Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1821-11-16

Ns> ,ihtn proposition To declare war against
the judiciary of the United States, in other
words against the Union itself."-Of the lat
ger l; IS said, = il the decision of her court of
appeals be what we are obliged, from what
We nave airrGdy seem To- anticipate, the crin1i-
mai iaw nf the L. :. is to be dead letter. for
me '"ant at means 10 execute IT,"
HE dreadful" inischievors errors" con-
taiaed IN the doctrines contendrd for IN Virgi-
ma, 'rc deprecated IN AN awful and impressive
s'yh. VI tiieyiio nobopen the eyes octhe
people nf Virginia to the prccipice to w!.ica
tliey are liurf,cd, il vii: be vain To ATTEMPT to
rouse them.o
We neg leave to inform the mtelIigrncer
tiiM thc irecmen of Virginia, have heard
enough IN all conscicnce upon these Subjects,
To open their eycs-that they have been long
convinced that the "mischicr' lies in the
other side OF the qursliom--and instead OF this
perpetual war of words, would be- graiilicd to
see The matter pu, To rest in ONE of the modes
pointed out by the constitution. 1t is with
inns view that the discussion OF the subject has
been proiractcd to this length. Ii was, iadeed
hoped mt first, that Il candid reference 10 the
principles, so solemniy settled by the sutirages
ofthc American people in 1899, would have
brought back the republicans throughout the
Union, To the doctrines of the Fathers of the
constitutions. IL was believed that the aberra-
tion would have been corrected by the infu-
encc of public opinion. These hopes, howe
yer, have proved delusury A fatal coma
seems 10 have come upon too many of the
people.--'Thc temptations of power have
blinded too many of the servants of the pub
nc. The Press itself, which should stand like
a watch tower on the hill, to sound the ap-
proach ot danger, seems To have Forgotten its
once. Those presses from whose situatiou
principles and candour, we had Il right to ex-
pect cooperation, at least, in bringing the sub
Ject fairly before the people, have contcnted
themselves with ridicuie or denuncialion. Ar
Sumcnfs founded upon authority aud reason
must give place To shallow paragraphs com
pounded oil broad assertions, professions OF al
tacntnent TO the constitution, deprecating fears,
nick-names and sarcasms. The people must
Delicve That their best and wiscst men; that
the legislatures of several states. have been
Jaborlng under the most fatal infatuation: that
from imaginary fears for the safety of the
states, they are mad enough to cndanger the
blessings OF the Union, and 10 jeopardise the
very institutions which they wish to protect
Away with such notions as these. Let the
in'elligenccr, as we have often requested. meet
the question at issue. If it acknowledges its
lncapacity TO do So let it, ut least admit that
the subject IS one which is likely to keep alive
the spirit OF jealousy, and 10 lead To worse
consequences that a wide difference of
opinion exists, between the supreme court and
some OF the states, it were better to settle the
dispute peaceabiy by an appeal to the remedy
pointed out IN the constitution. Let the In
tegencer and other presses unite with us. in
bringing the matter to this issue and if they
can, let them by argument convince thoseinto
whose hands the question will rest, that the
doctrines maintained in Virginia should not be
sanctioned. This course will be more honor
able TO them, than that which they now pur-
sue. IL will, at all events, accord better with
Their professions of love for the Unioa.--It
viii he far better than TO attack IN the mnaner
II mas attempted, the mere proiet of an annny-
nous correspondent OF a newspaper. Ii will
ne lar better, than on mere idle surnse to
bring to The public view in a manner which
cannot he mistaken, citizen whom it confess
Us To he one of the most distinguished in the
commonwealth. This is not the first time
that II has brought that citizen before the
Ptibhc, without any necessity The thing is
rude and unmanncrly. IT accords little with
those courtly manners by which that paper
has been distinguished. If this projet be seri-
ousiy acted on by the only BODY which can
breathe life into it it will then be time enough
Tor the lntelligencer TO descant upon il. AT
present, we can make no calculation that il will
take that character. Still less do we presume
mtigated by the supreme court in the case of
the Cohens, to pass without protest. And if
the rage for encroachmcnt upon the reserved
rights ofthe states and Tire people continues il
the doctrines recently advocated from a Charles
ton paper, are to become the order ofthe day :if
congress are to adopt every means which
lhey may consider as Convenient or To take In
az one sweep, every power which may affect
the common defence and general welfare, il
VIII become the duty of the states to resort
TO more vigorous measures OF Icsisation.-
But we would obyiate all these difficulties. We
would be done with all these disputes and
all thesc feelings. We would bring back the
constitution to what it was intended to be by
those who adopted it, We would strip it OF
all the interpretations which an encroaching or
needless spirit has sought to engraft upon it,
One word only as 10 the brief comment
winch the lntelligencer makes upon this pro-
| a. We have the broad declaration. i'm the
language oil the Legislature of Massachusetts
during the late war, that this government is,as
to the state of Virginia, q Foreign Gopern-
naent" Now, this broad declaration of the
lntelligcncer is false, upon its own shelving
Tor the very quotation which il makes con
llne the idea TO " the Supreme Court or any
o,her lorelgn tribunal" The governments
themselves as TO certain purposes, are not fo
| .~'o"'7 IL We Hlsldhe NOT, Judge washington
IN serIatm opinion which he lately delivered
on bill of exchange declares that the states
arc. foreign 10 each other.
As to the case of the seamcn, it will, we
presume, receive that careful Investigation by
me general court,* which its merits clalm
lhcy WIZ decide IT, We have no doubt cOnsci-
entIousiy according TO their most deliberate
views OF the law and the constitution. Pend
ing as 1t IS before that court, which will proba.
bly, be this day in session, we forbear saving