Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1833-07-25

From ihe Riehmona lI1ie.


To THOMAS RIrCIuE, ESQ-NO. I,
The confidence which was heretofore felt
IN the soopdncss Of your political principles,
has caused your paper TO be read in aImo.,
every family in Virginia. Hundreds, nav thou.
sands OF our citizens read no other. The
necessary consequence is, that YOU exert n
powerful influence over the public mind. In
deed, sir, il cannot be dcuied, that even
In The iaborious retirement of your close,
you are felt in the daily exe:tion OF no unim.
portant power over the affairs of this Govern
ment. will not be so presumptuous a, 10
otier you advice; for am sure you feel, with
due sensibility, the duty which your position
imposes on YOU, OF doing nothing which NAV
mislead the public Judgment, in the presen,
awful crisis. may be permitted TO saw 10
you, however, with perfect respect, and GER
tainly in no unfriendy spirit, that many of
your readers do not consider your present
course strictly consistent with your former
principles. IL Is true that YOU have, on more
occasions than one, protested 10 give n. YOUR
political faith, and so far rs your abstract
principles are concerned, We have, perhaps.
out iittie reason TO complain Of YOU. But
you have dealt with US too much i'm generaIi-
ties. IL Is not enough that you should pro-
fess yourself n friend to State Rights. We
arc all OF US friendly, not only to State Rights.
but to every other right which we are willing
to acknowledge rs such. But you have moi
yet Told US, with sufficient clearness ehai these
Stale Righis are. We can no longer satisfy
ourselves with distinctions in principle or
sPeculations in reasoning. The time for ae-
tton has arrived. The arm Of the Federal
Government Is even now uplifted to shed the
blood OF our citizens. IL is tine for US TO
know, not only that we have rights, but also
10 what those rights consist, and in what man
ner they may be asserted. You have taken
strong and decided stand against the doctrine
OF Nuiiihcation; nay, you can scarcely speak
oil It In any other language than that Of con-
tempt and derision. But you have not, SO far
as recoilect, favored your readers with any
detailed argument upon that subject. Neither
have you distinctly told us what alternative
you propose. You do indeed, contend for the
right OF Secession, but have not been able 10
discover whether you consider this right
merely as one inherent in every political
community, and therefore independent of the
Constitution, or whether you propose il rs a
remedy for bTsaeh Of that instrument. In this
state OF uncertainty, as 10 the course which
The leading Journal Of our State would wish
W TO pursue, u Is a matter Of no small in
terest to US, that you should come out more
explicitly than heretofore. Permit me. then.
as citizen neither very young nor wholly
uncoonectedi % one who considers every
Thing which he cherishes in our institutions
ia the most Imminent peril as one who sim
cereiy believes that you eau form the public
mind Of Virginia, and that Virginia can con.
troll the destinies Of this once happy Union.
70 entreat you to answer explicitly the fol-
lowing lnterrogatories. They are propounded,
not 40 the spirit Of u controversiaIist. but with
deep conviction that they involve the only
principles upon which the rights Of the States
can be maintained, and Of course the only
security against consolidated and essentially
monarchieaI government:
j. is there. or Is there not, any priDeiple
IN the Constitution Of tho United states, by
which the States may resist the usurpations
oi The Federal Government; or are such
usurpatioUs to be resisted only BY revolution ,
2. lf there be no such principle. - moi the
Federal Government as unlimited in its pow
ers a. am other Government, whatever be
its form, whose encroachments upon the
rights oil the citizen can be repealed only by
REBEL or other application of physical
force
" you believe, az am sure you do believe
that there Is such conservative priDeiple m
the Constitution, then I beg the favor of YOU
to point II out, aud tell US In what manner
we may render It available. In doing this, be
pleased Ia answer
D ~ not the passing . Law by Congress
which the Constitution does not authorize. an
usurPation on the part Of that body And Il
not every such unconstitutional Law absolute.
W VOID, a. passed by a delegated authority
beyond the limits Of that authority
g. Are the States bound 10 submit 20 laws
which are unconstitutional and the refore void
D. " the states are not 20 bound b sub
nit, y not the particular State which refuses
10 submit, right IN ~ doing
D. VI The recrcant State be right ia her re-
Iusalto submit, are not the other states wrong
m compelling her 10 submit T. II not op-
preston Of the worst sort, 10 eocrce Obedi-
once 20 usurped power
The above questions are prsp0uuded upon
the hypothesis that Congress may have actu.
aiy passed isV psiDrbiy and drnge 0usly
violating The Constitution. And nov be pleas
ed 70 tell us 10 what manner the fact Of such
palPable and dangerous violation u % b. as
ceriainedf IN doing this, be pleased also "
ansWer--
T. u there any common umpire established
~ the Constitution, 20 Whom may BE- refer
red questions touching breach hereof
h there be such common umpire, b. pleas
ed 10 point u out.
:. if there Be no such common umpire
does not resolt from the necessity ~ the
case, that each state must j8dgc thereof lor
itselfY
. ia State, in the se,uaI ,zsreis, Of hi.