Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1831-09-23
~ GLEANINGS, &c.-No. ii.


not TO be found in Mr. Jefersons Revolutions nor i'm
Mr. Madison's Report. We have shown another fact
from me archives OF those days, that the whole pro
ceeningso virginia breathe aversion dscord and
strong attachment TO tho Union of the States The
Address ofhe Legislature which accompanied its
sons) Report and the Message of Governor Monroe
! in December, 1900, prove ths.-Shall we be told
as MIR. Calhoun intmates i'm his Exposition, that the
Resolutions OF the other States against those of Vir-
gn,a show met they attached less friendly meaning
TO the Resolutions of virginia. Shall we be amused
any longer, by discussion in the Charleston prints
about what Mr.. Henry said of those Resolutions in
1900? Why-these gentlemen need not have gone
further than the Speeches of those who opposed the
Resolutions in the Legislature, the time they were
adopted They read in those Resolutions nothing but
the signs OF rebellion-shaking from her horrid hair
war and disunion Now, the true to this argu-
ment is th that you take the meaning of the Re-
sou IONS not by Whist their enemies said Of them.-
they would make them appear bad and violent as
they could be. They opposed them-they tried TO
bring them into odium. But very different is the Lam
guage of their friends. They dssipated all the alarm
ing consequences which drawn from them. They
spoke OF them as they resolutions not intend
ing violence disunion but drawn for the purpose
OF arousing the States to their violated righs-and of
interpreting, as they had right TO do, to ARREST the
progress of the eVil.'
Have not the States this Right Nay, is it not their
duty in all cases of deliberate, palpabe, and danger
Gus exercise of usurped powers, not to nullify-but
TO inierpose in firm constitutional, and unshrnking
manner, Tor preserving their rights, and for arresng
these encroachmenis!-We hold this truth TO be clear
and indispuable pray Heaven, that the States
may never abandon the right OF interpreting in proper
manner between the usurpa,ions oil the Federal Co
veInment and their own .erved rights.
We that a different doctrine has been
preached atey-as it preached up by the staunch
Federalsts of $3.50. We are aware that the N at
Intellgencer, flying from extreme 10 another from
State Modification TO Federal supremacy, has question
ed the right of State Legislature 10 decide upon the
consliluonaiiiy OF an act of Congress. The word de-
eide is equivocal. IL the N. L. means 10 deny the right
of Judging, of protesting, of taking all constitutional
MEANS 10 the progress Of encroachmen il is not
borne our, by the theory of the government il stands
upon abstract grounds, upon the best authority OF
its founders. Let us look 10 both these grounds.
/. The Federal Government is Compact. The Con-
sitution is the instrumen-the deed, by which the
terms OF the compact defnedt gives certain pow
ers--all the rest reserved. Who gave? Who are
the parties? The States OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES, Massachu-
sets, New Hampshire, &c.-We aware, indeed,
that Mr. Adams has lately maintained the bold and we
venture to say the very preposerous doctrine that the
States themselves their existence TO the Gene
raj Governmentlt is historically 1t was the
states which met in general Congress- they which
| formed the Articles of Confederaon-Nex it was the
States which elected Deputies TO the Federal Conven-
ton, There every article of the Constitution de-
cided by States. Every vote taken by States
When formed, il submitted for ratification 10
the States. Virginia had votes than De-
laware. Each had one. Each State passed upon
II in lis own Convention-and ii adopted by the
States, as Sates.-Some politicians, indeed, have relied
upon the phrase in the Preamble, owe the People Of
the United States, for the proof of different construc
ton. Mr.. Henry himself complained in the Conven-
ton Of dis phrese-but what said Mr. Madison concu
sively in reply'
"WhO parties 20 not AZ
COMPOSING ONE GREAT nooY but
rERN soyEREIoNrIEs IT, the
DO sufficient for its establishment and majority adopted
ooady tho remaining States, would be
Suggested would be- now binding on the peo-
upoo ~ but sir no State bouad BY it, as is without its
established by tho tb States Of America through
intervention Of tho legislatures bu, by the people In
this particular the distinction between the existing
posed government material IF Virginia
in like all vested ia the General Cow
vernment would be consolidated government But tho
ofthe Federal Government eoumofaed only in
certain cases has legislative powers on defined and limited
objects beyond which extend ts jurisdiction"
III was, then, not the people eu uGsSe, the majority
Of all the people in the United States but the people
Of each State, which form-d the Constitution. IL IL,
then, |tdeTdL itdgue-a covenant among States-not
deriving their origin from the General Government
but giving creation TO tive shall touch the ques-
lion, who all the parties TO this covenant whehe
each State be of the parties and the General Co
yernmeOt be another pariy-or whether each Of the
tweDy-our States be party and the others copar-
ies.--Tbe States are unquesonaby parties 10 the
| Government-And we hold with Mir. NJ olson On The
Virginia ReporO upon general abstract grounds, tht
following rule:
cit appears your Committee to DO plain principles founded
common sense illustrated by procoe h
nature Of hs. where resort can DO had TO 10 tribunal
must DO tho rghtfu judges Of the last resort whether tho bargain
ted States formed by the sanction Of the States given b.
each 70 sovereign capacity ede TO The stability and dignity
legitimate and solid foundation The States, bon being par
tics TO the Constitutional and 10 their sovereign capacity
ioty decide in mo whether tho b.
them DO violated and consequea ho The parties TO H. the
must ihosolves decide last such questions
DO Of sufficient guipde require their interpretation"
Or with Mr.. jefferson (in his Kentu,ky Resolutions
ffrast this compact each Stac accodcd State and
integral party forming itself other part
That tho Goyofnmen created BY ibis compact was not made IL
Itself since that would have dscscu and Cor
81 u'ion The measure Of s powers but that al other