Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1830-07-23

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the majority, as de, Tired in the acts {.
Congress, to be the supreme law, you WI,
have surrendered the Curious privilege.
ct freedom, To put the yoke upon your own
necks, To iasien manacles upon yo.r owl,
aud the hands of your own children, Ia
surrender your valuable possessions with
out a struggle, and consented to put Your
Ives and all that you possess at the mer-
cy a! those, who though standing To Won
10 tn" relation. and calling themselves
your "Grftkrcn," have in the eager pur-
suits of their own peculiar interests. turn.
ed deaf ear to your loud "Reminiscences,
Knocked at your complaints, and manifest
ed an utter disregard of vonr feelings,
your rights and your interests.
The mode, gentlemen, which these PRINCIPLES
are tn be brought into operation, when a case
shall arise to justify their application, is qucs.
t'"n concerning which there may exist much
difference of"pinion, and which il appears to me
| OF mo Importance tn decide When the h ,ur for
action arrives, the friends of State Rights will
hardly be found quarrelling among themselves
as I" the mode of proceeding On this point,
say with Mr.. Jefferson. that the State has not
only right to Judge of iniractions of tile Con-
s'ituti"n," but also of :. The mode and measures
cf redress tsee Kentucky Resolutions of SOL
aud whether she SHALL through the Legislature,
or 10y Conveniently declaring the acts " roid
add of n" force" or by adopting other measures
MAINTAIN " the authorities, ri ght aud liberties up.
pertaining To her ARE all questions To he de-
cided hy those who may have the destiny of the
/ State i'm their hands. When the emergency shall
arrive Ia require the Stnie, in the opinion IF her
citizens, To he put npon her sovereignty, shall
hold M man les my brother in the cause of st, te
Rights. because he may uiff,.i from me I" the
mode IN which the acii"n "i the State is To lie
brought about. While this topic however,
will take occasion 10 remark That il has seemed
| good tn those VIII" are labourng to bring State
Rights to disrepu'c, tn represent their advocates
of the present day as contenlnu for new doc
! trines, and the changes have been runr npon the
" Carolina docrirrs, and tho nulliiyinu doc.
trines, until vel meaning ourselves have been
induced I" believe, that they are of modern in
ven'i"n, and tina; the very tern naHifcati0n has
| been coined I" suit our present purpose. NV,
| whether the term be Il proper one, or not, and
whether the doctrine which il is supposed 10
emhrace, be sound, or unsornd, it is certain
that they both as old Mt least as 1879 Tine
Kentucky Resolutions of that wear, generally
attributed (likc those of '9S) to the epen of Tho.
mas Jefferson, contain the following wolds
/ q Will req" them To You gentlemen, 20 prevent
| any mistaken "The several State; that fran.
ed that instrument, the Federal Constitution.
being sorereiga and indcpendeni, have the I'M
questionable right 10 judge oil lis inlractions.
N mi mn hu G.,
| thorized acts, done under color of that ins,ru
ment, Is the rightly remedy" I Presume we
shall hear no more OFF, notification" beinG
| modern invention, and the >" CaIolina doc.
times will, perhaps, ind more favor in the
| eyes OF Some, when traced Ia the virginia and
Kentucky Resolutions of 90 and 30 But ,h
true import and extent of this doctrine il seems
10 me, has also been greatly misrepresentcd
| The advocates of State Rights have been reure-
sen'edns contending for the right of State, to
repeal at pleasure, all any of the Acts of
| Congress. and the conseqnei ces of the exercise
OF snch an authority has been made the subject
oi denunciaton and of sarcasm Now as far rs
know, no advocate of State Rights has ever
| conlended that the exercise Of the Legislative
powers of Congress in relation to the Army. the
l
ciary the regulation OF Commerce, in relation
I" War 81 Peace, or any other matter. EXPIRE ssly
coniided by the Constitution To the Federal Go.
verDnent, can be lawfully arsested or STAYED bv
| any power whatever. 1t has never been doubt
cd or denied that the acts of the Federal Go.
vernment, within the acknpw lodged suhere of
lis authority, are obligatory upon the States.
nor that The laws of Congress made in pursu-
ance ct the Constitution, the supreme laws
OF The lands" But il has beon c.nteuded that
In extraordinary case, where the powers re-
served to the States, under the Constitution are
nsurped by the Federal government, and it
comesto be Il question of conflicting claims 10
sovereignty, it is g the right cfa State" and
in proper case, would become - a solemn du.
ty, not only at. judge of the inlractops of
the Constitution, but IT, interposc its authority
for the preservation gifts reserved rights. IL
the Federal Government shall cunfne lis oper.
ati"ns To matters clearly Federal and in which
all fus have common interest, no collision
could possibly arise. IL is onlv when they as
sumo doubtful powers not expressly granted
they (who ahne possess practically the power
TO make iD refuse " TO appeal t., the source of
power" which Gen. Jackson well considers as
The most sacred of all our obligations it
could even become necessary that a Suite should
inierPose & for arresing the progress Of the
evil until such time as (according To The idea
OF MIR. Jeffcrson)"a Convention assembled at
the call or Congress, two-thirds OF the States
should decide To which they mean TO give an
authority clrined by two Of their organs" In
an extreme case like this, there is no other nos
s'bie remedy, md it does appear 10 me that The
existence of this will be found indispensable to
The preservation of the reserved rights of the