Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-06-16

hs;ug the War1neSt Gay thiS sedsoh'
V SS
u. Madison andths NaNjfsrs.-The strange
,,.,,;ne of Modification, now so much in vogue
u;b certain Southern politicians. is deprived, one
nv one. of its props and supports, and must soon
s.I into disrepute, even with its professed follow
- Mr.. JEFFERSON has been quoted to sustain
,be;r o%pjnions, but others have quoted passages
,rom his writings, entirely of am opposite nature.
NJ MADISON, too. has often been mentioned
- friendly TO Notification. Our readers will
~ocolect that we extracted an article from the
richmond Wing some days ago, in which'it was
tod that Mr.. Madison had lately written let
.os in which he expressed his condemnation of
,5a doctrine-so that there, too, they failed
Ne are. however, favored by a correspondent Of
,bs Charleston Courier, in a communication to
that noper. with an extract from one of these let
,rrs, which speaks for itself. We add the ex-
,,ct. with the remarks Of the Correspondent of
the Courier
.Nr. Madison and the NuHfers.-The novel
doctrine. at once absurd and mischievOus, that
Zach aud every State has a constitutional right to
,,terpose its authority to prevent the execution
# 4 law of Congress, is attempted to be fortified
~ the authority of Mr.. MADISON, i'm the celebrat-
sd Virginia Resolutions of '9S. The language
oI these Resolutions is certainly strong: still,
fun a consideration of this language alone. |
,borld regard it as doubtful, at least. whether
,,,h A doctrine could be fairly derived from them.
,ad when | Look at this language in the light
,grown upon it by the uniform course of the
writer's public life. the correctness of such an
inference becomes, to m mind, much more doubt
mi. But whatever were MIR. MadisOn's opinions
n ,a8. let ia see what they are now, in 1880, on
-k.x., FGha GILL 49,
from a letter just received from this venerable
man. will set this in a clear light. In this letter
Mr. Madison sketches what he denominates IAN
outline view Of the political system presented in
the Constitution of the United States After
several other statements, he remarks
That, being derived from the same source as
ne Constitution Of the States. it has, "ithin each
State. the same authority as the Constitution of
the State; and is much a C0nsitation. in the
strict sense of the term, as se Constitution of
The State: That being ! compact among the
States in their highest sovereign capacity, and
constituting the people thereof one people, Tor
certain purposes, II Is not reyoca6,e, OF aiterable,
at the will OF the States, Individually, as the
Constitution of the State is reyJcabie, or altera-
bic, at its individual will: That the sovereign.
or supreme powers of the Government, are d.
uded into the separate repositories OF the Gov
erument Of the United States, and the Govern
ments of the individual States: That tae Govern
ment Of the United States is a G0rsrnmenf in as
strict a sense of the term, as the Governments
Of the States-Operating, Ike them. directly on
persons and things, &C.: That the supreme pow
er being divided between different Governments,
and controversies as to the landmarks of juris-
diction being unavoidable, provision for a peace
able and authoritative decision Of them, was OBJ
Niously essential: That to leave thls-deCision TO
the States, would evidently result in conflicting
decisions, subversive of the common Govern
ment, and of the Union itself: That, according
10 the actual provision against such caiaInities,
the Constitution and Laws of the L. States arr
declared tO.be paramount to those of, the lndivi-
dual States, and an appellate supremacy is vest
edin the Judicial power Of the L. States: That
as ate.guards against usurpations and abuses of
power by the Government Of the United States,
the members of its Legislative. and the head of
is Executive Department, are eligible by, and
responsible to, the people of the States, or their
legislatures: and as well the Judicial. as the
Executive functionaries, including the head, are
impeachable by the Representatives OF the peo-
pie. IN one branch Of the Legislature OF the u.
States, and triable by the Representatives of the
Mates in the other branch: That in case of an
experienced inadequacy Of these provisions, an
an Interior resorts provided in amendments. at
anabIe BY an Intervention Of the States, which
nav better adapt the Constitution to the purposes
d ITS creation. q
Should all these provisions fail, and a degree
Of oppression ensue, rendering resistance and
evolution a lesser evil than a longer passive ODE
QtHce. there can remain 6Ut the Ultima ratio APP
NFG'!ei 10 extreme cases. Vhe'her hefree0 nations,
f'' component parts Of he same nation
y the above, extracts, comment is unneces-
NY Ne that runs NAV read them, i, l. as clear
The light Of Heaven, that in Mr.. MADIsoN's
1h1' resistance to the laws of COngrrss, on the
a Ht Of an individual State Submitted with rev
Nlon' and civil war, He. a%tleast, knows moth
: OF the notable device, By which, while each
10 al the States are, at alttimes, To decide for
<%Nse'ves, the validity Of every act of the Cen
al government, and give or withhold obedience,
70 them seems fit, the union of the whole Is
M to be preserved srcred and inviolate. the
TnOly OF the component parts to De undlsturb-
u and the external operations of the supreme
over carried on and maintained with undimln-