Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1833-02-12
Vess. xAEX.---Ns. SO.


inChei OF the land and naval forces OF the State Rhode
Island and Providence Plantations" Such titles Mr. r
sad he wished to see perpetuated aud honored lie
ed not Tor empty titles % birth and astocracy, which
were much honored in other countries; but such titles as
ns ne would preserve IN our own Let tho "Governor
anu Chief OF the land and naval forces ot
Rhode Island, still preserve both power and the tile
given TO him by Sovereign State.
bu', SIR, sMd Mr. L., the rauhcauOn Was made by the
people oi the States. He intended before he closed to
ask the Senator from New Jersey draw picture-he
would peruH him do il nom the resources of bs
imagination, and those he knew, ere very abndany
but lie would ask him, n other, TO draw a
picture State without people For his own mart Mr.
T. said, he could not form te iudsnct idea of such
an abstract spectral existence. without people,
Why The people are the state, aud the States the pto-
pie. They might we'll talk OF a State without land
lie might as well say, because the Constitution was de-
c1red to be The Constitution Of the people the UIted
states that il was not the Constitution OF the people
ou ereiy inc Constitution OF the States The very terns
employed, expressed the title OF tho people, and explain
ed TO be Constitution for the government OF the peo-
pie oil the United States and therefore, that was
federal system, and rot anationa one.
The idea that the system national one, bad, in
dee"' received MS authority nom high source. The
message Of the Executive spoke Of Che States being orc
natlon-as an analgamated mass But it 50, when, ho
would ask they welded toe ether ! Was il when
they were colonies Or, at what time Vns il Was II
wien the Dutch held possession ol New York Or was
it when the English got into their possession Or was
when Old Virginia set up for hersef-declared her i'm.
dependence against the government OF the Protector,
sell; she declared that the igament which bound her TO
England, was ligamen which bound her TO the crotcm
OF England; and that, when that broken she was 10
the Second, Virginia by resolution her House of Bur
gesses, again gave herself up to the crown Of Eng
land, and was received and recognized as part OF the
English dominion since which time, she he'd been de-
sgnated by the title of the Old Dominion Others NJ
the colonies recognized the title and succdmbed to
the power oil the Commonwealth; Virginia did moi
he supposed anal gamlon could not then have takcna
place at that time Was then, in l775 when Virginia
adopted her constitution, without the OF the other
comnonw eaths-without even consulting with them.
adopted OF her free will and in the exercise of her
own uncontrolled power? Surely not. When YEAS il
as he
with each other against Great Britain He would sup
pose then Grant it to be So But there was some
thing else which be forgotten. There was an
other party 10 the Union at that time. Ii this argument
proved any thing, proved too much for amag amaons
union Yes, sir, said Mr.. t. she spared neither gold nor
blood She gave her civary she expended her money!
she shed her blood Surely then France must be one
oil ne ama'gdmated as much as any OF the States
The idea was idle-he had almost said ridiculous
Sovereign Powers-ca them States or nations which
ever they pleased-coud unite for mutual benefit mu
ua Protec'on-to defend themselves home or to car
y on foreign war But did it follow, that they must
therefore, be amalg'tod into one body He would not
however, push tie argument farther. unnecessary
10 do
The idea which it was the intention Of gentlemen 10 os
ash iom all this, that the General Government was
sovereign in its powers. Was He should rather saw
that merely reflected the sovercignes of the States h,t
1t was but an eanaton of those sovereignes; that il was
merely created to discharge the duties assigned TO bv
those sovereisnues Those duties prescrbed-hey
were TO secure The happiness prosperity indepcu
dence OF the several States 1t might a well DO said that
an ambassador was sovereign power, and that he
the ambassador bound by his instructions and sc.
were they, in tha assembly. The very moment the am
bassdor went beyond his Instructions he was guilty of a
preach oil trust and was responsible for his nsconc
Aud 50 were they. To WHOM they responsible
10 those by Whom the power delegated TO them
DutiI, SAID Mr. - we really a Taignty what
sort oil sovereignty we? Surely this was the stranpest
sovereignty that was seem They had even sym
Dol OF sovereignty amongst Them crowned head so as o
enable them take advantage OF the argument of Hobbies
aud other early English writer's who established the ght
sovereignty by deriving il from God and De-
tt vim
what was Her situation! They derived their power from
the States yet, they were sovereign, it said They
held IT at the viii OF the people, still they sovereign
he Mr p Tor his own part renowned this doctrine; it
was unjust; was illogical, it AutAmerican doc
trne The American doctrine was, that all power de-
rived from the people, and that the people only
But, if the General Government was not sovereign it
was supposed that Ibis difficulty would arise How was
allegiance due il from the several States? This was the
difficulty whch il was thought must arise from denial
Of the sovereignty of the General Governments and that
sovereignty TO drag along with il pefDcious doctine
which vas without yllaliy which, il brought exis-
tcnce, must destroy TIE Union.
The doc'rho % which hc alluded tEis that the al
legidnce of citizen was du- to the General Government
aud not to the State Of which he obtained his citizenship
mt no allegiance whatever was due TO the STATES. J.
said Mr. T., should like to know how am q citizen of the
u ) ates' have never yet seen who was a CHI.
zen OF The United States, citizen OF Virginia.
Should wend my may 10 the State of New York, what
do bndf Not hat ! avn cizon OF the United States
No. But hnd that entitled 20 the privileges and
imnunities o. New York Of any other State whereso.
ever may GO Thsis al. But they DO not make me a.
citizen OF New York, de fdct0
To change the ustrajon-et citizen Of New York 90
Into Virginia. The elections OF that State ore going
on BY The law Of Virginia residence Of twelve months
required before person could W ell, the ciG-
zen from New York might do every thing there, but
ercso the privilege which the state had reserved to its
own citizens, indispensable TO their benefit aud her
sovereign power State. But e citizen Of NJ York
could not vote in Virginia
Yes, sic, sad MIR T., iis because owe allegiance to-
Virginia that owe obcdcnce 10 e United States. Be
my ale has entered into bond which binds me
matter far You can and turn much you please
but "o this conclusion you nis come 81 las"thatE
owe allegiance TO Virginia and only obedience here,
because do owe allegiance there
Mr.. T. a'd, they hal boon told t,a "obedicnco" AMI
"proectiol 4" reciprocal ne would agree to
The position Who then. that protected him. Who
was II projected him in his rights OF property from the
assas5in dagger. from The piundcreroiu he nroads Of
thc midnight thiri-ironi every danger Who ",
that protected him, where ne Their stCod los 10 BY vir-
lnc of thc sovereign power Of Tire United States he
thus protected? Vas Be the influence Of the pow Of the
General Government, which impaired IN him the conf
dencc he there lelG No SIR said Mr. r. the protection
~ which aIn here suoundcdis that OF the State Of
Virgin,-snd though like the unseen air, know it, and
ieelit, 90 be wall Of sdsmant
what protection could ths General Covcnmeut--thc
United St,tes-an,rd him They could give hirn this
protection When be went upon the highway of an ma.
ions-tlte an-hc Umtcd States could give hm pro-
lection. Ry her maritime pow sc there surrounded him
with bond Of protection and security But let IL be
markell that hc dtl not then stand on land but ship
board. lo mig ht have beside him, the deck citizen