Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1825-12-17
FOR rHE EN,oEIRER.


are Truths Which at all iis necessary be kept mind,
anu az no t'"e perhaps more necessary thG at the present
The great problem of the present age (l) is ,vhe-
ther men can associate undef WRITTEN compac,s;
and the friends OF liberty throughout The EARTH look
with intense solcitude to the great experiment ROLc
making, in these United States, to determine. how
far The servants of the people will regard these
tcritten compacts, intended 10 controu them.
! iFriften CONSTITUTIONS to which the legisa-
tive, executive, aud Judicial departments otue their
existence, intended TO operate ell the people,
who are the parties 10 these compacts, upon
their servants, thus entrusted with a portion
oil power, Iinconvrhient tor The people to exercise
themselves y Is an improvement in government,
the glory OF which, under % Divine Providence"
reserved, for Z" the free, and independent thir-
teen United States of America" 1t is, in an emf
nee degree to the of ihiS our greatest in
Uention of human genius the gift of the spirit Of
| truth to benighed man, that 10 look, for
the emancipation of our race, from the chains OF
| tyrants be they few, or many. 1t was the pro-
mise oil icritie1l constitutions, operating upon the
/ spirit of liberty in Europe, which gained the bale
OF Waterloo. y III is, then, 10 the defeat of this
most interesting experiment, that the sratageIns of
darkness, and toiSehood have, doubtless, been uu-
creasiLgly directed, from The first moment of the
adoption of our acritten cOmpacts aye during
the Uery moments lille the different conventions
were forming them (3.)
| The Developments OF the late presidential cleo
lion give every question, connected Nth these
! subjects, increased interest. Ii j., however,
misfortune incident to nature, that public mea-
sures are, rarely, examined with that spirit OF mo-
deatlon 10 essentially necessary TO 90 proper es-
innate Of their real tendency TO promote obstruct
the public good AID what is still more to be
deplored, this spirit is diminished, in proportions
as an unusual eXertion of 1t becomes requisite -
! (4.) Such being The fraIlty of our nature, hope
] tor udulp I'M Mt This tb.a
minaion CT soa'e propositions, connected with sub
lects important
! In attempting determine the true meaning of
the term " S;ate," a. GdOpted6y the peoDIe of tie
! United States. IN art H. /. cl. H. of the con-
stution OF the United States, which declares that
EACH STATE SHALL APPOINT, in such MAN
NER as the Legislature thereof May DIRECT.
number oil ''-reference was made in for
Iner number, 10 The report of the Legislature Of
Virginia or the alien AID sedition laws, called Ma
dison's report. From which ii shewn, that in
the Constitution oil the United States, the term
- STATES, Is sometimes used In a vague sense,
and sometimes in dferen seases, according To the
SUBJECT 10 which It IL applied. Thus 1t means
the separate sections of territory occupied by the
political society within each sometimes ihe par
tIcular gov ernments established by those societies
sometimes those societies organized into those
particular gOoeTAnle9is and lastly il means lie
people composing those political societies, in their
hIShest sovereign capacity. Although, il might be
wished that Tue perfection of language admitted
less diversity in ihe signcaIion of the same words,
yet little nconvemency is produced by it, where the
true sense can be collected NTH certainty from
ITS particular dpplicQti0n."(5.)
This analysis of tire term % States was quoted
at t.at time, (I.) and is 20 he preferred to any
other which can he furnished even at this time be-
cause It IS believed 20 be complete. Because, OF
whom can II be more truly said, that by a rare and
delicious comt,.uatiOn IN H.
erri disciplined according TO the rigid anal yss
and the scverest method. It's author untes purity
OF heart OF which his whole lie is one continued
proof, that IT always approves what his tongue Ut
tiers Because 100, II is believed, that in all that
relates to constitutional docdIne, the y, od,ctiOn
whence this analysis IS taken, stands on a basis
winch sophstIy, and paraiogy have been unable to
shake BecaGse, too, this unrivalled state paper
was direct and constitutional appeal to lie states
aud the people of he United States upon the great
question at issue. g The appeal was decided by
the presidential and other elections of 1900 The
ota'es, and the people recognized, and adopted its
doctrines by producing entire change in the 90
Veinment OF the United States" hGt day
= The heart is deceItlul above all things aud Les-
parateiy wicked; who can know IL 20 (4)
such, then, being the diversity OF Specification
OF the term ." States,' used ia the Cuns:ifu-
non OF the United States, the SUBJECT to aOhich
70 IS applied, Ia the clause under examination will
enable Us " TO collect with certainty lis tue sense
from It's particular application
That lie - SWbject' 10 which the term State"
Is applied, Ia this clause, is an ELECTION, noae
will deny. This Is plain from The constitution it.,
SELL which declares That g Congress may deter
mine the time OF CHOOSING electors and thar
- each state shall APPOINT them and this has
been FULLY shewn, ia d former aumber that il -
unnecessary to repeat here, what Is there said
choice, az election, or appointment, are then
precisely SYNONYMOUS.
The subject la this clause, being an election, let
us see, which OF these different meanings, as furnish
ed by this analys Is UppitcaDie TO ihst subject
| lie hrsi oil these meanings, viz. ." the separate
sections OF territory occupied by the poiIcal So
cleiy within each,' Is obviously not applicable 20
an election.
The second Of these meanings, viz. {" the par
ucuhr governments e-aUlisned by these societies,
whl be found on examination 10 be mt les, So
This meaning embraces tie entire government
I comprising the three departments Of ies lsiduye
executive, and Judic!as each Jade pendent Of ihe
oibef La no State nave the people illus organic
! ga government with full power 10 make cleo
tons, or vested with general power to designate
those persons who shall make elections or appoiut-
nents Tor Them; IN case too, where the oLiice is
/ created "a The Constitution This last mentioned
power, me people operate on by special conyen-
ions IN tie formation Of their lDyiae1 cOnstitu-
/ tons, creating tie Office to he filled.
lhe third meaning oil the term "state,' viz.
those societies organized into those particular
/ governments IS now to be examined and IL
applicability 10 the subject Of Election to be de-
'ernnned(6.) According to this meaning h" the
political society Cor the people exercising the
political poyer) are organized into their particu-
lar government" And for what? To do those
things, and those oHty, which they did not choo.e
10 perform themselves, either in their own PERSONS
or BY special conventions, and which they did not