I hold that in contemplation of universal law and of the Constitution the Union of these States is perpetual. Perpetuity is implied, if not expressed, in the fundamental law of all national governments. It is safe to assert that no government proper ever had a provision in its organic law for its own termination. Continue to execute all the express provisions of our National Constitution, and the Union will endure forever - Abraham Lincoln, First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1861
I find it ironic that our first black President, Barack Obama, is facing a similar challenge that President Lincoln faced when he took office so many years ago. We MUST to commit to preserving the Union just as Abraham Lincoln did. Our nation must not perish.