Fact check: What was the Supreme Court ruling in Texas v. White regarding state secession?

1. Summary of the results

The Supreme Court's ruling in Texas v. White was unequivocal and established several fundamental principles about state secession:

• States cannot unilaterally secede from the United States ^[1]
• The Union was declared to be "indissoluble" and "indestructible" by Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase ^{[1] [2]}
• Texas's ordinance of secession and all related legislative acts were deemed "absolutely null" and without any legal operation ^[3]
• The Court determined that Texas had never actually left the Union, despite its attempted secession ^[1]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The analyses reveal important additional context not mentioned in the original question:

• The ruling effectively legally codified what the Civil War had already established through military force ^[2]
• The Court did identify two theoretical paths for leaving the Union:

1. Through revolution

2. With the consent of other states ^[1]

• The Court specifically emphasized that when Texas joined the Union, it entered an "indissoluble relation" ^[1]
• The Constitution specifically views the Union as composed of "indestructible States" ^[2]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question is straightforward and neutral, but it's worth noting several important implications:

• The ruling has significant modern relevance for contemporary secession movements and debates about state sovereignty
• The unanimous nature of the ruling (indicated by multiple consistent sources) suggests strong judicial consensus on this issue ^{[1] [3]}
• The ruling established that even during the Civil War, Texas remained a state of the Union ^[1], which has important implications for understanding the legal status of Confederate states during that period

This ruling continues to be cited in modern legal discussions about state rights and sovereignty, making it a crucial precedent in American constitutional law.