Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1829-03-19

NEW YORK rs. yIRGlNit. &c.

NEW YORK rs. VIRGINIA., &c.
onr readers will recolect the singular reso.
luton adopted BY the Legislatures Of Georgia,
3. Carolina and Ylrg mia, at their late sessions,
declaring not only thai the power to decide up
on the con,ttu,ioualiiy Of laws passed by Com
grcss is vested in the States. but also that they
have right t. act upon this construction. II
is the very snu,e ides expressed in the very same
ford Convrn ion IN 1914. and winch was then
met bv M indgnau, denial on the par, of tho.e
who have now not only become tecoacied to
its correctness but who threaten TO 20 st,ll far
itwould seem the, have borrowed their lessons
of obedience to The federal constitution Ne
had always thought. (snnple blockh' ads,) that
the power to decide on the coosti'niionai'ly oil
the acls Of ihr general govrrnmc"I WINS delega-
ted, by the constitution itself, 10 other hanis-
that one ofit1 coordinate departments po'seSs'
cln 3lyriy accountable for its " hitouS exercise
bur tue " new lights of the age. who take up
on themselves to become the 'nstru' tors even
Of Mr. Madison himself in the Interpretation ct
his o.ea work, and who hesitate not las a gen
Item IN remarked few days smce) 10 =" throw
their mud on the garments nt that veneratfd
patriot have discovered that the JGdtclnry have
nothing 10 10 with this matter, and that the
Slate Legislatures are the proper tribunals Tor
the d. ision of moaIed constitutional points -
|, would seem to ns that the dullcSt compfehcn'
sion ought at once 10 perceive the absnfdfs oil
sucA i clam and the extraordinary epnseq zen
| ces 10 winch 1t would lead, For example, 'Ir
ginia aud some other states, have soleaniy de-
clared to tue world that the geHelal govern
| IN nj does not possess the powcr, under tue
institution, t. protect the manufactures OF the
country by the imposition OF heavy duties on
foreign f,brics-and that every spade which
prnrtrales the earth IN III. construction OF road
and canals under lis authority, Is an inlraet"n
OF that instruments On the other hand, myori-
uof the States would decide ,if they lPglslated on
Tue uDi't' ll AIT inHl SNlbIoi SofNi''heh'
ioss posses both of these powers to AN unllm-
ed extent. Ave, il they found il necessary
these latter States would 90 farther. aud de-
araiiAt ry- Gi2a II these royer4 a. soi"un
duties which the goyer,ncM 0wedio the pre-
sent welfare and the future prosperity and in
dependence of the country. mud winch 1t oonl''
not neglect without proving Itself unworthy ct
The high aud responsible trusts conhded 10 tn
wisdom Where would be the common umpire
TO which these conflicting tribunals would APP
pealf We can see no other than the sword I'M
less disunion could be peaceaby effected Does
no, this show plainly the necessity that she power
TO decide Constitutional questions should be YES
ted in some tribunal, the uniformity OF whose
decisions would prevent both uncertainty and
strife The uuih is, that the legislatures oil
the States haye exactly the same right 10 con-
st-ue the constitution that an individual has, and
no more~-,hat H., to express an opinion, aud
TO argue IN IFS defence: ou, they have no rish