Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-11-17

4
Dictated, by John Ta,lo Author of
ibe Enquiry. and Arator." svo. $50 D.
The following list of iis Sections NAV
| serve as table of contents
l. The principles Of our Constitution.
2. Consructor-
.. Sovtrignr.
Z. The Union.
5. Division. and limitation of power
| 7. 1hr bank acknowledgements.
.. The hank MISUNDERSTANDING of Spheres
o. The bank Acknowledgements.
10. The hank devi,icn-comnon defence aud general
H. The hank dccson.-Prc,yl nt
~ Protecting duties and bcuniis.
~ Assumption Of judicial powers, patronage by Lee
| Ia. The law, Of nations.
| Is. The Missouri question.
Is. The disirtsstso of III. United States.
TO THE PUBLIC
The Crisis ha. come, when the following
| work may do the state some service"
The MISSOURI QUESTION is probably not vet
| closed. The principle on which il turns, is
| certainly not settled Further attempt, are To
1 be made 10 wrest from tho ne w states about to
| enter into the American coniederacy, the
| Dcwer OF regulating their own concerns The
| TdriF question is again to be agitaIed. 1t is
| tms 10 bring the policy aud the mower of a
legislatures Interfering Nth he judicial Jaac-
fions To the bar OF public opinion.-lhe usur-
patton OF a federal power over roads and canals
| is again to be attempted and ayaiu TO be rep.
| rotated. That gigantic Institution, the Bank
| of the United States. which while yet ia the
1 green tree was proclaimed by the republicans
| abreach OF the constitution, islands no w upou
| its bond :" bat that charter, bad as in is liza.
| been Justified by the supreme coart OF the u.
| States, on principles so bold and alarming that
no man who loves the constitution can fold
his arms in apathy upon the subject Those
| principles "a boldly uttered from the highest
| judicial tribunal IN the United States, are cal
cuiated 10 give the tOue TO AN acquescent
people. TO Change the whole face o. our gov
srnment. aud to generate a thousand measures
ot he Iuti,
anticipated That decision
- 1tH 6erecorded for a precedent
4frd many an error BY The same eraInple
May rnsh into the state. Kcannot be.
Against such decision, II becomes every man.
Nho values the constitution, to aise his voice.
IN truth, have arrived alta crisis. when
The hrst principles OF the government and some
at the drarest rights oithe states are threaten
ed with being utterly ground into dust and
asbes. When We look To the original form of
me government, We are struck with Its novel
" ava beanty. Ii presents TO us one OF tile
grandest experiments that ever was made
in political science. We see in il an attempt
to ascertain, how tar power could be distribute.
ed between Two governments, as 10 prevent
an cEcessire concentration aud CONSEQUENT abuse
ofit in one set OF hands; at the same time, that
80 much pOtrer v as conveyed to each as TO ena
BILE them 10 accomplish The offsets to which
each OF them was best addpttd. The federal 20.
teTnment was 20 watch over our foreign re-
lations; that of the states, was particularly
10 take care of our intern al concerns. The
great secret was, to have these functions so
wisely regulated, as 10 prevent the general
government from rushing into consolidation:
and the states into dissolution of the union
The FIRST extreme would iufallibly conduct us
To great oppression, aud probably to monar
chy the last would subject us 10 insists and
Injuries from abroad, TO contention aud blood
shed at home. 10 avoid these extremes we
hhould never have lost sight of the true spITlt
OF the fedora! Constitution To Interpret
e Wisely we should have rigidly adhered to
The prluciPle. laid down by George Clinton.
when he, from The chair of the Senate of the
L States gave the casting voice against the
renewal of the first bank charter " In the
course OF Ion, life have found tina, gov
ernmcntIs noH be strengthened by the
sumption OF doubtful powers but "A pisP and
energetic execution of those which ave incOn-
feSt66fe; the former never fails 10 produce
suspicion and distrust, whilst the latter in
spires respect ard confidence. 1t however
on iair experience. the powers rested in the
government shall be found incompetent to
tue attainment Of the objsciE tor which il
was instituted the constitution happiiy far.
n'shes the means for remedying the erii by amend
ment." This maxim deserves TO be written
IN letters OF gold upon the walls of the Capitol
| in Washington.
| But, we have been almost deaf to the voice
| OF wisdom. We have nearly forgotten the
principles of our fathers. In repeated in.
| stances. we have suffered the constitution, 10
| be tr0dden under foot We have been lately
| rushing rapidly towards the gulf Of consolida.
| ton. We bave even seen the priest iTiumphs
| OF the re pnblicnu party in 1901 (when an
| alien and seditiOD law were shIveTed into atoms
by an indignant peOple,) almost forgotten
| We have seen d decision promulgated from
the federal bench. which is calculated 10 sw eep
| down the dearest rights of the states. The
| ntatuatioD of the day has been carried so far
that we have just seen attempt made, and
hOIsiered up by the seIidtlID opinion OF five
| eminent counselloTs, TO humble the powers of
| the state governments at The ieet OF the Dis
! trict OF COlumbai
The period is, indeed, BIZ no means an agree
able one. IL borrows new gloom from the a
pathy which seems to Teig1, over 80 many OF
| our sister states The very sound of State
Rights ~ scarcely ever heard among them;
aud by many of their eminent politicians il il
only heard TO be Knocked AT. Bni good ci.
tzeu will never despair of the republic. A.
lnoDg these good citizens, is john Taylor, OF
Caroline. Penetrated by The conviction that
the constitution is IN danger thatihe balance
has seriously inclined towards tue side of con
soiidatiOn he comes forward TO commune
with bis connirymen. aud 10 stdte TO them
frankly his Impressions aud his fears
1t there be any book that is capable of
ronSing the people, IL Is the one before u.s.
Bold aud original in its conceptions, without
passion, aud with an admirable ingenuity 10 re-
commend ~, 1t is calculaied,w we should think, TO
make deep Impression. Its antbOr is tar re.
NOV cd from tue temptations OF ambition He
holds no Office. He wisbesfOr none He writes
for lie has thought much aud the present is a
sort OF last legacy 10 his coHntrymen. Ii is un-
necessary TO dwell upon the particular traits
OF this work; yet the finger upon the wall is
not to be mistaken. We here see the spirit
which breathes iu the pages of ATatOr" and
OF the Political Enquiry" The first has made
him known throughout America: The last il
generally read; but unless some intellige ntmen
are mach misiakep,it is yet 30 via its way TO
distinguished reputation. They Lave all Que
trait, without which geBius exists not. The
man Tho rriteS them, d@es to think for himself.
EDITOR.
RICHMOND, November, 1890.
RE-APPOINTMENTS
Tue following article from an Orleans