Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1830-04-23

would be as unavaiiing ss it would be unwi,e. a
mfJofy oil The States have passed the obnoxious and
questionable law, complained OF by the State Tn.
State, therefore, cannot make the appeal e6icienfi,
the Congress eau. The State cannot do more than
she has done. She must only poise herself upon her
sovereignty and resist s prostration The Copyr.ss
can do more. IL appeal 10, and obtain fyon the
States, an explicit decision OF the question And n
shah tail TO make the appeal, and obtain the decision
o. that tribunal, artnng its power it should decline
all itr'her attempts 10 exert it, But again-the State
acknowledged 10 be sovereign and its sovereign.
~ Is acknowledged to be necessary, 20 the liberty al
its citizens, aud its existence as State Is pow
or primitive, clear and certain. That Of the Gov
eminent by which il is assaej i. dervatve and doubt
in'' Can any reasonable man say, that the former
neu! yield to the latter upon any other principle than
mat the latter !, "a abundant in force, il is deficient
IN tigbH Reason itself would say, that the natural
state OF things should remain unaltered unless the a,
'hority Tor removing or altering 'hem shall DO full
clear, and legitimate.
MIR. President, throughout this debate the Safes
nave oeen treated as restless, querulous impatient.
usofganzing beings IL seems to have been taken for
granted inst they are either too duh nd the
provisions OF the Constitutions or too unprincpIe 10 oh
serve aud maintain them. That the zeal to maintain
the Union, anu support the Constitution, by which il
was formed is exclusively with the of The
General Government-thst the States feel none of H.
NOW. let us examine into this matter a little.
"A" intelligent men act from motives. The State.
mat ioiined the Union, were composed of intelligent
men, The motives which led TO the formation of the
constitution, were to promote the happiness rsnou
W. hoeriy and security OF the people Of the States
y" 'herance OF theee great Objects the States
VI" mat instrument, TO. exert their sovereign power
l0tntty IN making peace and treaties and levy.
ing money, and regulating commerce. sc. Their NOW.
ers were TO be exerted, through tho agency of The
rcheral Government. Now, can il be suppo sed tina,
tne motives which led to the formation OF the Union
nave ceased 10 exH-have evaporated? That The PEG.
PIE OF the States are less inclined TO be happy tran.
qn prosperous, secure and free notc than hey werc
when The Union was formed? Or that their percen.
'one oil It's utility, less distinct and stron,
that its beneficial effects have been cxpcrenced,bap
shRnI ts han fetal
anticipated! The States made the Constitution and
formed more perfect Union, under the conviction that
II was needed. Have occurrences, since that time
oeeh calculated TO prove that their of its NJ
tiy and necessity, were erroneous Have thew piven
any indications TO that eTecR I believe NOT, On IN.
contrary they have evinced from tho period OF its o
"'ion' up t'i this very moment in which am sneak
ing, no sentmcrt in relation any subject 90 sirop.
as mat OF an aeconate regard for and devotion 10 the
Un'on why then, this iGquietude about the Union!
why is tie gentleman inspired, at thi, fine with
such devotion 10 its consolidation
There was time, during the late war; when some
Heal on mat subject was felt; but that time the rea
sons Tor 1t, were apparent ALL For myself rerar
" as me union OF twenty four sovereign States and RELY
more upon their intelligence and zeal for its support and
continuance, than do upon the power of the Supreme
oor,!, or the nordnate zeal of any given number OF
Ponuc'dns 1t is upon the people IF the States and
MOI upon inc P0hAci0s that solid reliance is TO be Mac
va, TOT 'ne continuance, and Just operation of all
su.1uons They will maintain and vindicae the union
ID" he purpose oil imposing certain sauary restraints
upon INC sovereignty oil the States but for the high mr.
poses and objects for which it was formed JTGIity Mr
IeSueh'' was the object for which it Iormed-and
WINE IL suOServes that purpose il will be maintained
bu', Whcn purposes of splcndor and magnfcence of
paSeanry and parade, shall supcrscde those for which
was iormed-whencver it shalt be supposed In I the
sovereign States OF which is composed must be whip
pedby the patriotic ficiOnGyes of the General Gov
ernmcn into the support Of !t-whcnever its con,inu-
ance shall be made TO depend upon the power of the
supreme Court, cxerted in subdung TO lis suppor the
sovereign henever the compact of union shall
DC so construed as TO give TO the General
me right oil deciding upon the validity of its own en-
cr0acnents, upon the soveregnties of the Satcsand
let me add, whenever the States TO maintain their
sovereignty, and their competency 10 maintain il
against the encroachments of the General Government
heh' indeed Will the duration of this Union become
'
We should never forget, that the greatest good when
perverted becomes the greatest evil The Union, while
II cohunucs TO be what it was when ii formed and
what 1t was intended it should continue to be- an Union
oil jTee sovereign, and Independent States will be con-
Sldered by the States the greatest conceivable po
cal good-and, for the maintenance and support of
which, the people of the States would when the occa
sion should demand it, pour out their blood like wafer
But, even in their high estimation OF it, they do not hold
II as the greatest good There is one still better still
more precious, which they rate infinitely higher II
IS their liberty. And, for the people to be free the
States must be ree-and State can be free the sove
regnty oil which is subec the control of anotberis
subject TO certain restraints however saJutarv imposed
ny ue judicial department OF another Government But
ieei confident, that while the Union condvces TO
inc maintenance OF the freedom of the States the peo-
pc VI uHc states VIII MAINTAIN II: and, whenever il
ha DC made the instrument of tyranny and oppression
they will cast of, and form one more perfect Thai
is, they retain the spirit of frecdom-if thew do not
1t matters but little, what kind of Government thew
have. O'
And indeed, upon the doctrine Of the honorable Sena
'or relative TO the power of the Supreme Court over
The sovereignty of the States see what to pre-
vent perfect consolidation of the Governments and con-
sequent monarchy or despotism. We have now if he
is right fearful ogarchy. Nothing but the forbear.
ance OF that tribunal can US We are denied the
right OF saving ourselves The States must Weld obc
uchcc TO heU sovereign mandac-must doH their sove.
regnty, al the nod OF the Judges They cannot inter.
pose thelr pe0, but must submit any sautary re-
strains' which the Judges may choose infict upon
inc sovercgnties. Sir, the power of imperial Rome
III hcr PToudest days, were not suderor that asserted
ny me gentleman for the Supreme Court-nor were the
humblest OF her provinces, in a condition more abicct
IMAM mat oil these States according TO his doctrine
The conquests of Rome were achieved al an incalcu-
liable expense OF blood and treasure But this tribunal
may reduce TO vassalage twentfour sovereign States
without shedding one drop of blood. or expending one
dollar OF money. single cuia aluisdre cult will do
the business.
Now, sir, what ia the condition of the States, They
are not to resist encroachments upon their own sovc-
relgnty-rosstance with them is crime. The Congress.
VIII not resist encroachments made by the Judiciary
upon STATE Sovereignty, because that encroachmen /.
but sanitary Tesfrdtntand because the decision of
the Court may and doubt often will be- but an ar.
nance OF encroachment, by the Legislative DEPART.
ment Of the General Government; so that sooner
ter, State rights will be named only 10 point sarcasm
nr excite smile OF dsrisiOn. Indeed a smile of thai
Kind may even now be seen mantlng upon the face of
some gentlemen, when that subject is named Sir
these rights are exercised by the States in relation 10
subjects within their own territorial limits; and, in