来自《耶鲁大学开放课程：美国内战与重建1845-1877 第10集第10集》

that was why they came into existence,

是他们生存下去的原因
that is what they had been arguing for six years,

是他们这六年来一直为之争斗的
and they would not give up that line, as he put it.

他们绝不会放弃那条底线他就是这么说的
On December 20th, 1860,

1860年十二月二十日
South Carolina held a Secession Convention--

南卡罗来纳州举行了脱离联邦大会
December 20th--and voted unanimously to secede from the Union.

十二月二十日全票同意脱离联盟
They said in that act that they were,

他们在会议记录中说他们
quote, "Not in rebellion against the United States."

"不是要与美国做对"
They said they were only exercising,

他们只是在行使
quote, their "Sovereign power as a state to withdraw."

他们 "退出联盟的自主权"
They rooted their secession,

他们分裂的根据
as they always had rooted state sovereignty

包括主张州自主权