A Leading Law Scholar Fears We’re Lurching Toward Secession

[David Lockmiller]

New York Times headline today (8/24/2024) reads: "A Leading Law Scholar Fears We’re Lurching Toward Secession"

Erwin Chemerinsky, the dean of the U.C. Berkeley School of Law, is the "Leading Law Scholar" in question.

President Abraham Lincoln and the Union Army and Navy settled this constitutional question for all time forward.

[David Lockmiller]

Mr. George Thompson, the English anti-slavery orator, delivered an address in the House of Representatives, to a large audience, April 6, 1864. The folllowing morning, Mr. Thompson and party called at the White House.

Mr. Lincoln thereupon said:

"Mr. Thompson, the people of Great Britain and of other foreign governmnents were in one great error in reference to the conflict. They seemed to think that the moment I was President, I had the power to abolish slavery, forgetting that, before I could have any power whatsoever, I had to take the oath to support the Constitution of the United States, and execute the laws as I found them. When the rebellion broke out, my duty did not admit of a question. That was, first, by all strictly lawful means to endeavor to maintain the integrity of the Government. I did not consider that I had a right to touch the 'state' institution of slavery until all other measures for restoring the Union had failed. The paramount idea of the Constitution is the preservation of the Union. It may not be specified in so many words, but that this was the idea of its founders is evident; for, without the Union, the Constitution would be worthless. It seems clear, then, that in the last extremity, if any local institution threatened the existence of the Union, the Executive could not hesitate as to his duty. In our case, the moment came when I felt that slavery must die that the nation might live! . . . ."