8 god’s view of rebellion. only nine or ten men rebel. The increased numbers may make a different line of tactics advisable to common sense in the Government’s opposition, but they can never absolve the Government from the duty of opposition. A government has no more right to connive at rebellion than it has to connive at murder. It would make itself particeps criminisva the sight of God by so doing. Resistance is the Government’s one clear duty to all who resist Government. That is God’s word, whether man likes it or not. Now comes another objector. “All very well,” he says ; “ your argument is just: rebellion must be crushed; but is this war a rebellion1 ? The States seceding assert that they only resumed their original sovereignty ; if so, that surely is not rebellion.” Let us answer this shallow fallacy. In the first place, their assertion that they only exercise a sovereignty does not give them sovereignty. We must look to facts to see if there is such a State sovereignty. We have the Constitution and the laws ; they are our guides. We search the Constitution, and not a word is there found about any other sovereignty but the National, We then look at seventy years of legal history, and find not one hint of State sovereignty in the country’s legislation for all that period. What do we then see ? Certain States calling themselves sovereign deliberately breaking their allegiance and opposing the Government de facto^ with much talk about its not being a Government de jure. for
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