Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 22.djvu/46

 34 Southern Historical Society Papers.

4. Resolved, That his Excellency, the Governor, be requested to transmit a copy of the same resolves to the Executive of the United States and of the several States.

Approved by the Governor, March 15, 1844.

A year later, February 22, 1845, the Legislature of Massachusetts celebrated Washington's birthday by passing still another secession resolution.

I read from the same volume, pages 598 and 599:

Resolved, That Massachusetts has never delegated the power to admit into the Union, States or Territories without or beyond the originial territory of the States and Territories belonging to the Union at the adoption of the Constitution of the United States.

Resolved, * * * and as the powers of legislation granted in the Constitution of the United States to Congress do not embrace the case of the admission of a foreign State or foreign Territory by legislation into the Union, such an act of admission would have no binding force whatever on the people of Massachusetts.

Resolved, That his Excellency, the Governor, be requested to transmit copies of the preceding report and resolves to the President of the United States, the several Senators and Representatives in Congress from this Commonwealth, and the Governors of the seve- ral States.

Approved by the Governor, February 22, 1845.

I beg to call special attention to the second resolution, and also to that part of the third resolution which directed the Governor to transmit copies of the resolution, etc. All this was a part of the history of our country when Mr. Lincoln was elected by the solid vote of the States of the North, opposed by the solid vote of the States of the South.

A large part of the northern press contended that the States of the South had a full right to secede if the people desired to withdraw from the Union, and it was common to see in the northern press the words, " Erring sisters go in peace."

THE NORTHERN PRESS ADVOCATES SECESSION.

Mr. Lincoln's election was fully known on the evening of Novem- ber 8, 1860, and the next morning, November gth, Mr. Greeley's New York Tribune contained the following: