The story of states’ rights began with abolitionists, according to Adam Freedman’s “A Less Perfect Union: The Case For States’ Rights.” Although the term has become tarnished by being associated with segregation, during a recent conversation, Freedman argued that abolitionists were the original guardians of state sovereignty in the antebellum era.
It was not Robert E. Lee or Henry Clay, but Abraham Lincoln, who embraced the defense of states’ rights to remain free. Freedman’s book dives into the heart of Lincoln’s “house divided” speech that addressed his fear of nationalized slavery, warning that the Supreme Court would eventually rule that the Constitution “does not permit a state to exclude slavery from its limits.” Leading abolitionist, Carl Schurz, similarly supported states’ rights, giving a speech on the matter, warning of federal usurpation of state sovereignty on the issue of slavery and urging states to exercise their powers to resist.
Freedman also draws attention to what most progressives have overlooked: “States have often been the forefront of progressive causes.” For example, he argues, without the state courts that created the original laws permitting same-sex marriage, the issue would have never gained momentum nationally. Listen to streaming audio of my full conversation with Adam Freedman — or download the podcast on iTunes.
Sumner Park contributed to this post.