Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1826-02-28

stituents, and those OF foreign nations alias
ments, have perfect liberty. which is power, 10
act according to their unlimite ed will, with
out the restraints of the will of cons,ituen,s
mere Is another term of pure abstraction of grea,
import, and deserves 10 be well understood. VIVA,
Is the VIII OF constituents IN its relation 10 the
Pracca government, so az to palsy the will of that
practical government: The will of 20 tituenis is
'he fundamental law, and nothing else, in relation
10 IT'S influence in pasying the will of the prac,i-
car government. This will is proclaimed in the
constitutions of the States, and that of the u. s..
ana 'ne most material part of that will consists, in
restraints upon the WILL or the powers of the gen
erai government. These are the only instruments,
IN which the viii OF our constituents 10 expressed
ana the writer knows of no other mode of express
ing mat WILL IN reference to it's influence upon the
p'aeucai government but one; and that is, by eec-
uohs. The President then, not directly, but by
intefrosatory admits the superiority of foreign 90
'ernments In their administrative policy, so long
as ,he American governments are palsied by the
WIN oil the constituents of their administrators
FOR, says the President, "were we TO slumber in
inuoience, or told up arms, and proclaim 10 the
world that we are pasied by the will of our con
su'uents, would it not be TO away the bounties
OF p.oyidence and doom ourselves TO perpetual
inieriority' Inierority TO what? To foreign go
vernments? What would produce this inleriori,y ,
Ems inferlorty would be produced, by the follow
'nS causes: " were we to sluinber, or to fold IN
our arms, and proclaim TO the world, that we are
paisied by the will of our constituents, These
acts would be q TO cast away the bounties of pro
whence, and doom ourselves to perpetual inferior
N.Y.! What then is the Presidents remedy for
this great evi' This inferiority OF the American
nation, or government, to foreign governments, ,
IL would be, not TO suffer the administrators of the
general government, to be palsied by the will OF
her consi'uents; or, In other words not to suffer
themselves TO be palsied in the exercise of their
own wills, by the will of their constituents as
proclaimed In the fundamental laws; but boldly 10
'nrow OF all the restraints imposed by that will in
the fundamental laws; and be as Free or to have
as much liberty az the administrations of FOREIGN
governments, who have no Fundamental laws tn
palsy their will: Their liberty, which is unn,i,-
ed, being their power which is also unlimited Ry
'hese means the inferiority of the American on
'eininent would be removed; and the American
governments put upon footing of, equality, the
theories OF all political institutions being eoual
WIN foreign governments in their practical admin
istraiIve policy; and then they would be enabled
equally, with foreign governments to avail Them
selves oil the bounties of providence which
they Will be compelled TO throw away. 90
long as they shall be palsied by the will
oi constituents, or In other words, SO long as
they shall be bound To the Observance of the linn
na'ions upon the practical government proclaim
ed IN the fundamental laws, which laws are the
VIII oil constituents. In the first quotation it will
appear that the federatve principle is completely
ahihiiated by The usurpaticn oil all political power
under mode of interpreting the constitution
which is perfectly new; and leaving the states
destitute oil all power. In the last will be seen.
the most artful and earnest efforts as The writer
thinks, to annhilate all the limitations upon the
powers OF the practical governments. If these
positions be true and if il be also true that before
'his message, certain powers were retained 10 the
states; and that the iederave principle still formed
an essential part OF our fundamental laws. and asn
that those laws did contain restraints upon the nov
ers OF the practical government; does no, the mes
sage amount to proclamation of a great civil
revolution IN the governments of this Union -,
and 10 not these ardent Hypothetical, metaphorcal
ehorts OF The President 10 effect these Objects de-
nIorstrate his Fixed determination 10 bscon;o ,
Aut Caesar, Aut nullus ~
February l6, 1926.
I L.