Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1833-04-15

is not law in another. Or II the resistance OF
one State compes an entire repeal of the law, then
a minority and that IA small one, governs the whole
country.
Sir, those who cspousc the doctrines of nu!lica-
| tlon reject as It seems 10 me, the first grea! prIn-
! ciplc of ill republican liberty that is, that the
| ma ority must govern. H. mates of common con
Germ, the judgment OF ma GRITTY must stand AS the
| Judgment OF the whole THIS is "a law imposed
on us by the absolute necessity ofthc case : aud If
| we do not act upon it, there is no possibility of
maintaining any Government tut despotsm
We hear loud and repeated d,nunciatIons against
what is called ma yjortt9 gore'amenA 1t is decar-
ed with much warmth, that utojdrttY government
cannot be maintained IN the United Statcs. w hat
/ then, II, gentleman wish : DO they wish TO es
n,blish nlt't11 III gOrernnieW? Do they wish TO
subj Jet the will Of the many to the will of the few
| The honorable gentleman from Carolina has spo-
ken of absolute malorltlcs, and nalorltles concur
rent language wholly unknown to our constitution
and TO which 1t Is not easy to athN definite IDEAS
As far ms understand IT, II would teach us that The
absoiatc majority may be found IN Congress, but
the majoriy concurrent mast bc looked tor IN the
States. That is to say, sir, stripping the matter
Of this novelty of phrase, that the dissent of
more States as States renders voii the decision o..
majority of Congress, SO far that State Is CON
| cerned. And 50 this doctrine, running but Il sho;
Career like other dusnds OF the day, terminates IN
| nulllhcation.
| If this vehement invective against malorllieS
meant than that IN the construction of Co
retnmcns, Is wise To rJydc checks and balances,
50 that there should be various limitations on the
! power OF the mere majority II would only mean
what the constitution Of the United -t,tcs has al
ready abundantly provided Ii is full Of such checks
aad balances In its very organization, 1t ndopls
broad and most ecctual principle il restraint of
| the power of mere malo,ties. majority of the
pc"pc elects the House of EcpresentativCs, but IT
docs not elect the Senate. The Senate is elected
by the States each State having in tins respcc, an
equal power. No law, therefore, can pass, without
the assent of MA ,riy of the representatives. Of
the people, and majority of the Representatives of
tho States also. maj orty OF the Representatives,
OF the people mus. concur, aud majority OF the
states must concur, in every act of COngtess aud
The President is elected plan compounded of
both these pa inc pies. But having composed one
House OF Representatives chosen Wy the people in
each Stat, 'ordng TO lis numbers, and tie other
at an equal number OF members from every Stnte,
whether larger smaller the constitution gives to
majories in these Houses, thus constituted, the
full and entire power ufp.s IN, laws, suhjcc, al.
ways 10 the constitutional r. sirlctIons ami To the
approval of the President To subject them 10
| any Other power, is clear usnrpation The mag III.
ty Of one House may be controlled by the majority
OIL other and both may be restrained by the
! Presidents negative. These are checks and bal
anc.s provided 10y thu con i,tutoa, existing IN the
Government itscf a,.I Wisely intended to secure
elaboration and Caution in lc. isltjvc proceedings
Butto resist the will ofthc majority in both fI"u-
SIS, thus conslitutionily exercised; to insist on
the lawtulness of intwpJsltion by an cxranepu.
power to claim the right of defeating the Will of
a.,
gle State, is neither more nor less, il strikes
me, than plain attempt to overthrow the Govern
mcnt. The constituted authorities Of the United
States arc no longer Government, lfthcy be not
masters of their own will they are no longer a
Government, If an external power may arrest their
| proceedings, they are 40 longer Government, It
| acts passed by both Houses, and approved by the
Jtnt, may he nIllihci by State vetos or State
ordinances. Docs any one suppose il could make
! anydItfcrence, as TO the binding authority of an
act of Congress, and oflhe duty ola State to re
spect 1t, whether II passed. by mere majority of
both Houses, or by tbrcc-tourthS of each, orthc u
nann vote of each " thin the limits and
restrictions of the constitution, the Government Of
the United States, like all other popular Govern
ments, acts by maioritos 1t can act no ohcrw Use.
Whoever, therefore, denounces the Government of
ma iorities dcnouncts the Government ofhis own
country and drnouuces all free Governments
And whoever would restrain these alOritics, while
acting within lheir constitutional Inn s, by OK
tcrnal power whatever lac may intend, asserts
principles which, il adopted, can lead to nothing
else than the destruction Of the Government II
eff
Does not the gentleman perceive, sir, how his
argument against m orlies mi lit here be rc'ortcd
upon hlm Does he not how cogcntly he
might he asked, whether it be the character OF null
f. LITIGATION To PRACTISE what it peaches Lo kto
South Cafoiins at the present moment How far
are the ri his OF mlnorites there respected
confess, sir, have not known, in pcaceablc tines
the power of the ma iority carried with Il higher
hand, upheld with more relentless disregard Of
the rights, feelings and principles OF the minority ;
a minority, embracing, as the gentleman himself
will admit a large portion OF the worth ana rcspcc
tab lily ofthe State minority, comprehcndng, in
It's numbers, men who have been associated with hi n
and with US. in these halls :, Legislation men who
have served their country at home, and honored 1t
abroad men W no would cheerfu.y lay down their
lives for their native State, in any cause which
they could regard as the of honor and duty ;
men above fear and above reproacl; whose DC p
est grief and distress spring from the oonvc'ion
, that the present proceedings ofthe State must ut
mately reflect discrcdI upon her: how y TINS MI
norlty, how are these men regarded lhcy are
tnthralled and DISTINGUISHED by ordinances and acts
of egisal TO- sub cctcd to tests and CathS, incom
patlblc, as they conscentously think, with oat's
, already taken, and obi cations already assn
med they are prescribed ard denounced, as re-
crennts 10 duty and PATRIOTISM and slaves to for
cign Power: both the spirit which pursues them,
and tire oiitivc measures which enanae from
that spirit, are harsh and proscriptve, beyond all
precedent within my knowledge, except IN periods
af pr..tp ed nliift,