Secession Myths
by Steve Urban

1. The entire question of secession was settled during the Civil War.
Myth Busted - the application of Federal military might to invade, occupy and forcibly repatriate the
Southern states in no way answered the legal question of the legality of secession. In point of fact it
can rightly be argued that the Federal government exceeded its delegated powers by using force
against a the states.

2. Secession is the same as revolution and revolutions always mean bloodshed.
Myth Busted - A revolution is a change in government, secession is merely a separation of
governments, a divorce or a disillusion of a compact.

3. No state have ever seceded anywhere in the world.
Myth Busted - recent examples would include, Montenegro, Lithuania, Estonia, All of the former Soviet Republics, and even Scotland regained some of her sovereignty in 1999 (something she lost in 1805)

4. If one or more of the various states secedes it will likely end up no better than a third world
country, isolated, alone and poor.
Myth Busted - Not true, a free Alaska would be Saudi Arabia with snow, California would be the world's 7th largest economy. Other states would of their own choosing form trade alliances and various confederations or even federal unions. The point is these would be on their terms, government of and by the people.

5. The United States was born on the 4th of July 1776, a state has no right to leave.
Myth Busted - The United States was not born in 1776, that was thirteen free and independent
colonies shedding the yoke of imperialism. The United States was born with the ratification of the
Constitution in 1788, its parents being the free and independent states.

6. If a state were to leave the Union it would mean war, the Federal government would never
allow it.
Myth Busted - This myth plays right into the very notion of tyranny and governmental control. If the
Federal government were to invade a state seeking to establish self-determination using the very
same justification found in the Declaration of Independence would that act in and of itself not be
enough to convict the Federal government of tyranny? Governments are supposed to do what the
people allow, not the other way around.

7. Secession is treason, secessionist are traitors.
Myth Busted - The love of one's state is not treason, loyalty to one's home is not treason. The belief in government of and by the people is not treason. The belief in the 10th Amendment to the Constitution reserving all rights not specifically delegated to the Federal government to the States and People is not treason. Tyranny, oppression and perversion and usurpation of the Constitution is treasonous.

Excellent points and agree with all of them. the federal government when they had President Jefferson Davis C.S.A. in custody were going to put him on trial and charge him with treason, some wise lawyers advised the government that them shouldn't do it because seceding was not illegal and Davis did not commit treason so rather than take the chance of losing on court and looking bad the Imperial government released him. If it was not legal for the South to leave the union then it was also not legal for the colonies to leave the British union.

9.10.09