I got to wondering about something the other day- what would happen if part of one of the US states rebelled against the rest of the state?
Let’s say for discussion’s sake, that S. Texas (defined as everything south of a line from Port Lavaca to Eagle Pass, again for discussion’s sake) decides to rebel from Austin and set themselves up as their own state or territory via armed force. They don’t have any desire to leave the US, but rather want to set their own laws and don’t like the hyper-Republican rule in Austin.
So assuming that peaceful means fail, and this State of S. Texas arms itself up to defend itself, would the Governor of Texas be within his rights to call up the National Guard units in the remainder of the state and quell the rebellion and bring that part back into the fold by force?
Or is suppression of rebellion like this more of a Federal issue that would require the use of the US Army?
That’s kind of why I posed the question- the new “state” would be illegal, and would still be considered part of Texas, albeit in rebellion.
So assuming that the way the Dorr Rebellion played out, it would be entirely legal for Rick Perry to call up the 36th Infantry division and the various AFNG wings and use them as a military force to reclaim the new “state” back into Texas, with all the attendant bloodshed and destruction?