It was really close...

"W P Dixon" wrote in message news:hV6he.42

Actually you are not being fair, states had secceded, which at that time
was
Constitutional. What Lincoln did was make a war with a new soveriegn
nation.
You can't really call it a rebellion if it is one country against another.
Well, you can if you went to public schools!

LOL. "Seceded." *ahem*

I've been researching and writing the civil war for something like ten years
now. Can't find the part of the Constitution where it says that secession
is legal. Article I, Section 9, of the U.S. Constitution, however, states
"The privilege of the Writ of Habeus Corpus shall not be suspended, unless
when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it."

Personally, let's just say my ancestors came from Mississippi and Louisiana
and served on the side that declared it their legal right to secede. But if
Lincoln determined the impending outbreak of civil war to be a case of
rebellion or invasion, he may have suspended it in the interest of public
safety.

-c

gatt wrote:

I've been researching and writing the civil war for something like ten years
now. Can't find the part of the Constitution where it says that secession
is legal.

If it doesn't say it's illegal, it's legal. Something about all rights not
specifically reserved to the Federal government are reserved to the people and
States.

After the war, the issue was raised to the chief justice of the Supreme Court --
they were preparing to try Jefferson Davis for treason. The justice opined that,
if they actually brought the case to trial, the court would find him not guilty,
since all the "treasons" occurred when he was president of a foreign country.

They turned him loose. With nightmares about the city of Charleston suing for
the cost of the shot and powder used to subdue Fort Sumpter, no doubt.

George Patterson
"Naked" means you ain't got no clothes on; "nekkid" means you ain't got
no clothes on - and are up to somethin'.

Gatt,
I would highly advise you to do another 10 years of research. Remember all
the northern states that mentioned that term , and the Congressmen who spoke
of it often as a Constitutional right. I believe Webster sumed it up best
(paraphrasing) a union that can be enteres can be left. I do not remember
the exact quote off hand, but that was the heartbeat of it. Be happy to look
it up for you off the group if you care to learn. My library on the subject
can rival most public libraries. Would love to hear where your kin served!

Patrick
student SPL
aircraft structural mech
"gatt" wrote in message
...

"W P Dixon" wrote in message news:hV6he.42

Actually you are not being fair, states had secceded, which at that time
was
Constitutional. What Lincoln did was make a war with a new soveriegn
nation.
You can't really call it a rebellion if it is one country against
another.
Well, you can if you went to public schools!

LOL. "Seceded." *ahem*

I've been researching and writing the civil war for something like ten
years
now. Can't find the part of the Constitution where it says that secession
is legal. Article I, Section 9, of the U.S. Constitution, however,
states
"The privilege of the Writ of Habeus Corpus shall not be suspended, unless
when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it."

Personally, let's just say my ancestors came from Mississippi and
Louisiana
and served on the side that declared it their legal right to secede. But
if
Lincoln determined the impending outbreak of civil war to be a case of
rebellion or invasion, he may have suspended it in the interest of public
safety.

-c