Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-01-29
faction, aul if persisted in, must. at no dist:
day. terminate in iIreparabIe injury.

Ma
copfederacy, exercising what she deems 70 !.
her right, has thrown herself upon that suyerej,,
ty, and as such has undertaken to judge for h.,
self at the infractons Of the compact, and Of
mode and measure If redress, we find the pres
dent Of the Uni,ed States, openly laying el,i,
to this gigantic power. and charging state WI
treason against the federal government, which.
claims to be sovereign. and carrying out h. I
principle, seems to endesvor to make the impr.,
sion that the rights Of the states are grant. d
powers from that government. When We put.
sue that argument 10 its final result. we 6nd on,
selves ensla, ed by the declaration OF our inds
pendance, with M limit to the powers Of the n.r
government but its own will, and we have D.
r,sht Jeff US but the right of revolution, Wills
thu, government claims the antagonist right q
subduing US by The sword. If this doctrine B,
true-our fathers. intent upon securing liber
for themselves and children, greatly erred in no.
declaring themselves free and independent D
their declaration OF independence.
Daring the middle ages, the European govern.
menis were little else than the military Com.
mand. of feuda barons-the king, or great b,
ron of al. relying upon his military proves.
dlsdaIned 10 ho,d MS power as the gift of men
aud claimed to rule by special grant from On.
Impotence. Blu, this divine right Of kings, ws
disputed by the barons Of England at Runus.
mede, and charter for their liberty was wrun,
from the king. This was truly great ,i,to,yy
O, err tyranny, and believed 10 be discovery,
government, which, at q future day, compelled
the executive. or kings to consent to govern N
compact. Yet, the great discovery, or improve.
ment in government. was reserved for our faith.
Sl,
alone. in the eutre body Of the people; that their
rulers were agents Of the people, chosen from
mong them. to discharge certain duties required
Of them, and at stipulated periods, to lay down
the pow er which belonged alone TO the people
and with which they had been temporarily cloth
ed for certain purpuses-lhat no error mishk
committed and to prevent any from attempting.
to RUE by military force, they perfected Their
government, as we heretofore have believed 10
the security Of written constitutions.
All the states of this Confederacy, certainly
believed themselves sovereign. and in that cSp,.
CITY, and under that belief. Virginia proceeded
TO form government for herself. anterior to The
Declaration Of Independence, and existed, unuI
three years ago. under the Constitution aud Torn
OF Government then established, when the 50.
vereign people assembled in Convention. and a.
mended that Constitution, which now remains the
monument of their sovereisnty-lhe basis of Their
fundamental laws.
How, then, is it possible for Virginia to have
received grant Of her reserved rights from the
Constitution of the United States, Or the 'slngls
nationl" How the States could receive as
grant, their reserved rights, is difficult to CON.
prehend. bur not less SO, than that sovereign
State can commit treason! As early as the 18th
June, l716, this State declared. that ''wheneur
any government shall be found inadequate to The
purposes of producing the greatest degree Of hap.
piness, u majority Of the people hath an induoL
table, upaliensbie and indeteasbls right to re.
form, alter or abolish il, IN such manner as shall
b- Judged most conducive to the public veal"
Virginia has very lately reformed and a!reredher
Government, and still claims the '.indabitabIe.
unaI,enable and indefeas,bIe right 10 abolish it,
whenever the maturity oI her citizens may think
proper to do so to reform, alter OF abolish TORN
Of Government, are the highest powers whithi
Sovereign State can exercise.
We have also on our statute book, law point
ing out The mode by which citizen may expa'Il'
ate himself, and until he avails himself OF the
pr DIVISIONS Of this act, in divestng himself 81 hr
citizenship. or renouDces it BY becoming eItIzsn
of another State Of this union, or the subject oI
some foreign prince, he is, wherever he may b.
a citizen of Virginia, and to her his alles lance
due.
The constitution or compact which untes these
States. among other specified powers. has gwen
to congress the right"to establish an unIllm mode
and no more. because more vas
not necessary, as the United States had no Cit
zens on whom it could operate; yet twas dcsri'
BILE that Uniformity on this Subject should exist
throughout the confederacy, as the constitution
provides that =" the citizens Of each State shall be
entitled to all the privileges and lmmun''les OF
citizens of the several States" and by VIRTUE Of
this provision. foreigner, who has been na'u'
raIized and taken the oath Of allegiance to any
one Of these States. may, at any time. under this
provision, transfer his allegiance
10 another State.
The United States then, being only the Union
Df certain interests Of these sovereign States ~
tended by them to be used tor their benefit, by
agents appointed by themselves, could not have
since the fact Of its existence is the act
Df the citizens Of the several States. though al al
early period, that government made an effort
egisIate over the persons Of the citizens Of inc
States, by the passage Of the alien and sed'''"p
acts, which passed both Houses Of Congress- anu
was approved by the President. THESE acts met
with unqualified resistance on the part OF sever
al. IL than