Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1822-02-21


- 7---s-.
serted from the presidential chair, the limited
construction oi the constitution, which is now
supposed TO he promulgated by the factious
aud disappointed alone. Whatever therefore
ne Tue correctness of their opninns, nothing
bat "the profoundntss OF ignorance" or tn.
in'cieracy ofpreir,iice could prompt the extra
ordinary misrepresentation tIlat the contest
Tor state rights has originated with n,en of
ambition hut "f inferior ta!enls, who in 9es-
par Oh oecomiaS conspicuous Ia the national
councils, seek to agsrindihe the states, where
aoe ihey can expect 10 acquire Distinction"
The assertion indeed of tn; right of the
state legislatures to express their opinions on
Tue cons,iiutionaiiy of the measures of the
federal government, rests cot alone unon The
opinions aud the practice of the most respect
ed politicians. 1t is d, siucible from the con
siitniion iiseii, IS admitted by the authors of
tue Federalist--is INSERTED in the debates of
The state conventions, aud is supported by the
practice ol the states at the earliest period
The constitution, partly f4deriite il. lis eii.r-
racttr, looks upon The system OF our govern
nrnt as IN some sort composed OF political
nodes. III WAS tins fe turc which WAS pre-
served with the most seduuus care and
winch the authors of The FeIeralist su zeal
ousiy assure us WAS not obIitcraird by the in
strnment which they supported. Ii not IA
mere confederation, our government is admit
ted to he an part az least a confederation OF
states; and II the states are parties to the.
compact, Their right To enquire whether it he
iii'acieu adnl's not OF Il question. In per-
forming the part assigned 10 them, it becomes
their duty TO investigate aud decide upon the
measures OF the general government, and a.
move all things, upon the consiituiunality of
those measures. They nay and some Of
them do exercise the powers of appointing e
iectors of president and vice president, and
one entlre branch of the congressional legis-
lature IS elected by them in their political cha
racter. To them alone is this branch amen
able al their will, they are to br reelected
or rejected and these powers of reelection
aud rejection imply responsibility, in the
one, and the right nf scrutinixiag III the. other
IN snort II Is impossible 10 conceive a due dis
ch"'9e ~ thclr GutieS 10y The states, without "A
watch'ul attention 10 the measures of the go
vcrnment nor can the government ever be
administered IN its true spirit if The novel and
dangerous doctrines OF this modern consti.n-
tionaNsi shall prevail. constitution, too.
reserves all rights not granted to The SiQfes or
10 the people, and shall not The sinlc ,.,ru;r,.
whether the right reserved 20 it has ne; been
taken away contrary 10 the provisions of the
federal compact ?-The constitution provides
that amendments may be proposed by ;he
states and how shall they decide what a.
mehuments are necessary, without entering
upon enquiries which are inhibited to them
by the tribunItian Ueto of One the People |!
In short, we cannot look into the Instrument
without discerning the most decisive evidence
that 1t contemplated in the stale soycrrIg,iies
the most cttrctuai cheek to the spirit of tIonli-
nation dnd encroachment which il was an
pretended might animate a federal Id,n;nis
iralion.
The opinions of the most ill,istrious ON
'nentators Oh the constitution correspond en-
tireiy with this Interpretation of the iDst,YI-
meat. While it was yet under discussion in
some OF the states, the letters of the Federal
ist appeared IN its support. Two of its able
numbers" were devoted tn Ginning the public
| dpPrehehslons which were alive 10 the dan
gers OF federal encroacfnent. In these a.
,nonS 'le safeguards which they point out, is
the security afforded by the existence Of tbr
State governments and their power Of resisting
an Invasion of their authority and OF sounding
the alarm to the people. In another number
speaking oi the check Afforded at every rec
ieciion, they tell It's that this ultimate redress
may bt the more canIidfd in against uncou.
shintional acts Of the federal, than of The state
legislatures, for this plain reason, that as every
such act of the former will be AN invasion Gf
the rights of the latter, these viii he ever ready
To watch tic innOTaiun,.to sound the alarm
to the people, and to exert their local inAu-
encc I'D eliectInS change Of federal rcprcscn-
tatioa."
In the debates ofthc Virginia Convention.
hr. Nicholas advancrst aud MIR. Madison sup
ports the same doctri0e. The former tells
US when speaking of the responsibility of fe-
deral representatives. that the state lecis,a
lures viii be "A powerful check upon them -
Every new power, says he, given To- Con-
Gress lstaken from the state legislatures fthey
WIZ DC therefore very watcLful over them !:
ior should they exercise any power not vest
ed IN them, il will be- an usurpa;ion of tbc
rights of the different state legislatures who
would sound The alarm to the people" Thus
we see that these were, in those times. fine
doctrines Ofthe advocates Of the constitution
themselves, and they have since been receiv-
ed aud transmitted rs mdisputcd nIaxius
OF constitutional lw-Lct il 80 longer then
ne charged Upon Virginia that she IS a dsor-
ganlzer IN the ofthe5e check, w mel, were
contemplated by the constitution nor let us
SHUT our ears to the voice Ut the ccniinels of
our Freedom, because Interested nca would
brand them as ambitious
| For the other sopbsms OF O1e Of the Pco-
! PIE, they scarcely require Il refulaion here.
lie who can look back with so much conlpn-
cence upon the operations of the government
as to forget OF to approve the malidministra-
ton OF Mr.. Adams; vino can assert "that
! rom The experience of the actual operation
OF the general government we have no cause
to apprehend danger" aud who can deliberate
" pronounce " that in the history Of its pro
gress 40 solitary act of oppression can be
shewn," Is. not likely To; make prosrly,es a.
'nons rs, either by the brillincy of his peri
fta ar. g.. f.f..f 4