Is secession treason?

[otherone]

"The fact is that our Union rests upon public opinion, and can never be cemented by the blood of its citizens shed in civil war. If it can not live in the affections of the people, it must one day perish. Congress possesses many means of preserving it by conciliation, but the sword was not placed in their hand to preserve it by force."
-James Buchanan

It strikes me as odd that our two most significant conflicts, the Revolution and Civil War, were both conflicts for self-governance, yet history doesn't call them 'secession'.


Article III section 3:
Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.
The Congress shall have Power to declare the Punishment of Treason, but no Attainder of Treason shall work Corruption of Blood, or Forfeiture except during the Life of the Person attainted.

So a peaceful revolution is actually legal?

 

[Kluge]

"The fact is that our Union rests upon public opinion, and can never be cemented by the blood of its citizens shed in civil war. If it can not live in the affections of the people, it must one day perish. Congress possesses many means of preserving it by conciliation, but the sword was not placed in their hand to preserve it by force."
-James Buchanan

It strikes me as odd that our two most significant conflicts, the Revolution and Civil War, were both conflicts for self-governance, yet history doesn't call them 'secession'.


Article III section 3:
Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.
The Congress shall have Power to declare the Punishment of Treason, but no Attainder of Treason shall work Corruption of Blood, or Forfeiture except during the Life of the Person attainted.

So a peaceful revolution is actually legal?

What does "legal" even mean anymore? I don't think much of anything is legal under our government since the Constitution is basically meaningless.

 

[Czolgosz]

You're enslaved and worrying about whether proposed methods of freeing yourself are lawful/legal? Free your mind and the question becomes moot.

 

[luctor-et-emergo]

What does "legal" even mean anymore? I don't think much of anything is legal under our government since the Constitution is basically meaningless.

Well there you go... Treason is simply one of those nice 'one size fits all' things.
In history a lot of things have been treasonous... Certainly there would be no reason for history to repeat itself ?

 

[Austrian Econ Disciple]

If this be treason, then let's make the most of it.

 

[NoOneButPaul]

It's only treason if you lose.

 

[xFiFtyOnE]

Legal or not, the last time it was attempted over half a million people died and entire cities were burnt to the ground. I can bet you it would be alot worse these days.

 

[Republicanguy]

Secession cannot be treason because that would just be another form of tyranny approaching.

 

[Origanalist]

Secession cannot be treason because that would just be another form of tyranny approaching.

Tell that to the South. Abe Lincoln disagreed.

 

[The_Ruffneck]

Legal or not, the last time it was attempted over half a million people died and entire cities were burnt to the ground. I can bet you it would be alot worse these days.

whats the alternative , sleepwalk into world war 3?
i notice usa/nato is looking to further expand into africa with this kony 2012 baloney , this ties into the ww3 scenario well , chaos is enveloping the globe.

 

[tfurrh]

legal? let me ask the UN or NATO....

 

[Matthew5]

He who has the guns, makes the rules.

Secession is not treasonous, but that does not guarantee that the U.S. won't invade your new government in order to regain her former territory. Abe Lincoln just used a nationalistic motivator to justify his invasion.

 

[tod evans]

A state secedes whereas a person may be treasonous.

I don't think it is possible for a person to secede.

 

[tfurrh]

A state secedes whereas a person may be treasonous.

I don't think it is possible for a person to secede.

Unless you're Al Awlaki, I thought he said it three times from a mountaintop so it made it official.

 

[Origanalist]

whats the alternative , sleepwalk into world war 3?
i notice usa/nato is looking to further expand into africa with this kony 2012 baloney , this ties into the ww3 scenario well , chaos is enveloping the globe.

Uganda has been a hellhole and a looney bin for decades. The fact that all the celebrity types are jumping on this bandwagon is enough to make me stay away. Is it horrible what is going on there? Yes. Is this something new? No.

At some point we have to stop borrowing and printing worthless money to keep the rest of the planet in order.

 

[Johnny Appleseed]

Ask the Montana Freemen

 

[Republicanguy]

I certainly wouldn't agree with military intervention over there. Uk doesn't have that much recent history of intervening in Africa, it would be mis-placed vision to get involved.

 

[bolil]

Treason is a human construct, based thoroughly on perception and thus open to many interpretations. Is it treason to print money, with Federal permisission, and thus devalue the fruits of everyone else's labor? Some would say it is. How about going to war in direct violation of the Constitution Article one section eight? Is it treason so secede on account of the treason of the accusing party? Seems to me the war on drugs is treason committed against human nature.

Metaphysically there must exist a honest bond of loyalty/affection for treason to occur. Seeing as the government views us a little more than cogs, I guess their treason is not a definitive one.

 

[The Gold Standard]

Why would secession be treason? Treason is waging war against the United States. Secession is leaving the United States.

 

[Pericles]

Why would secession be treason? Treason is waging war against the United States. Secession is leaving the United States.

Winner. To refer to the conflict of 1861 to 1865 as the Civil War is an incorrect use of the term. A civil war is two or more factions fighting for control of an entity. There is no evidence that the Confederacy intended to take over the remaining states of the Union and impose its system of government upon them.