Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1819-04-30

!" sisniticri;cn must tie .pparenf 10 lie
| most superficial observer {: and cleaiiy
shows on what ~ slight foundation th,
whole fabric OF their argument rests.
| When the establishment of the first u
States Bank Was aSiia'eJ. the republicans
were united in their opposition Ia ire
! gar'ling il an inlraction of the charter OF
! their couniry's f,eedom-- and calling up
ON The people To resist il. representing The
establishment Ola mouiea uriSincrac, It's
the greatest evil WHICH could i,.fai this
| country. But at another period, the
| question is again agi,aird. SONY nf the
very men who were before the most loud
| IN deprecating IFS evil elects, were
| ncH the most ANXIOUS To iuii the dsu,ii-
| etudes of the people: they described
| lis establishment as one of The best
| means of benefiiing the government and
the people un,niu,liul of the evil on
| sequences which violation of the con
stiiuiIon and an inconsistent course of
conduct MAS calculated 10 produce.
Some, however, still remained firm To the
principles which laid the foundation of
the constitutions, am,i 10 those which I'D.
held II III 90. regretted exceedingly,
Ia perceive The name of The ilustrious
resident, Madison, attached 10 law,
which evidently MAS Unconstitutional
The bank ia established, and It's branches
are scattered over wide extent of coun-
Try. In almost every state one, and in
the STATES laid a tax on these branches.
which they refused TO pay, denying their
right 10 levy il: ia winch opinion they
are upheld by The supreme court who
even go further. aud deny That the states
are parties 10 the cot iiuiiop. This sub
jet has been so fully (and TO my mind,
couclusively) enlarged upon by IA wrterin
tho " Enquirer" under The signature OF
" Franklin" thai il would he superAuOus
for mr 10 add any thing.
The supreme court u naturally looked
up ia as the great focus of jurisprudence
IN this country, in which is (sr should be)
concentrated the wisdom aud the virtue
of the nalioH. Viewing it in this light,
IL was with establishment and regret be-
held ibeirrereni opinion, given III the case
OF McCul'ob VS.. the state Of Marylsnd;
| behold in il an assumption of power
hich IL daily gaining ground in The ex.
ecu'ivc and legislative departments OF
The general government land which is
Insfliied by the JudIciary;) which threat
ems ere long 10 effect The entire demolition
of the rights Of the state governments.
State rights are not now regarded as
important as they were formerly. When
they are now infringed. il excites a spirit
OF less watclIfMlness and opposition. The
spirit of rrpublicanism-of tina, republic
canlsm which guided ~ through The slcr-
my period of the revolution-whi fram-
ed and established our cOnsiitulion-amd
winch opposed will, tirmncss the alien
and sedition laws Of John Adains'B admi-
.;SIr it.lI.
OF e7pediemcy There are now but few
warders on the political waich-tow er, to
sound the alarm, when an enemy threat
ems 10 invade the sanctuary, AMI pollute
the Ia fabric reared by the wisdom and
established by the blood of our toreia-
Tiers.
But this is not the only question in
which the rights of the states and the
doctrines of the constitution have been
involved, and an endeavor made TO violate
them. The question of internal improve
ment IS powerful weapoB in The hands Of
the federaiisis, aud of republican, political
zsGshercocks, who appear So eagerly To de-
sire the Strengthening ofthe arm ofthe gem
eral government. They know that This
is subject i'll which the peoples feelings
and ordinations are enlisted OF their side;
thongi, their better Judgment compels
them 10 resist lis adoption, as measure
OF dangerous tendency. Oh how much
Importance is it, then, that the states
should assume The armor and attitude"
OF opposition 10 measures which threaten
TO PROSTATE their rights in the dust that
they should haee them respected nor
suffer them to be trampled under foot
with impunity. They should arise, in
The energetic spirit of '0s, and say to the
general governmeDi-"Herr he thy proud
waves stayed thus far shalt thou go and
no farther" II is, indeed, high time that
the legislatures of The several states should
lake cogmIZance Of acts so ominOns; nor
snfter tie stripping of few years eAis-
fence to grow into monster, whose pow
or II will be impossible to crush. Ills
best TO check the principle at once be-
fore il takes The shape and form Of a
precedent for il is well known how dan
geroms precedenis are, particularly in re-
pnbllcs.--l rejoice, however, That "a md.
loriiy OF The peoples representatives were
hrm enough 10 resist this attempt at en-
croachment; though they suffered them
selves to be hurried away 10 the stream
OF popular delusion, IN another. | re.
Joice That they preserved the rights OF the
states from Dfraciion and the consti-
tuition which they had sworn 10 obey and
preserve, from violation.
We may calculate, however, that these
things will for a time be ended; as we
recognize III the man who now sits at The
head OF affairs, and guides the helm of
Stale, trim supporter of state rights and
OF the constitution, in wlIom a firm con-
tidence may be rcposed that lac will
crush every attempt at encroachment in
IFS bad, by his constitutional veto with
an assurance that that confidence is not
misplaced. A VIRGlNIAN.