Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1833-03-26
TO N EDITORS or N ENQUIRER

derGiisnn put forth, by the Honorable Andrew Stevenson
on that occNsion.-Mr. Stevenson did not only scout
null secession as constitutional re.
medy"-and advise, as a remedy for federal oppression,
"Protests"-dppedts-prOposois to amend the COnSti-
tt1ion"-and "a Convention OF the aggrieved States"
He trent further. He called State sovereignty san ideal
thing! He appealed to the people in the strongest aud
most emphatic manner, to know "1 the decision of the
majority should not prerdiP'-aiiirmed and attempted TO
prove that every law of Congress, however unjust and OPP
pressive, derived a controlling and authoritative sanction,
from the will OF a majority OF that body: thereby sub
jecting the reserved rights of the States TO their lcgisla-
ton, and affirming the broad and ultra Jederdl principle,
that a law of Congress which prostrates the sovereignty
Of a State-which, like the Force Bill, a~nnihilates it as a
political community-may IN no toiSe, be rightfully OPP
posed; That individual resistance TO such a law is treason
armed resistance is rebellion: That the remedy for such
oppression consists only in pro,ests-appeals-prOposal Of
amendment TO the of the ag-
gricved States-anG finally Revolution. Ifthis be a correct
statement OF the Honorable Speakers discourse, (and i am
ready 10 establish its truth, by credible witnesses it clearly
results. that the moment his q remedy for grinding OPP
preston, on the part OF the General Government, is car
ricd beyond The scope cf " passive obedience" aud mon
resistance, it subjects us 10 the halter. This is the Gre
medy,' which exists in Turke Yin Austria-and in every
other despotic region Of the Giobe;-this the docriue
which, in the Federal Convention Hamilton laboured, un-
successfully, to establish, when he declared e" that State
distinctions must be JOiiShef'-whe he vainly sought
to tear away from the citizen of a Stots, her protecting
.Egis-and To- subject him TO be hung, drawn and quarter
ed, at the arbitrary will OF the Federal Government. 8
L intend at pre-, ent, only TO give TO the public, plainly
and succincly, the doctrines maintained by MIR Steven.
son at the late meeting, on the Church Hill. IfchaIleug-
ed to the proof, l am ready with my testimony. | bear no
personal il-will TO Andrew Stevenson. | feel only the in
terest of the humblest citizen, in the questions which now
agitate the general mind-but that interest is vital. You
have lately thought proper to announce, that your columns
are open Tor the fair and temperate discussion Of these
questions. |, your subscriber and constant reader, did not
require this profession of fairness from you, nor doubt it,
when made. But you will not be ID ispleased at an occasion
10 prove its sincerity. i deem il of the last importance,
that we should know the men we trust-and by Gods
blessing, the people of this district shall not be deceived,
in those who now seek their confidence.
Friday Morning. A SUBSCRIBER.
NOTES.
We do not exactly see, how the above statement
can ONE under the grave head of discussion"
However, let that pass We cheerfully comply with
our correspondents request-but, as we were mt the
meeting ourselves, and as our recollections do not
perfectly tally with those of "a Subscriber" we
have taken the liberty of subloining such n sketch of
MIR. Stevenson's remarks upon the occasion, with his
assistance, rs is believed to be correct.
Mr.. 5. declared his uniform and unwavering at
tachment TO the Rights of the States-and he refer
red 10 the course which he had pursued during the
whole of his public life i'm defending them. lie
stated, that he had uniformly and zealonsly resisted
every attempt to exercise doubtful powers, or TO inn
pair the reserved Rights of the States, by improper
Legislation. He cited several instances of his eyer-
tons in their behalf.
lie stated, that he had uniformly regarded the
Constitution as a Federal compact, between equal,
independent and sovereign States-created by the
people OF the several States in their separate State
capacities:-That the States. as parties had given
up Il portion of their rights and sovereignty TO Sc
cure the remainder:-That so far only as they had
SURRENDERED AMI giUen up, they had ceased to be sope-
reign;-Tha the Union provided the means nj do
Tending the residue:-That the powers of the Fede-
raj Government resulted alone from grants of the
constitution; and that all powers not granted were
retained to the States and the people:-Tlat. the
free exercise by the States of the powers reserv-
ed was as important, and as much intended TO
be guarded by the Constitution, as the exercise of.
the powers granted to the Federal government
And that both were necessary to each other.-That
there were many and powerful checks on each.-I
Il Tim nth fTn arpnf 81, 49, ~ q
pies of representation and responsibility-That the
states, as such, and the people, were represented i'm
each goYernment-Ihat the people of each State
had their immediate Representatives in the III. of r..
and the States, as such, in the Senate. with the riobt
of the smallest State to vote down the largest-and
he instanced the case of Delaware with some GO or
10000 people, and New York with her . millions.
lie stated, that in the election of President, the
States had another important security and check
that the election was federative, and ought to remain /
so-tIiat besides these, and the power of amend
ment, there were other peaceful and important
means within the power of the Slates-they could
instruct their Senators. and the people their Repre-
sentatIVes: That the State Governments were re.
garded as the ccntinels of the reserved rights of the
States-thatt they were elected yearly and came from
the body of the people fresh, and charged with their
wishes and feellngs-hey would descry the danger
and denounce the usurpations on the mart IF Tho
General Government-hey would rouse the peonIe
TO action; become not only the voice, but the arm of
the public dscontent-they would communicate ]
with their co-Statcs, and unite i'm all the proner
measures for arresting the progress of the evil
That this was a great moral power, which would
always have a great effect i'm such n country, and
with such n people. That this was the course
which had been pursued by Virginia in 'gS and 100,
and with the most signal success. MIR. S. declared
his adherence to the doctrines ofthose days. as he nm
derstood and had acted ON them; and ms thew were
understood by MIR. Madison, Mr.. Jefferson. and the
men of that day. lie denied that virginia had inl
'90 and '0O, or since, given any color to the doc
trines of Modification by a single State. lie consi-
dered this assumed right of multiplying tire laws of.
the Union by a State, now claimed under notions of.
upquOty ed and ideal State sovereignty, as Mt war with
the principles of our Union, and the whole scheme
of our free institutions.
lie secuted the idea, that one State had a consti-
tutlonal right to determine the extent of IFS own
obligations under the compact, and to nullify and
make yold at pleasure, the acts of the rest. He con-
tended, that 1t would be placing the majority under
the VIII OF The minority, and destroying the great
princlpIeso OF representative governments; subiecting
- Estates, with equal rights, to the will aud caprice
oil any one; That suspending the operation of a law
was equal to repeating it; that it was in effect as
serung tic right OF any one TO repeal and destroy at
ITS pleasure the laws Of the other % States: That
each State would first decide the occasion for rais-
ing this question, and then take the right to decide il.
when raised. And he cited the proceedings of s.
Carolina, as am example of the danger of such doc
trines, &c.
lie had expressed before bis opinion on the ques-
ton Oh secession. He did not think it a constitu-
tional and peaceful right-but regarded it as destruc-
tive TO the Union, and the whole system of Govern
mgnt-aUd cited many exnmufec n, obotO lie do,oor