Secession Of South Carolina- Essay, Research Paper

Secession of South Carolina-

Following the election of Abraham Linclon as President of the

United States in 1860, South Carolina was the first of 7 states to

secede from the union. They claimed, as their reasons for secession,

frequent violations of the Constitution by the federal government and

encroachments upon the reserved rights of the Senate. But did South

Carolina have the right, legally or morally, to secede from the Union

and establish its own Confederacy? After all, didn’t they fight so

hard to become a free and independent country from Great Britain in

the American Revolution less then a century ago? And now they are

seceding from their own country that they fought for, and are causing

a war in an attempt to establish their own country? Legally, South

Carolina had the right, but not morally.

Following the American Revolution, all (at that time) 13

states signed a Declaration of Independence stating “that they are

and of right ought to be, FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES; and that, as

free and independent states they have full power to levy war,

conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce and to do all

other acts and things which independent states may of right do.” In

1783, a treaty was signed with Great Britain that acknowledged them

as “FREE SOVEREIGN AND INDEPENDENT STATES having the right to govern

itself, and the right of the people to abolish a government when it

becomes destructive of the ends for which it was instituted.” Then in

1787 the Articles of Confederation was revised becoming the

Constitution of the United States. This added to the Articles of

Confederation that “exercises were restrained necessary for their

existence of sovereign states amendment added-declared that powers

not delegated to the US by the constitution or prohibited by that

States were reserved for the States.” This is clear proof that South

Carolina had every legal right to secede from the Union. After all,

between 1776 and 1787 the state signed 3 documents establishing them

as free and independent states and grating their rights as free and

independent states.

There are, however, some moral issues involved in South

Carolinas secession from the union. For instance, they had all fought

together for their independence from Great Britain less then a

century ago in the American Revolution. This gave all the states a

bond between each other. They had come together to fight for their

rights as a nation. Now they are going to revolt to be separated from

their own country? This doesn’t seem like a very moral thing to do.

It’s kind of like a mother fighting for custody of her child

following a divorce from her husband. Then, after all the trouble of

the trial, she disowns her child because she didn’t agree on some

things that he did. It’s just not right, you don’t fight for

something, and then turn against it. Another thing is that when South

Carolina signed the Declaration of Independence, the preamble stated

that it was created “to form a more perfect union, establish domestic

tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote general welfare

and secure the blessing of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.”

Notice the part: form a more perfect union. South Carolina seceding

from the union does not help in doing this but prevents it.

In conclusion, South Carolina had every legal right to

secede from the Union following Lincoln’s election in 1860. They had

signed 3 documents prior to that establishing them as free and

independent states. They did not, however, have any moral right to do

so. One of there goals as a state in the United States was to form a

more perfect union. Seceding and causing a civil war between a

country that fought for its independence, as a country is not a good

example of how to form a perfect union.