharge and release you from all obliga- tions to the Federal Government, and to the Unit- ed States — and is not such a right, a right to your paramount Allegiance? But if you will not allow that secession may be rightful and peaceable, you will at least admit, that a State may separate herself by revolution, from the Union. If so, when she has declared her sepa- ration, will not those of her citizens who afterwards claim to be citizens of the Union, and resist her au- thority, stand to her in precisely the relation in which Tories stood in the Revolution of 7"6 ? Suppose the other States, in that event, decline making war, and content themselves with declaring such State "out of the pale of the Union," - " an enemy in war, in peace a friend," can the citizen inhabiting such State; still deny her his entire alle- giance, and contend that he owes it to the then fo- reign confederacy of the rest of the States? You see then that by an act of your own State, or if not by that alone by that and by the acts of the other States, your entire Allegiance may be made to re- vert to your own State. Now is it possible for the Federal Government, or the rest of the States, by any act whatever, to divest your State of any por- tion of the Allegiance which you acknowledge that you now owe her? If not, then do you not perceive that your Allegiance to your State is para- mount, is the only Allegiance, since alone it possess- es the essential of Allegiance in being '* unaliena- ble;" while what you call your Allegiance to the Union, is not Allegiance, because it is capable, in va- rious contingencies, of being transferred and anni- hilated? Suppose the present United States were to agree to divide themselves into two or more distinct and unconnected confederacies, or Unions, each asso- ciation of States having its own general or common Government, you must acknowledge that your whole Allegiance would remain within that new and smaller confederacy, to which your State may attach herself— that in a further subdivision it would still follow your State into the yet smaller confederacy — and at last be confined solely and exclusively to your own State, should there be a final dismemberment of all the confederacies. Does not this prove to you where dwells the right to your paramount Allegiance, which Allegiance thus, in all these possible changes, abides with and follows your State? Do you not see, that your State, by her own act, can release you from other obligations, to which she has subjected you, while no earthly power can re- lease you from your obligations to her ! These are arguments addressed to your reason, but may we not appeal directly to your hearts, and ask them where the paramount affection is bestow- ed? We rejoice to know that the hearts of an over- whelming majority of South Carolinians have, long ago, irrevocably decided this great question of Al- legiance. OATHS OF OFFICE. Required by the Constitutions of the different States, with the dales of the said Constitutions rcspec* tively, liaiaa. — Article 9, Sect, 1.— Every person elected or appointed to either of the places or offices pro- vided in this constitution, and every person elected, appointed, or commissioned, to any judicial execu- tive, military or other office under this state; shall, before he enter on the discharge of the duties of his place or office, take and subscribe the following oath or affirmation: " I,, do swear, that I will support the constitution of the United States and of this State, so long as I shall continue a citi- zen thereof. So help me God." "I, — —, do swear, that I will faithfully dis- charge, to the best of my abilities, the duties incum- bent on me as , according to the constitution and the laws of the state: So help me God:" pro- vided, that an affirmation in the above forms may be substituted, when the persons shall be conscien- tiously scrupulous of taking and subscribing an oath. October29th, 1819. Massachusetts. — Chant, 6, Article 1.— Any per- son chosen governor, or lieutenant governor, coun- sellor, senator, or representative, and accepting the trust, shall before he proceed to execute the duties of his place or office, take, make, and subscribe, the following declaration, viz: " 1, A. B., do declare that I believe the Christian religion, and have a firm persuasion of its truth and that I am seized and possessed, in my own right of the property required by the Constitution, as one qualification for the office or place to which I am elected." And the governor, lieutenant governor, and coun- sellors, shall make and subscribe the said declaration in the presence of the two Houses of Assembly! and the senators and representatives first elected under this constitution, before the president and' five of the council of the former constitution; and, for ever afterwards, before the governor and council for the time being. And every person chosen to either of the places or offices aforesaid, as also any person appointed or commissioned to any judicial, executive, military or other office, under the government, shall, before be enter on the discharge of the business of bis place or office, take and subscribe the following declaration and oaths, or affirmations, viz: "I, A. B., do truly and sincerely acknowledge, profess, testify and declare, that the Common wealthy of Massachusetts is, and of right ought to be, a free! sovereign, and independent state; and I do swearA that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the saidl commonwealth, and that I will defend the same' against traitorous conspiracies, and all hostile at- - tempts whatsoever: and that I do renounce and ab- jure all allegiance, subjection, and obedience to the king, queen or government of Great Britain, as the case may be, and every other foreign power what- soever: and that no foreign prince, person, pre- late, state or potentate, hath, or ought to have any jurisdiction, and superiority, pre-eminence, authority, dispensing or other power in any matter, civil, ecclesiastical or spiritual, within this common- wealth, except the authority and power which is or may be vested by their constituents in the Congress of the United States: And 1 do further testify and declare that no man or body of men hath or can have any right to absolve or discharge me from the obligation of this oath, declaration or affirmation, and that I do make this acknowledgment, profes- sion, testimony, declaration, denial, renunciation, - and abjuration heartily, and truly, according to the common meaning and acceptation of the foregoing words, without any equivocation, mental evasion, or secret reservation whatsoever. So help me God, "I, A. B., do solemnly swear and affirm, that I will faithfully and impartially discharge and perform