Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1833-02-18

The evil, and for maintaining within their respee
tive limits, the authorities, rights aud liberties AZ
| pertaining thereto This is an explicit nvowa
of the only grounds upon which the States can
clam to interposc to wit A" 1t deliberate paipahe
and dangerous infroellon." | beg the reader to
mark the force of the expression, and the clear and
strong words IN which II is couchc1. Notwith-
Standing the clear and uncquiyocal terms in which
this principle is expressed the Legislatures of sey-
| erai States regarded II as ayowal Of n right ON
the part Of the States, to watch over and control
| the Constitutional powers of the general govern
mont The Report, therefore, issued nt the next
Session Of the Legislature, reference 10 these ex
presslons of opinion and 70 guard AGAINST any pos
sbie misrepresentation or mscors,rietion Of the
principles OF the resolution, the following Ian
| guage " 1t docs not follow, however, that be
cause the states sovereign parties 10 the cons,i-
| tutionn compact must Ultimately decide whether il
has been via lated, that such decision Ought to be
interposed either IN haSty manner or on doubtfM
| OCCASIONS. Even in tho case of ordinary Con
sentions, between different nations, where by the
strict rule ofinterpreaion, breach of part may
be deemed breach Of the whole, 1t is always laid
down that the breach must be both ciifa aud ma
tcr,m to justify an application of the rule But, IN
the case of an intimate and constitutional TflDn
like that of the United States, 1t is evident that the
interroslUOn Of the parties, IN their sore,etgH
pacity can BE- called Cor by occasions only dccp'V
aud essentially affecting the eital prime pics OF their
political system
fha advocates ofthe right of Secession may say
that fhis comedies the principle aad the conscquen-
ccs necessarily follow. But do not admit it. The
resolution answers this declaration Itself: " The
| resolution has accordingly guarded against any
misrepresentation Of lis objects by expressly reqst
ritg lnari Tire word = for such on intcrpositon
I,.-.. III. / J.
breach Of the constitution, ty the exercise Of pow
crs not granted ny it. II must be case, not OF a
Z N aud b.aasem nature, hut of nature danger
as 10 the ea purposes for which the constitution
was esab3i she'd AMI with view # possible 10
guard The principle h, pond all possibility Of msap-
prclleusl1n. - II must be casc, moreover, not ab-
seRte or d9aa3N III its construction, bll 2iIlH ana
! Po}gaJ'e'
| The preceding terms xnlanation AMI rosifie
/ fpa. clearly show that although the Els, iuoons
aati 3rport were cxrinsiyciy directed to the main
tenaacr ofihe rights and powers ot tue State L.
autha'> .'unl themselves rea' me- mon dgl4eate
/ gtonad, and feresaw TINT these dorlneets might,
n fanrc tlme, be relied upon rs authority for rin-
= piles whrt woud snbyer the power of the mon,
and destroy is yrue and Efficiency, although such
t were not intended 10 be advanced.
The cnuses which arr required by this rcnor. 10
iHpll4B lfSiilNi hTt NftlOf{HfC, puma
lie aud dtta.eronH" usurpation3 of power-cases
So clear as 10 leave rot shade Of duub. so debe-
rate as 10 warrant the apprehension of fixed and
determined purposes otVmuny aud oppression
so dangerous tn threaten the destruction Of "a.
States and free observation-disclosures which,
would justly my peo9e in resisting and suEyef-
ting thcir govern mcat ard no oDe ever couenled
that the States hn1 not he same rga 10 resist and
repel such niractnns oftheir rights, the people
of every and any country would have.
ii the principle Of Secession, be true, then the
federal government is disarmed OF al! efficient pow
CT or authorlty.-lt has the power To will, within
the limits Of the constitution, but has no, the power
to execute that will. Con yrcss may meet and de
berate, and enact laws bat it cannot enforce
them. Laws without sanctions, and sanctions
which canno, be enforced, are vain and Idle
things. Did the Legislature Of f9S-99 so believed
Let Them be tried by their own declaration. The
Report in reference to tue constitu,onality of the
Alien and Scdtoa acts & the clause Of the consti-
tuition by which they were justified by thcir advo-
Gates, uses this laugul &c . The power which has
been selected, as least remote, in answer TO this
question, is that Of supprossing insurrectons,'
which is SAID to imply power to Prcec@ 1nsar-
feottonS, by furnishing whatever may lead or iead
to them Tie report then introduces the following
nterrnCatory, ard answer: Has the Federal Go
vcrnmsnt no power then, to prevcut well as 10
puaish resistance to the laWsl They have thc
power, which the constitution deemed most proper,
in their hands, for the purpose. The Congress has
power, before it happens, to pass laws fer punish
ing il and the EHecRttre and Judiciary have
power to enforce those laws when it does happen.
This is m explicit nvOwal Of the power of thu
federal government, to enforce obedience and pun
sh violations of ITS laos. Can State prevent
simply seeding The Resolutions and Report
nowhcreayoH such principle.
|, is argued that this principle reso',s from the
fact that the States SOVEREIGN ana independent
and, as such, are parties to the compact. This
proposition is asserted IN the Resolutions and is
true bu, the Resolutions and Report do not assert
that they exclusively the parties, and that either
may destroy the compact at pleasure. The third
resolution in relation to This proposition reads
thus " And that, in case OF n delibet0te p4lpa-
bic, and dtngcrcMS exercise OF other pO% ers, not
granted by the said compact, the States who are
parties thereto have the right, rpA in duty
bound 70 interpose for agresng the progress ri the
evil and for maintaining within their respective
limits The nnfhritieS, TigdtS aud hb.rtieS dlPer
tanning totem.' The argument of;he Report sus
tanning this proposition, is, | admit strong y ex-
pressed, and taken unconnected with the constitu
uoh ana other sentiments expressed by the lead
ing friends oft the constitution, wou1 justify the de
duction of the principle commended for by the advo
Gates OF the right ofsccesson aft appears to your
COMMITTEES to be plain principle, founded in COM
mon sense illustrated by common practice, and es
sentia to the nature of compacfs tina, where resort
be had to tribunal superior to the authorities
of the parties, the parties themselves must be the
rightful judges, in tho last resort whether the bar
gain made has been pursued or violated. The con-
stltution of the United States was formed by the
sanction of the States, given by each in its