Virginia free press & farmers' repository. [volume] (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1827-1832, 1831-09-01
MIR. oALKouN,s VIEWS.
From the Pcndle.on Messenger


To permit me to use your columns. n.
the medium TO make known my senti.
ments on the deeply important aucs-
ton. of the relation which the State,
and General Government bear to each
other, and which is, at this time, q sub.
lject Of much agitation.
IL IS one Of the pecuiiarit;es Of the
station | occupy, that while IL neces-
sar,ly connects lis incumbent with the
politics OF the day. IL affords him no
opportunity officially to express his
sentiments. except accidentally on an
equal division of the booy over which
he pre.ides. He is thus exposed, as l
have often experienced. to have his
opinions enormously and yariousiy re.
presented. In ordinary cases. I con
cei,c the correct course To be, to re.
main silent, leaving TO time L. circum-
! stances the correction Of tnisrepresen
tation; but there are occasions 80 vi
} tally important, that u regard both TO
! duty anu character would seem 10 for.
bid such course; and such, con
ceire, tn be the present. The frequent
aliusinns to my sentiments, will no,
permit me to doubt that such also is
The public conception. and that il
claims the right to know. In relation TO
the question referred 10, the opinions
OF those who bold important official
stations; which on my part desiring TO
receive neither unmcrited praise, nor
blame, | feel, trust. the solicitude
which every honest and independent
man ought, that my sentiments should
DC truly known, whether they be such
as may be calculated to recommend
them 10 public favor. or not. Enter
tanning these impressions. ! lave con-
Guided that II is my duty TO make
known my sentiments, and have a
dopted the mode which on reflection
seemed to be the most simple, and best
calculated to effect the object in view.
The question Of the relation which
the States ard General Government
bear to each other, is not one of recent
origin. From the commencement Of
our system, IL has divided public scnti.
ment. Even in the Convention, while
The Constitution was struggling into
existence, there were two parties, as To
what this relation should be-, whose dif.
impairment in forming that instru-
menf. After the General Government
went into operation, experience soon
proved that the question had not ter
minated with the labouIs Of the Con
veni;on. Fhc great struggle that
preceded the political revolution Of
1901, which brought Mr.. Jefferson in
to power, 'urned essentially on it; and
Tie doctrines and arguments on both
sides were embodied and ably sustain.
cd, on nc one, in the Virginia and
Kentucky resolutions, and the report
-" the Virginia Legislature: ard on the
other. IN the replies Of the Legislature
of Massachusetts and some of the other
States. These resolutions and this
report, with The decision of the So
prcme Court at PENNSYLVANIA nhout
the same time. particularly in',hc case
ot Goblet, delivered bv Chief Justice
M'kean and concurred IN by the whole
bench contain what believe 10 be,
the true doctrine on this important
subject. refer TO them in order 10
avoid the necessity of presenting my
views, with the reasons in support of
them, in detail.
as my object is simply 20 state my
opinions. ! might pause with this refer.
cncc To docUu cnts, that 40 fully and
ably state Az Of the points immediately
connected with this deeply important
subject; bat as there are many, pVho
may not have the opportunity or lei
sure 10 refer 10 them. and. ~ II 10 pos
siblc. however clear they may be, that
different persons may place different
interpretations on their meaning, will.
~ order that my sentiments may be
fully known, and Co avoid all ambiGoi.
~, proceed TO state summarily the doc
irines which I conceive they embrace.
Their great ard leading principle j..
that the general government emanAtcd
from the people Of the several state.
forming distinct politicsl comm nnitir-
and acting IN their separate sovereign
capacity. and not from al &c the REQ.
pic Turning on aggregate political cnn,-
muDitv; that the constitution q tie
Uni'cd states Is IN fact Compact. 10
Which each state - a party, N re
Cuarsclsr already described and fhst
the seyefSl ststesnr parties GGye risbt
toJudcc e tbe infcactiuns. ADD in case
oft. deliberate. palpsble..ndd dangerous
exercise If a power not delegated.
ihey have The rigit, IN the last resort.
20 use TIE language Of the Virgins
resoiuiions, 30 inlerToss fer arrssfi1q
re pro gr1ss # NJ eel. md pssisfain
,'g Hifhn mir r4SySc're Fnqiis, NE
aDihoriiis', rights al.i h5erfies opp,r.
timing IA fhfra" inisright q inter.
position. thus soiemnly asserted by
~ STATE Q. NrginiE Ss :, pnG.l,2