Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-02-08

Ill mistake not they Kept distinct 6y AIR. Web
ster.
This Keystone, Mr. Webster said, he had locked
for; anu 80 tar his own powers OF pcrcaptso could
be relied on, The dad not pretend TO d.tern ne for
q her-.) nc had found. " l. the Federal judiciary
Unless such comnoa judge Oxisted-il IN the cxor-
cise OF the powers committed TO them, the Junction.
sfies under the constitution were bound to CONFORM
TO what each individual parry 10 the constitution.
might deem the proper construction of that lnstru-
mem then would this Union be q rope Of sbld.
tic might have COMO further, he might have termed
rope OF min, fcd slnd-a rope requiring no oxter-
nal agency or its dissouton.) He dad not believe
II Ia b. rope of sand He believed To b. some
'hmg ted Tor some useful purpose. He believed Il
TO D. an arch That the architects OF the Union had
IN ended TO be- arch and had fitted II TO serve the
purposes of an arch By putting key stone to it.
Tho Gov-rnm",l of the United S ates ne consi-
ae'eu as hmttea' not IN unlimited government.
The common fnEciionarics created BY no Cnnstitu-
ton, he considered created Cor R.fatc, not indefinite
purposes Dat IN tho cx"rc-c OF the pownrs com
mited to th'm h dc III i hose funct,onuries the
agents OF ons PSopi,. Mrm5-5s of Congress, he
con~idered as units OF collective fLnctpnary Of the
"FcopIe OF the u. s. a people, united b. the
constitution reference he Hn,ici ohj cts OF the
constitution, and no Ocier. OBJECTS into one PsnPie
ore iunctonary, bound: exercise is power, for tue
c"h.n"7 5"nciii ofo1c people. he lid not think hat
m"moers OF Congress could properly be viewed as
serercl func ,onlrirs Of several ) i,cs. Although
elected by tn" L'g sa'ure of Masslchus IT,, the
aNov" was the chlrn,ter with which he deemed him
y ~ ~ o. luNciei ina WAS III character
winch ne deemed 1t his dN'y-n which 1t was his
lHn and pleasure 20 III which nc tgJuii act
firy and impair ialy, 60 ;hr bcs. OF his knowl dpc
and az lIes -howcv discordlu WITH his own thr
views ofot'i"rs might be- and in wua,cyer spirit that
dlscordan,e might be expressed. As pubic agent
o the Peool. III u. ). - lie acknowledged no
right either in tho Legislature OF one or Of al the
S'1;eS or IN the people OF any indvidSal Stste, to
dictate 10 him shat Construction shoud be put upon
TIE instrument under wSioh ~ ac'ed.
The right Of every s at, separately AMI iriyi-
dusy, 20 Judge Sur l;sclf tina last resort on con
sutution'l questions. Mr.. Webster did net, | be-
teve. con roycrt His obiec appeared to b. 10
show he ,Nal natcre # thi- right That Il is
Fight, not under BAT beyond the constitution. That
nc IS nc revolutionary prime pr--thc principle on
w1ch inrued the separation &C thase STATS from
Great brfan--a principle, an appeal 70 which now.
would necessarily Involve their separation from ne
tnoiher. That the exercise OF th,s right bv any
state, is Inconsistent with thc continuance of the Fe
de"slconpart quo rjthat S ate. That " oild deter
MINI, FIR that s il concerned the xistenrr
~ the federal fUhclonsriss That ,hrre is not. in
tn nature Of things, any middle ground for any one
S1Ste 10 occupy, brtwc9n secession from the com
pact ana aequi"scenre under tre authorii,s e5s-
hIShef 5y the compsc': Ing those ,i,tho Mites
confined Themselves within tbs limits which, by the
parties 70 The compac'. night be deemed the real
limits prescribed By the constitution.
This secession wa no a right under no clns'itu-
ton L lay beyond the c1Isttu ion. Not ,nly is On
unconstitutional set not binding upon any State; II
IL net binding upon auT cI'E n Bu' he question
or lts cons ltuiioash'y. u could belong go ach
individual Stale % deciie fnr itself Tfsuch we're nc
caso, rho G0vcrnnent would ex G. only n mama
Ud'r tn consti utiun tn securities agains, tras
gres-'oa of ITS lInrs wete three: Tie inHcI,ry--
the elective principle which Pc vsdes rvay corner
OF ire tabrio and by ma up ration Of which one sct
0i pubic agents d-pnocd 20 transcend what By the
parties TO the constt ton were deemed to b. those
imVs, could ard would certainly b OK hinged for
anothsr-and finally. the power of amen inlnnt
whereby Whatever nigh b. doomed j lub ful, could
and would no made cer' am not ind cd by the del
sion Of one o. the rrt'rs but by ho II IL. parties
Without pretending 10 give the words OF H.
" eb5tsr, or even ms very ideas. have here endrs-
voreG TO express with precision the i'm sessions ef
on mind ia relation his views Of our q de "a
compact On the accordance IF these IMPRESSIONS
with tfrse Intended To be conveyed b. hun 81 leas,
IN their general character, RELY the more from tho
subject bong IN some desre. familiar TO my nlin6;
and from repeated nissvors at obtaining distinct
and correct views Of It, having led to he same
ground.
In one passage ofMr Websters speech the IRE.
else words of which do not recoect, it man
tuned, that the Federal authorities were constituted
by the People NJ The q S. and not by the States.
Whether this be s1und doctrine or not depends al
together On the IN which the words Peopfe md
States were used. In making hls choice among ho
many senses which usnGe ms affixed to ihIsr words
the resder will bear in MUD, nat the doctrine which
Af We5steT wss combating land h" repeat edy
and explicitly stated IL this the individual states
of;he Union have night 10 determine each for itself
ITSELF any act oF Congress deemed by i, palpaby
unconstitutional
This passage Of tho speech il the only one which
len my mind In doubt 10 the orthodoxy Of Mr..
WsSster's Princples-sn far as hey were developed
end on many points, they most lucdiy, precisely
and completely developed ] rcfrr here 70 hi- vie WIS
" tn fundamental priHeipIes OF the constitution; not
TO q - opinions "a to any particular pp,oer-such as
that Of internal Improvement, &c.-having been
granted o. mo- granted: that Is totally different
matter. H'c0l"c'ilg. however, that. in politics ~
m religion, sgrsrably tn the English Bishops witty
deiintlonf which is not the less phosoohr for bong
witty, "Orhodory is my doxy; and Heisrodory,
every other. dnxy'; I will enable the reader to
value this statement ny part. for what il NAV b.
w'rih, by ~uccinctly stating what NY doxy is.
First hold it to be the unslicnabl" ugh ofcyo-y
ind pendent community, OF every moment and ans
moment Of It's e&strnc', 70 est absh gnverur1 nj
Of Rs owa choice And thl-. whstevcr may b.. ,hr
origin, nature OF operation Of lis existing govern
mcut
Secondly, hold it 70 bo tho right evory portion
IT. rrftr.s e..