Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1833-02-14


has power to regulate commerce with foreign
powers, and among The several states suppose
one of these laws declared unconstitutional by a
state. Its operation would b. ctiecuHlly prevented
by the secession Of single state, and the whole
Union would necessarily be dissolved because
the other states would hot, and could not, remain
shackled by commercial restrictions, which were
| entered into by the entiIo mon, but winch one oil
the members had eaprclously thlown ell suppose,
foe instance, Louisiana were 10 take this slonn ,
what would be the effects 2 The Western states,
relying upon the navigation of the Mississippi rs
then channel Transportation, would he .heclua-
| yi oeked up by the regulations OF this lndopcn
dent sovereignty having the right of SOL on both
banks. Again-the federal government has power
10 suppress Instructions. suppose while the state
Of Virginia was II member OF the Union, an nsur-
rootion against the federal authority were Ia take
place IN her borders could the State resume her
entire sovereignty seccdc from the Union, and pre-
| vent the punishment Of the insnrrcctionsls II
| 50, the punishment and suppression of every nsur-
rectlon would depend upon The PERMISSION OF the
State IN which 1t hid taken place because the per
sons implicated would by the act of secession, be
| come citizens Of IN Independent government and
he alisoved from all obedience 81 allegiance 10 the
| federal government The Federal Government
has Judiciary, clothed " lth certain subjects oi lu
tIsdietlon aud power 10 cotry INTO execution It's
decisions III relotion TO those subjects Suppose
It's authority resisted IL single state, by arbitrary
secession, might prevent the execution Of the JudS
ment OF the courts, operating upon persons IN their
borders, against whom IT'S process issued. These
examples clearly shew the magnitude of tbs power
clulmed fpr the stafes, and the DANCER Of It's cxs-
tcnce or eAcrclsc The ELECTS would be loo great,
| Il u
tins pool 10 petmlf ,hcm 10 hang upon such
slender tbrni In the operation OF the " coultdcr-
ncy, The people had ample e,pelcnce upon this
! subject, aud IL prevent such calnUitnns results,
foW eliher The ne atlYc or affirmative pownf ofthc
S'als1 WIS mafefnl object N tnm.ng and tat
ll1e fhe constitution i sall attempt, III arother
nun,bet, 10 snew that there IS moro read danger 10
| ouu liberties u the possession al this nnatchcal
lower 10 the extent claimed by the states than there
~ III the exercise Of the powers Of the constitution,
by compelling obedience,
81 II 10 sad that this powc resu,'' 10 the states
from heir sovereignty This argument Is pmtly
answered IN The preceding paragraph and sholl
! say bP lillr additional upon tbs branch Of the
! subject. The powers Of a sovereign md ndepeu-
tent ,tafe depend upon the extent Of us sovereign,
! y or il cannot be seriously conlen'cd dat state
| can be sovereign ia relation 10 any other powers
| than those ''eunglng 10 It's nrisdict,oH. A. well
mlght II b commended lat Louis Philippe, kng Of
the French, Is sovereign Of the Russian Empire.
! The rlshis of sovereignty, either as To is dominion
or powers, are confined TO its proper llmita, aud
there Gun b. 80 soyet ignty as to powers, which
sta'e neYel possessed, OF which it has surrendered
! have nready slewn that the federal government
IS sovereign as Ia the powers of the constitutional If
| thut b. soycrcign-ior there cannot hc Two eoyct
eighties holding the same powers over the same
people Then II results, Of consequence, lh1t
the sovereignty Of The stole extends Il oNcr
| snIjeeii and nci 10 these Tie powets of
tn s'7lg3 txleod only within ucr respective
limits mi al, CONTINUED 10 Their domestic con5ernS
\ oa nom of thcs domestic concerns cttend 10 the
national affairs how can it be ,ueces fully ARGUED
thot,he States, by sirlne Of tteir limited soyer
cisuly, extending ouly to tbair domestic concerns
have eaeh the rights Of sovereignty, which oncc,
not only heir cwn individual relations 10 the gen
crul government but HAT of all the other states
THIS seems to me TO be most unreasonable. The
SIT IS contend that very exercise of powers by III
federal government reserved to the states, Is usdr
patton, and II IS always met and resisted Al the |
threshold but the control Of the powers of the led
ela government by the suites, under the curse Of
state sovereignty, Is regarded as perfectly tIslh
Strange lncons st, ncy --GoVerpmcnts, as we'll MS
mon, are always Jealous OF their own rights, but
not very seiupul0us III the INVASION Of those Of 9TH
ers.
II is contendcd, however, by the advocntos Of
secession that the Report and Resolutions of Vim
gIna, IN 1893, penned by MIR Madison, and
hose of Kentucky by Mr.. Jefferson, fully sustained
the grounds taken by them and at one sweep they
NOW down from the ranks of republIcansm, ali
who doubt the truth Of their locunq, aud throw
them pel m,il into the ranks Of Federalism. mcn
grown grey in the advocacy of State Rights ntc
linus unceremonousy proscr bed, by the eftia5ige
Republicans, Ner Lights ofthe present eye1tfu
period and some hay gone SO far TO mink" Mr.
Madison dolord, and ALICE that lie docs not
understand the tfGa sense of his own productions;
aud the President, 10 whom they were few days
ago shouting hosaEnas IN the highest, aud Cunning
h.m as the mi cxble and fast friend Of Jefierso
man principles, Is nov unceromonlousy dauh'd,
4 ON head to foot, with federal mortar, because he
has dared to say that the states have not the rign
to ooaifol tie action o. tac ederal government, aud
TO secede al pleasure.
have heard much, and read something, Of the
controversy which existed between the Old Repub-
can aad Federal parties and | have always un-
dcrsood that the federal party contended for lati
,udnous construction Of the constitution and claim
ed for the federal government the exercise OF infer
en,ial powers, under the authority of the words
geneyai detcuce' aud genera. welfart" in the
constitution and The Republican party conlcndcd
that the fcderal government should De limited IN the
exercise OF functions to the powers eieartg and
uncqaipoeoIy granted, and that they should lot ex
ercse any powers by mere inference The contest
was between Il limited construction Of the constitu
| ton as to the powers granted, aud latludinous
construction. The question was not then as it
now is, whether the federal government was m,
cd IN the exercise Of the powers clearly granted
but whether should be limited as to the extent of
the 20 wers granted. To maintain the latter, the
! Ronnrt 4 RESOLUTIONS OF 90 were adoutal. and