Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1826-03-21

Vi 'iier most vital and important rights: and 60
o"u'y' on The ground OF eypediency, because il ri
=, 80; ''' u'e benefits, nor prevent the evils ,shi,
Us Hiends suppose. In all political discnssin,,,
MT - SAID, and especially those which y.la,o
w constitution and form of Government. The,
80 certain primary truths and first princ;p,e
men we must resort, and upon which all re-,
,O"'"5 must depend Connected with the s.;
:; "''N VI ne argument, and the basis ON v,Ijl
proposi,ions '''e io'iowi"e
'"St. That the States were before and ., H.,
'''''e OF The adoption of the Constitution fre, 49,
vereisn, and Independent. :
=, "ec"'a'g. That the States Were parties 70 ,,,
IN Their political and sovereign cha
i'c'er, and reserved 10 the,nselves as such 7o,;
IMnoriant and sovereign rights; and
! fhpdfy. That the election of a P,esi,o,,
e "a we most important OF tie rights thus g.,
TUIe'' ana intended TO be exercised, accor6ing
VIZ ,i'erests and sovereign pleasure of each S;a,
mere were any general principles. he saia
,tn 'i:S.' ne Iecsivedas pos'ulaes they weri,
.Aose which lie had laid down; but. in tbns.
F"e knew very well, that there was = fosbiom
UP"l"h ana oil interests, and he misl.. say of o..
u''sI'shi' In favor of the powers of this Goverrl
ueh'' which forbid that any thing connected wiz
t~e ''sms oi The States, should ever be concelss
mere W hen powers was claimed for This r.
Se'hihent, or II became necessary to cxo,ciso :, =
near Oh presumption and implication: but ,bf
power was claimed for the States and their rioh, q
"sseIted' every thing must be proved He sbo,,,
On i0E no concession upon this occasion. r.,
propositions which lie had laid down. he sbo,i
1husavolr TO sustain by the early history of ~,
constitution, by its character and PROVISIONS ALI
- me cotemroraneous evidence and Nritinos az
us trainers and friends e ~
1t would require very little effort or ,,s,,r,o,
cir. - SAID, TO satisfy the Committee. unoo d.
lrs' proposition, as to the independence and So
,etsisnty OF the States. He should nor 70 bac,.
10 .tiut Il, mo the modes OF Government adopie,
py lie States at the time they colonizel from a.
tam. AS a matter of history, il was knnC.,, -
all 'hat they exercised sovereign powers. Who'll,
! independent IA the mother country and of e,r
o'her' The States did not derive their jndsrs,
dence or sovereignty, from any grant or conr.s~
SO" On me part oil tarea Britain, but from tn.
declaration OF independence, and the war cf H.
Revolution. That instrument procIaimeJ ~ a.
/ world The TACT, that ''the United Colonies ,ce,..
free, sovereign, and ipdependent Slotse ,,.
tiat' as JEee, s0rereigl, ondindeDensie9t Sto,es
t'eS "Gn ne IfSHt todeciaTe 2gdT, make peacc 50
9f,Md II WIZ be remarked by the Committee
/ ihaHne word " ERtfea' is used in I'M. i,s,
NEXT, connection with The word free. sovare;,.-
/ and independent States. II was the serra,a,e 70
| Vereienty oil each Stale, ard not CONSOLIDATE
winch was declared and es' ablished bv Thar ,non
uinen'ai act OF our Independence. In purspanc,
% is declaration, eleven States, in the exercise m
l their sovereignty formed constitutions of c;i -
Flyei'nfeht Virginia, as erly as June, l776 9nr
I forth her Bill of Rights. and established bsr r.
stHnuon, and Massachusetts, Just before ar aets-
-Abd such was the Jealousy OF that a,ciest 49,,
renowned commonwealth upon the subject of ~
indefendence, that by provision in her Cons,i
'u''oh every individual appointed TO Office. was
reqmT Cd on oath, 6 TO aclsno edge profess n,t,
fish and declare, that tie Commonyyealib of Nj
saehuse''s 49, and OF right ought to be, free so.
yereien and independent State Whether III, Z
provision was retained in the late amendment ot
Their Constitution, Mr.. s. said he did not kno,y
gam: By he articles Of Confederation of ~
we independence and sovereignty Of the States
was likewise acknowledged, and expressly mo
ylded Tor That was confederation in the na,,,.,,
OF treaty, between nations equally independen,.
and he second article declares iha, ,e.ch S.
Te'aps itsheed0m, sovereignty, and independence
ana every power, jurisdiction, ard right not Or
FfTS%'g defeated 10 the Dnied Stafes' n vol,
So much in relation 10 ourselves. let 49,.
look 10 the first act, the part OF lie States viii.
iorelsn power. In the treaty of fs2, which t,.-
inmate the war ofthc Revolution yge I'm, q, 49,
knowletgment by the King, thaefhe thirteen tyns.
ted States naming them were free s6yereio6
and independent States--hat as sucl, 10 .-r.ts.s-;
with them, End relinqusled all claim to.,her e.
Yernmens and Territories. vol. l.. iI.rS, 4
l96 To whom This TtInctiisIj;,,cn, n !, i -
territorial Fights? Not to the Tnited sra.sss I. :
one hapoh, but 20 each Statein,!iv iduaiiy; as Al
independent and sovereign power Al lie tyor
NET That The Constitution was formed. he sfste
were ifee' sovereign, and Independent. and in ~
Fenjoymehl OF every right and power of soyereigp-
" no' lesaied Tor the general Purposes ofunior
BY tie articles Of Confederation.
, we come NOW ,toihe second proposition: IYerc
the States pariies 70 the Constitution in their so
vereIgn andPoliticsl CHARACTER; or was it formed
by Tie Peofleo i Amsritd..as one nation, ITno,.
chs branch OF iie sn jec, Mr. Stevenson ssiJ ~.
knew very well there great diversity of ori
MON amongst the ablest and most disfino,,isbcl
men OF AmeTica;it Commenced At an esrlv re,io,,
after The Constitution wasfofg5 ed, and ha s'ror,;-
ed TO the Presenttrhe. SI5ath IN The Iosislsfiy.
and Judicial annals Of this coiatsy, fut espscjsll,
IN the Government, we have heard il Asserted az
maintained' dat The StstGswere no, tstr;es =,
The Constitutions that our national onion ,vss
not Conlcdcracy Of States, but Of he pec,io IS
Americaifliat tlIssavas g National 6overn,ne,,
established by one People eustaaed by ono Pc
pie. AID intended 20 operate rpoa oie Peopje
and thatthe Sia,s as political bodies have no c,,
ginal inherent rights
a bfeiretTospect and examination Of .te s,r
liect, will enable as TO see, Mr. Steveneoo ~
what wgeibe opinions Of Tic People and Tie Coq..
venton ebeiore and at The time The Consf,,r,;o',
was adopted. That varous opirions ,yerescufe,-
t7ined3abou, The time the Goaveution met as h ,ro
character and nature ofthe CoasGtuioniafd 60,
eminent, which ought "a - established was verv
certain They, h0wey ef. soon settled down into
two greet parties. The one fos r strong consoH
dated National Government, 20 be formed bv tre
American People, az ore naiira, invested with SUI
psi1c powers and negative over state laws; The
State .overcigniIcs, ard creating General Gov
erotro.f l7aeIt on fha avf-f.,,. 81 IL &C.,.