Abraham Lincoln, Trump’s indictment, and Convention of States

According to polling conducted in August of last year, 43% of Americans fear civil war will break out within the next decade. Last week, after former President Trump’s highly politicized indictment, that number almost certainly skyrocketed.

Our Union is tearing apart at the seams and we are restless to part ways. Calls for a national divorce have increased in number and traction. We have all but given up on the United States.

Now, turn back the clock 161 years. It was under similarly dire circumstances that Abraham Lincoln entered the White House. In fact, America’s divorce had already begun; civil war was only months away. But Lincoln was guided by a strong, inexorable sense of loyalty to the Union. He believed it was his foremost duty to preserve the Union, and he declared as much in his inaugural speech. He further made a case for why, in his opinion, no state could actually dissolve the Union.

“[I]f destruction of the Union,” he argued, “by one or by a part only of the States be lawfully possible, the Union is less perfect than before the Constitution, having lost the vital element of perpetuity.”

"It follows from these views,” he continued, “that no State upon its own mere motion can lawfully get out of the Union; that resolves and ordinances to that effect are legally void, and that acts of violence within any State or States against the authority of the United States are insurrectionary or revolutionary, according to circumstances."

"I therefore consider that in view of the Constitution and the laws the Union is unbroken, and to the extent of my ability, I shall take care, as the Constitution itself expressly enjoins upon me, that the laws of the Union be faithfully executed in all the States. Doing this I deem to be only a simple duty on my part, and I shall perform it so far as practicable unless my rightful masters, the American people, shall withhold the requisite means or in some authoritative manner direct the contrary. I trust this will not be regarded as a menace, but only as the declared purpose of the Union that it will constitutionally defend and maintain itself.”

Of course, Lincoln’s case did not hold up. Eleven states ultimately seceded, and civil war broke out despite his best efforts.

Interestingly, in the same speech Lincoln professed his undying fealty to the Union, he also proposed a remedy for the friction tearing the nation apart:

“This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it,” he reminded his hearers. “Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing Government, they can exercise their constitutional right of amending it or their revolutionary right to dismember or overthrow it. I can not be ignorant of the fact that many worthy and patriotic citizens are desirous of having the National Constitution amended."

"While I make no recommendation of amendments, I fully recognize the rightful authority of the people over the whole subject, to be exercised in either of the modes prescribed in the instrument itself; and I should, under existing circumstances, favor rather than oppose a fair opportunity being afforded the people to act upon it."

"I will venture to add that to me the convention mode seems preferable, in that it allows amendments to originate with the people themselves, instead of only permitting them to take or reject propositions originated by others, not especially chosen for the purpose, and which might not be precisely such as they would wish to either accept or refuse.”

What did Lincoln mean when he said “the convention mode seems preferable”? He was referring to the second clause of Article V of the U.S. Constitution which empowers the American people to call an amendatory convention to keep the federal government in check. In a last-ditch effort to avoid civil war, Abraham Lincoln endorsed calling an Article V convention, knowing it very well might be America’s last best hope at reuniting under a federalist system of governance. Regrettably, America in 1861 did not heed his advice.

We often say those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Perhaps, as civil war once again seems imminent, we would be wise to do what America failed to do in 1861 and call an Article V convention. We have no doubt grown weary of our existing, corrupt, unconstitutional government, and as Lincoln said, we have the constitutional right to amend it.

To join Abraham Lincoln in support of this eleventh-hour fail-safe, sign the Convention of States petition below and get involved today.