Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1833-04-11
POLITICAL.
,b u,EBsTER'S SPEECH az Reply 10 M.
CALHOUN
ouTIJE REVENUE COLLECTION BILL.

CONTINUED
And now. sir, against all these theories and OPP
mons | naintalf-
TIA, the constitution ofth United States IS
-, l,aguc confedtracy, or compact between 'he
NV - rho several States III their sovereign. ca
n.ciics but a Government proper, founded on the
oo,on of the people, and creating d're1' relations
htween itself and ind'viduai''
~ !, 1,h,t no State authority has power 10 dis
~. ,hesc relations that nothing can dissolve
49,, b,, revolution; and that, consequently,
ts"a Gun Ne no such thing secession without
revolution. :,; ~
.,;,,,;on nf the United States, acts oil Con
...a. r,ssed IN pursuance Of IT, and treatIesi ana
g., J., c,sc. moi capable of assuming the chaIac-
-. az. su, in law or equity, Congress must Judge
= and finally interpret, this supreme law, SD often
-, :, has occasion To pass acts OF iegs'a''o" ,n''
- .,ses eanaAle Of ass mng x actually assuming
tho character Of d SUIT, the Supreme Court Oh '''e
I,pi,sJ State, the hnal interpreter.
Tb,, an attempt by u State TO abrosate ,annu',
r., nulif, an act of Congress- or to arrest us oPe-
,,li,n within her limits, on tie ground mat II, ne'
nn;nion such law is unconstitutional, - ",''''
usurna,,on on the Just powers of the Genefa' ""N-
,rn.nent and on the equal rights OF o'io' ''"''
;, main violation Of the constitution, ana P'ooeo'
NJ essentially revolutionary IN lis cha'"''e' ""u
,unlcucy, o,,,ooo
Whether the constitution be a compac' oe'"co"
States in the, sovereign capacities, 10 qo'S''o'
which must bc mainly argued rom "ha 70 ~
,sineJ IN the insrum N, itself We oil aSree '""'
!, is an instrument which has been, III some way
In ned with powcr We all admit that speaks
wahsu.hai.y The first question then is,whas does
say Of :. # What docs II papon TO be DOES
ary,. ;ise,( a league conle l.racy or compact be
,.sn sovereign states X is to be remembered
=, th,ttnc co1stitution began to sp, ak only AFTER
II, .lo ,o,. Int il was ratified by nine states,
wasb but proposal, the mere drauSht OF an lhsUu-
meat Ii was like a deed, drawn but not executed.
Tha convention hal framed II, sent II to Congress
chen sitting under the confederation, Congress had
uaauu.,i It to the State Legislatures, and 10y
these last il was laid before conventions OF the peo-
re IN the several States All this while II was n
operative paper. II had received nc stamp OF au-
,hotly, no sanction itspoke no language bu'
when ratified by the people IN their respective
conyeE,.nns thea it had = voice, and spoke auhen-
U.iiy Every word IN II had then received Inc
saacon If the popular vii, and was to be recciV-
.! IS the expression of that wal What the con
si9,ian says ofitscli, therefore, is concus We as
wbiitsays On any other point Does II call itself
a compact, F? Certainly not. |; uses the word
t,, States shall enter into no compact Docs It
tssl i,xclfa league a conftderacv, subsisting
st " between tn states Certainly not. There
AT u particle Of such language n all It's pages
Hi it declares ITSELF a constitution. W hat Is d
m2sttnton? Certainly not a league, compactor
conf irra,v bat q Fundamental tolc. That fun
dincnt1l regulation which determine the manner
IN which tn, public authority IS 10 bc executed, is
what forms the constitution Of State. Those
primary rules which concern the body itself, add
The very being of the political society, the form OF
government, and the manner in which power is 10
be e1ercised-- ALL in word, which form together
the constitutions Of a STATE, these are the fanda-
mental laws This, sir, is the language of the pub
hc writer's. But do We need 10 be informed, IN TINS
county what constitution. is ! Is It not an lea
perfectly familiar, definite, and well settled We
ate a, NO loss 10 understand what is meant by the
Constitution ofone Of the States and the consil-
W;on ofthe United States speaks of itself as
bengan instrument Of the same mature. II says
this constitution shall be the law OF the land amy
thing in any State constitution I, the contrary not
wlthslan1ng. And it speaks ofiuel, too, in plain
conlradlsnc,'on from confederation for II says
tina, all debts contracted, and all engagements
entered into by the United States, shall
he as valid under this constitution, us under the
confederation. 1t does not say, as valid under this
compact, Or this league, or this confederation, as
pnder he former confederation, but as valid under
lh's rOnetituim
Tins them sir, is declared to be a constitution
kcons!tullon is the fundamental law OF the State;
hi tins Is expressly declared TO be the supreme
p|. It's as II the people had SAID, we pre-
n ,.rbe this fundamental law" this supreme
av,' Tor rhcy do say that they establish this con
su''on, and that it shall be the supreme law.
MY say that they ordan and establish 1t. Now,
trwhatis the common application of these words
we DO not speak of ofdGintne leagues ana COM
pa1A II this was intended to be a compact or
leasuc andthc States TO be parties to IT, why was
II net SO said &? Why is there found no one ex-
Nfcsslon IN the whole INSTRUMENT indicating such
nenil The old confederation was expressly cal
l9' league and into this league twas declared
Wat the States, as States scvcray entered. Why
v az not similar language used in the constitution
similar intention had existed Why was ii
~" sad, the States enter into this new
teoeue' the States form this new confcdera-
ro"' or the States agree to this new compact T.
w WY was tnot said in the language OF the
e-"'emans resolution, that the people of the sew
Ua dates acce led 10 this compact in their sover-
Nsh capacities What reason Is there for sup
i"sns that the trainers of tho constitution re-
?cNu expressions appropriate to their own mean
VS. Mu adopted othlrs wholly at war with that
again. sir the constitution speaks of that poitl-
=" syStem which 1t established as the G9uern-
ne4t" VIC C"ted Sates." Is it not doing strange
t''" e"se 70 language to call league or compact
Tween sovereign Powers a Government? The
,.''a ",neh' or State is that organization in
,'" t' VIC political power ,esidcs It is the poll
'eI'S' created by the constitution or funda-
". H.. ho-
'*een Government and leac,. ar compact. is,
ma, . Government is body polite andi, has a
Wi ofis'own; and 1, possesses powers and ia