Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1824-04-16

mr. hat
| |" pose nIst obtained; who. SHALL, i'm any srch
Nusurpeo government hold or execute any Office h
| S'sau'e' executive, judiciary or ministerial bv
Whatever name such Office may be distinguished ~
cahed; or who shall swear, or otherwise profess
arrogance or fidelity to the same or who shan.
ton afforded by such usurpcd yove,nn,sn, 80,
or oppose the due execution Of the law. of ,h;.
commonwealth; shall be adjudged guilty. of hirh
treason, &C." And represented 10 the n,ee,;nr
'ha' IL any set oil persons, no matter under ,vhaf
pretended authority, should, in de6anee of the t.,
sne, OF l"nieh tho law made tanta moun,1
without its previous consent and autbo,,v t,h
upon them to ordain, and should actually M, into
operation, any new form of government wha,sy.r
'hey would De guilty of high treason within on.
meaning OF this statute, and be liable to all is nans
mat the people might rsbtfully resist the establ;shx
GU s'ethmeht oy force, in case of intosrable on
preston, when other means of redress were ,a
ihem, adm tied: but, I said, had supposcd Il In
possible, and lid yet believe, that that n,eet;na
or any individual in the State could seriousv tb;ns
mat we have any s1ch grievances to compla;,, nc
as would justify resistance to the established go
.ernneh' oy force, or by measures which might end
In violence. And exI ressed nv belief that no ON.
present, meant himself, or would council o,b.rs 80
go TO such an extremity.
Inns was the SUM of what ] said on thar ton;c
u appeared in the sequel, that rightly unders,p,d
tue statement of the meeting: for it discarded ,b.
olaaol ana adopted one in place of it, to which
the objection did not apply. Blu, wa. ,,;s,.ns,.
IN suPposlng that'ao idiridual present appros :. t
pan oi measures which deprecated. -
WY purpose was to expose the inconsiderate and
spirit OF reform, which proposed thus n,
Sssa tue existing constitution, the work of our fa
ahoei winch, for near half century we have
iived free, happy and contented: undor ,,,;o,,.,S
man mas complained of single act of onnresson.
ana \"hat is peculiarly officer of the rove nmen,
legislative, executive or judicial station b,,
ever oeen even suspected of corruption Nor co,,a
.nere ne any more pregnant evidence of the ,emer;
y VI inns w-oorn zeal for Convention or a more
oifeiui omen OF the danger that what is nea nj fra
form may end in revolution tina This raj So,
ness, IN the very outset of the proceeding Of ono f
'he pest known statutes in the code
uiu NOT read the statute from Tdfes,s D;oes,.
read II from the Revised Code, which had be.,,
Trough, oy leading conventionis, to show thai the
Bill OF Rishtsrecommended Is a freouen, r.c,-. =
to fundamental principles - which he ;n,.rnro,ea.
mean a frequent call of Conventions to amend H.
CONSTITUTION; IN other words to chance those ua-,,
fundamental principles.
i"u are mistaken, too, in surprising, tina, becapes
MT. NICHOLAS and expressed the same onin;ons
we mad compared notes. on this no;nt hII
be very willing to take all the blame of snc, o
cert with that gentleman; but there was mono =,
iact' care affirm, that he had not auticina,aa
ana assure you it had not entered into INV ;m.a;
naton, that such resolution would be uroposc5
ana you, presume, will acquit us both of anv
piqe'pa'ioh IN the councils of the conyentionists
from which we could have been informed of the n,o,
positions intended to be submitted
My opinion the Statute of Treason, ,f,sr d..
hefate denomination, is the same that I cave =.
inc meeting And allow me to remark 0ho,,gb it il
beside my present purpose) that believe yof ara
mistaken IN your opinion concerning the history NJ
TINS statute, and the occasion which gave rise n /,
Una. IL was produced by the desire manifested
them oc
Iron her (as she afteru rds did Inv 4, ny 81
nave an independent government" There never
was the least i'll blood between the peonle of K,n-
lucky and those Virginia proper; nor did the for
mef ever manifest any undutul temper towards the
government. we lived together and parted in mn
tual q perfect goodwill. The statute we are sneak
ing OF, was passed at October session 1881 and ,h
OF the original states tits object is n,
maintain the Constitution, well as the soyere;on
ty and independence, of the State; and thar IL *;
hishiy criminal IN any person, ALLEVIATE ;se citi
s Vi ',e o'a'e' irom their attachment and aIleci-
ance 70 the saine II had been very stranpe If tba
Legislature had enacted such law to res,ra;n ~
impauence OF our fellow-ctizeus of Keptuckv for
Independence, when at the same session and n.
Wouio SEEM almost at the instant of time a,
act was passed, authorizing them TO hold Conre,
tio' ana erect themselves into separate State if
they desired independence.- the rest il wouldbr
distinction that would eclipse all the subttv os
lawyers (fhe great reproach Of the professioo1 ca
10 construe the provisions of this statute 70 make
It embrace the case of the erection and ss,abJeb~
ment, without the ofthe Legislatures ofoc
vernment separate from and independent of the 90
Vernment OF Virginia, over part of the common
wealth; and exempt from its operation the case os
similar unauthorized erection and establishments
OF separate government, over the aohoe common-
wealth.
do also seriously think, that this statute IN Tho
full extent ofmy understanding of it, is politic wise
and just Strange and INDUSTRIOUS a. the opinion
may seem, 1t IS nevertheless my opinion, that the
right OF the people TO resist tyranny and oppression
to abolish old and establish new forms of govern
ment, is perfectly compatible with the dutv Of tb.
people to obey established government, and the
right Of the government to enforce such obe,ence
And, four days ago, should have thought il sner.
fuous to express an opinion, which had then nevc,
heard controverted.
With your own political opinions have No dosi-e
to interfere, or to allay fhe editorial zeal with which
you support them. take ii for certain. that v, a.
not regard the Editor exempt from the oblioo,;-
ons OF candonr and justice incumbent on the Gente
man. address myself TO you alone, because have
some acquaintance with you, and none will, Mr.
Butler And expect, as have right TO ex,err
mat as your paper has ascribed opinions to me-
which disclaim and detest, you will publish This
otter, which explains my real sentiments.
am, sir, with respect, your OBJ: sety:
I'll 3. W. LEIGH.
RI FOR TIE WHO.