Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-03-05

MIR. WEBSTER'S SPEECH.

misunderstood and misreprcsentcd- by Duff
Green, and In tho sequel, by ell who shape their
course by that Beacon light, the Telegraph Pending
the delivery of Mr.. Wcbster's speech Green asserted
in the Telegraph, that Mr. Webster declared "the
Federal Government to DO possessed of controlling
power over tho States and the People," 1t was in
vain that Mr.. Webster complained of this misrepre.
scnaton of his sentiments, and that the concurrent
sense of those who heard him, acknowledged the
justice Of the complaint. Green re- affirmed his
statement the next morning. and has persisted in it
to this day. Let the reader who is capable of form
ing his own Judgment, compare that assertion of
Greens. with the following sentences from Mr.
Webster's specch
The inherent rsh, in the peopcto reform their government
lido not deny and they have another right and tina, is,
ment is no doctrine Of mine, laws
Sna ns The sIta, Question is whose
laws On that the main debate hinges
The unquc.iouaby sovereign so fur as their sove
rsn'y Is not affected by this supreme law
So far As the people have restrained State soveren, h
he expression OF her will IN the Constitution Of the u States
so TAR must be admitted State sovereignty is eectuay
uoed do not contend, that il ought be- controlled
farther The sentiment which have referred PROFOUND,
that State sovereignty only be control led by its own
Jog OF JUSTICE that say, controlled AT ALL
Tor one who is follow his feelings under no legal con-
vol , Nov sowersr men may think this ought to be- the fact
troll sovereign,es The CONSTITUTION has ordered
%sLs s @s from what h: opinion
but the Constitution declares shall make
com monsy another exercise Of sovereign power hut
says that sovereign State shall sovereign TO make
On The Of be arc
tho other States which does own feelings
ance of the Plainest provisions Of the
Light and darkness are not more opposite, than the
Mir mt info HE h.,
used by Mr. Webster himself 1t would be waste
Of words, to dwell upon the moral abandonment
which conceived, perpetratcd and yet persists in the
misrepresentation That in nnumerabe' cases be-
sides, has transcribed all precedent it is much to
be feared, it has passed all hope of reclamation.
There is point in human degradation, Us in bodily
debility, which once reached moral recuperaton is
impossible But that correction which Gen. Green
has refused the Public will make for itself 1t is not
impoesible-nay, Judging from the past, and from
some insinuaons lately thrown out in the ENQUIRER.
it is highly probable-that effort will be made to
persuade the Public, that the sentiments we have
quoted from Mr. Webster's speech, were closet add
tons, introduced for the purpose of repellng the
charges Of the Telegraph Should this uncharitable
suspicion occur TO any mind, perusa Of the speech
viii destroy it, by proving that the confession ;he
sovereignty of the States of the very gist of Mr..
Webster's Constitutional argument.
The Richmond Enquirer, incapable of magnanmity
towards political anita onst, affects to regard Mr.
Webster's speech as nothing extraordinary, indeed
as rather puny effort, for such is the spirit of the
observation that "it is least great in magnitude
as it is in merit" The remark is witty for aught we
know, but surely candid. ''0n the whole, tsays
that paper) we recommend it to Mr.. Webster to 60
back again to the history OF our Government to read
the Journal ofthe Federal Convention, the Debates
Of the State Conventions, the Letters the Federal
island last, not least, Mr.. Madisons Virginia Re-
port of 'o9-1300. He will find them all in the Public
Library. If not, they ought all TO be there"
Mr.. Webster ought to feel grateful for this kind
and we'll meant advice Whether Mr.. Webster is
right in deriving the Government of the u. States
from the People, in contrudistnction to the States
will best appear from his argument upon that point,
from which wo quote the following:
This leads inquire into the origin of this government
and the Of its power Whose is IL Is the
the Government OF the United States be the agent the
Governments then they control IT, provided they agree
in the Of controlling III u il is the agent of the people,
tlen the people alone control ii, restrain il, modify
em H. II observable enough that the doctrine for which
the honorable gentleman contends leads him 20 the necessity OF
maintaining only that this General Government
Of the States but that Is the Of each Of the
of determining whether within the limits Of its authority
IL Is the sorvnn Of four and twenty masters Of deen, wills
and different purposes aud yet bound obey all. This
surdy, (fo seems css arises from misconcepon
The origin Of this Government, and Its character IL sir
we PeoPo m @ .ne people, .oySInmen made lor
The people Of the United States declared that this
stuon shall be the supreme law. We either then adj.
init the proposition, or dispute their authority.
In these opinions, enquirer discovers high Trca
son towards the doctrine of'o9 After accusing Mr..
Webster Of ambiguity in the quotation we have made,
it proceeds to comment upon it, in its usual Socratc
style. "Tac People III says. What Pcoplc' The
People Of the u. StateR Mr.. w. will not hazard
suc, an assertion, unless he TO fly in the face
Of all tho FACTS of tho origin, adoption, and action
Of the Constitution--as well the theory laid down
in debates Of tho State Conventions, tho letters othc
Fcderalst, &C. the report OF Mr. M. Who formed the
Federal Constitutions Deputies from the naton' OF