Ironicly although this man opposed secession his writings speak volumes about the States constitutional rights to do so. Mark

Rawle, William A View of the Constitution of the United States Second Edition. Philadelphia: Philip H. Nicklin, 1829. viii, 349 pp

This treatise is one of the earliest works on the subject of the United States Constitution, and ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT. Rawle presents the view that states have a legal right to secede from the union. Cohen observes that the popularity of this text, which was used at West Point and other schools throughout the country, "is generally considered to have influenced the leaders and supporters of the Confederacy, although in fact Rawle opposed secession." Cohen, Bibliography of Early American Law 2893. Rawle [1759-1836] was a pillar of Pennsylvania's legal establishment and a highly regarded attorney and educator.