Tuesday, March 25, 2014

The Union Fat Jack - Addendum

And one of the main factors as to why Rhode Island (along with Virginia and New York) eventually did ratify the Constitution was a stipulation which specifically stated that they would also reserve the right to resume ALL governmental powers if in fact the Federal government became oppressive; the right to secede, in other words. And, yes, this claim to the right of secession was  fully understood and agreed upon by virtually every other ratifier; George Washington (who presided over the Constitutional Convention and who was also a key delegate from Virginian) included (Abe Lincoln himself believed this until he became President). 

1 comment:

Les Carpenter said...

Power changes people. Some leaders for the better, some leaders not so much.

The end of slavery was on the one hand ethically and morally correct. On the other hand the tremendous increase in federal power, which has been on the rise every since the first really big statist president, Lincoln, is not.