Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1833-03-02


station, were granted Congress- aud prohibited to the
States 10 Yearly the extent now, by the Federal
Co"sti'u,ion-the chief difference being IN the mode OF
exercising them.
Another ar.ur,ent he SAIL which h.l been advanced
was, that they hid coded to the e. St,s The light to pu.
ush treason -H't treason Is 9fcnre against
feisrN ant 500 e'sh'N Wu,t RESIDE Wrh the power pu-
m.'' ''"'. led t'' ueo.'n "'S an oi-'"e against
e ga otl'ucc against 80.
lf. ..l :,.aied - here sovereignty
End government as d" Ens'"u., we're h'i to be co"vcr
e ,~-.' .IUr and proved any thing, ii would
Ps,.e .r. y. tn.tt system r,si!rd i'm the
G'Nr' esq.,. SIS. un' only so, but n would prove that
so' eio H.s divided between TWO governments, for
tn state, nlo lir u1it PUNISH treason, well as the
United Stc--u,,h o, which couc were erroneous
ior sovereignty iudvsae, nd resided m the people
Much stress had been laid those features of the Fe-
dera Government which wore the aspect ofnaiionety-
IL was SAID IN the Proclimaton that "We people
Ia the choice OF the President and Vice Prc,idcn-
the electors OF majority OF States have given their
votes for candidate aud yet another may me chosen
The people, then, and not the States, represented i'm
the Executive branch" 1t was true that a minority of
the States entitled from their greater population TO
majority OF the electors, and could consequently choose
President AMI Vice President IL happened at this time
that fourth OF the States had majority the elccto
raj and of course decisive voice i'm that election
But on the other hand that fourth OF the States or
six States which had majority OF the electoral votes
hal also majority OF the people Of the U. States. Upon
the general ticket system which now prevalent il
might happen that the ticket of electors, favorable one
candidate and having power elect him. mig ht be car
RED by bare maoriiies OF the people in those States
while the almost equivale mnores, and the whole no.
puaon oil the other States, which together would amount
TO within fraction OF ,hreeourths all the people of the
States, might have voted in favor of the can
ddate IT, them the fact that President nigh be chosen
against the wishes OF majority of the States proved that
the States were not represented in the executive
branch, 1t may likewise be admitted, that fact that
President might he elected against the Will Of MAORI.
~ OF the people proved that the people were not repre-
sented in the Executive branch.
Another feature mentioned 10y the Proclamation as in.
dcanS nationality was, that the Representatives Con.
gress are all Representatives OF the United States no,
Representatives. OF the particular State from which they
come lie said he denied that the Virginia D.rration
represented the people Of other States, any more than
Senators represented other States The object in viay IN
tic organization OF the House OF was TO
give TO each State weight prOporoned TO its populations
and consistently with that object. other convenient
practical mode could he devised, than that voting pro
miscuously Admitting the nationality of this feature
was counerOdlancSd by the iederaVe principle on which
the Senate was based, and which cautiously guard.
ed by the constitution that il could be changed with
cut the cypress consent of every State.
An argument IN favor OF consolidation, was sometimes
founded on the direct operation the General Govern
ment the citizens Of the States when if were con
lederacy was said ought operate ON the S,tas in
their collective capacity but there was neither nrcceo,
nor principle support the idea There was one common
lhIAcy pervadlnG AL Illustrations, which TO dcduce
the character OF the parties TO the constitutional compact
from The administrative operation of the governucnt-
whether The parties "ere sovereign not, be
tdby history and the principles he had been examining
hey were sovereign they might 10y compact with each
oWer esidhlSh common government, exhibiting every
diversity OF orm the traits of democracy withou,
merely imPnng their sovereignty; and hence it was OBJ
Nousy invasion of all correct reasoning 10 argue from
the mode Of action OF the government that the parties Ell
ther were or were not sovereign.
Having considered the character of the Federal Con-
Hhiuon and OF the States who parties to it, lac s,id
II was his intention next TO inquire by whst means aud
under what circumstances this compact might be JissoIv
cd or ia other words, how aud when State might seccc
lie SAID he would gladly have avoided thi, subject OF Sc
cesslon, aud wished to dcOunenAuce every h,na that
could create ga suspicion, that the Union wond under
any circumstances be ahandoned; but uhappilv there
we mol Inn
tins distracling question: and about to have il prac
tcaly forced upon us The remedy of : Caroln, ill.,.
lar was NuHfcdiOn, and she had de- Jared that il was
peaceful remedy. lie believed the people of that State
had embarked in it under conviction hatit was pac-
hc measure. But 1t should fail as fail il ,ust and
more especially should it lead any. the slightest COLI
son between the authorities that State and the Fee
t 20, er"men', could u he doubted that the people
at Carolina, Whatever their views in the first instance
would then I've prepared Tor every extremity One OF
Their popular orators, in hardngue while la
menOng The apathy with which the neighGoring States in
the South looked on Al the contest 10 RELY with
ropheuc assurance the effect Of any effort on the o,
Z" Congress u enforce the laws, and pointed the
Puences OF the Boston Port Bill in aronsing and uniting
our '"t''ners against The tyranny OF England In fact,
Carolina might e said To lave already seeded condition.
ay-h"'ins declared that upon the slightest attempt at co.
'rc''h 'h' womb ca'~er hurse seeded; aud, as
the case IA conditional declaration OF war as soon as the
contingency co.aa plated should happen, her withdrawal
'' '-1 ':'':: 10, ipSO Jdci0, contaminated II
Va i"-, t.''... t. d,iermiuc the Te char scier of
hi nshi II na bees: IN the course of ihat debate
with much palsuly, that settle il ~ we Iocbt ncc
pp-cV nor con 'upnraries would abide by our conruc-
non, unless nDut coincide their interests But
he could act close his eyes the immense importance OF
giving an carly anal true direction the public mind
when opinion b. become fixed in regard 10 unGalnen-
t principle, aud something like unaninity brought about
ny long reflection. IL was comparatively easy when the
proper occasion should arrive, reduce practice with
out that embarrassment collision which never filled TO
attend new and unhouShl-of exigencies Do what we
might for It's suppression, would discussed and would
De settled by public opinion throughout the Union.
gro he continued in oar nert)
EVYemay-sccOmd Congress. --sess. y.