The Second Continental Congress proposes the Articles of Confederation–a constitution of liberty–to the States for ratification:
- Article II – “Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this Confederation expressly delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled”;
- Article IV, Section 1 – Prohibits “paupers, vagabonds and fugitives from Justice” from citizenship.
- Article V, Section 1 – The State legislatures have to power to recall their Delegates to Congress at any time;
- Article V, Section 5 – Delegates to Congress have absolute immunity for statements made on the floor of Congress;
- Article IX, Section 5 – Congress is given the power to print money (emit Bills (of credit));
- Article XI – Canada is invited to join the Confederation, with the approval of nine States;
- Article XIII, Section 1 – Amendments to the Articles of Confederation must be approved by all State legislatures.
NOTE: Article II implies the Right of Secession, as the States were asserting that right in their quest for independence.
Postscript: A decade later, in framing of the Constitution for the united States, the Convention choose to remove “perpetual” from the Preamble, implying that the Union was to be voluntarily and peacefully entered into and exited out of.
[updated 1/31/2025] Thanks to Bill Holmes for this entry.
Subsequent Events:
Authority:
unanimous Declaration (of Independence), Paragraph 6
ccc-2point0.com/unanimous-declaration-of-independence
References:
Joseph R. Stromberg, “Republicanism, Federalism, and Secession in the South, 1790 to 1865,” Secession, State and Liberty, David Gordon, ed., (New Brunswick, New Jersey and London: Transaction, 1998), 115.
Avalon Project – Articles of Confederation : March 1, 1781
avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/artconf.asp
Was the Union Army’s Invasion of the Confederate States a Lawful Act? by James Ostrowski
www.lewrockwell.com/ostrowski/ostrowski31.htm
Current U.s. National Debt:
