Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1833-01-31

lSl among the States, oil sand'-for.
although Congress possessed the combination leg
auve, executive and judicial powers, they had not the
means OF enforcing their decrees-hey could only pro-
nonnee, and the States might comply or not, as they
pleased Some OF the States paid no respect 10 this pow
crlcss body-and IL apparent that we must have
government with power 10 act upon me ,eonle nIene
dent oil The caprice or whim OF the State Leg latures
Aud. with tie same limited and qualified object. i'm view
TIE present constitution formed; expressly er,snerd
ing the PdffieRdr potceTS which should be possessed
and exercised by the General Government
o the existing Constitution the President says "Tho
people of tbs United States formed the Constitution act
ing through the Legislatures in making the copact 10
meet and discuss lis provisions, and acting through sepa
rate conventions when they ratified those provisions but
inc terms used In its construction show it To be q govern
Weht IN which the people OF all the States
represented We are ONE PEOPLE in the choice OF tho
President and Vice President Here the States have mo-
other agency than direct the mode in which lire votes
shall he given. The candidates having the majority of aIr
The votes are chosen The electors of majority OF States
may nave given their votes for candidate vet ano
her may be chosen The people then, not the States
are represented in the Executive branch
In the House OF Representatives there is this dife-
renee, mat The people OF one Stale do not in the
OF President and Vice President all vote for the same Of
hcers The people OF all the States do vote for all the
memoers-each State electing only its own representa-
uves But this creates material distinction When
chose they are all representatives. OF the United States
not representatives. OF the particular State from Which ev
come They paid by the United States not by the,
State nor they accountable 10 IL for any act one i'm
the performance their legislative functions And how
ever they may In practice, il is their duty 10 do con-
suit and prefer the interest OF their particular constituents
when they come in conflict with any partial or local
NJ
tatves o the United States, promote the general good
Again he says" The States, severay, have 10, re-
aheu heir e"f"e sovereignty 1t has been shown that
oee''hS parts oil nation, not members of a league
they surrendered many of their essential parts of sove
reign y-the right 10 make treates-decare war-Ievy
aNes-execise exclusive judicial and legislative
I'm reference TO particular subjects and mr.
Poes( were all OF them functions of sovereign power
he States them for all these important werc M
longer sovereign The allegiance of their citizens y.s
transferred, in the first instance to h- government of e
U. States They became American Citizens and a,so
tint nnlf haI &tat..
made IN conformity 10 heOtcers IL vested in Congress-
ihis last position has not been and cannot be denied
row hen can that State be said TO be sovereign and in
whtse citizens owe obedience to laws made
oy i and whose magistrates disregard those
laws when they come in conflict with those passed by
announcer Here there is evidently msprin the CO.
ply before me, which intelligent reader will see az
once " W hat shows concusivcy that the States can
not nc SAID TO have reserved undivided sovereignty is
That they expressly coded the right punish treason nor
treason against their separate power but treason against
the United States. Treason is an offence A. ainst
w. and sovereignty reside with the power TO punisb
IL But the reserved rights OF the States not less sacred
hcIr common interest made the General Government the
depository oil these powers The unity of political cha
acer as has been shown for another purpose
with its very existence. Under the Royal government we
began as the United Colonies We were the United States
under the considerations aud the was perpeuat.d
ana me Union rendered more peecf by the Federal
constitution In none Of these stages did we consider
ourselves in any other light than forming one nation
re"'les and alliances made in the name of all
IOoPs were raised for the joint defence. How then
with all these proofs that under all changes of our
tons we had, for designated purposes and tcith defined
poLceTS created national governmcnts-how is at b
most perfect OF those several modes of union should now
oe considered as mere league that may be dissolved at
pleasure! 1t from an abuse of erms," &C., &c.
hese are the opinions and words President Jackson
cOiected from different parts OF his Proclamation for
winch he is denounced as maintaining the odious doc
ne oil consolidation" The scky stomachs of suue am
sh and har-spting politicians cannot relish them
But let us appeal to actso the true history
o. dg Consullon'0 the opinions Of the great who.
considered, expounded and adopted il in Trginia
1T Is conceded that there may be ambiguity in
lew expressions used by the President His history Of
"e origin ana nature oil our Union given fer The.
purpose OF showing that State does possess the right
to secede. and in brief sketch for such purpose
IL Is not remarkable that expire Ssons should escane
that admit OF two constructions. But let us weigh his
meaning with candor, and proceed proposed 10 com
pare what he says with the opinions and decaraons of
some OF the best country produced and the
abest expounders of the Constitution.
Gen. w Washington, who was President of the National
Convention that formed The Constitution in TRANSMITTING
to Congress- the following language: The friends
OF our country have long desired that the power
OF making war peace, and treaties that of evying taxes
"u regulating commerce, and the correspondent
1--we, and judicial authorities should he fully and edech,
any vested IN NE General Government Of The Union
out he improperly OF delegang such extensive trusts TO
one body OF men is evdent-hcncc results the necessity
OF different organizaton (luding the old coniedera
Again he says, "It obviously inpracicabe in the Fe
deral Government OF these States secure the rights
of independent sovereignty TO each and vet provide for
the interest AMI safety of al-Indivdua!s entering in
to society must give up share OF liberty TO preserve tho
rest The magnitude Of the sacrifice must depend as well
tanned is at all times difficult draw with precision
the line between those rights which must be srrender
ed, and those which be reserved 'sIn our dcbe-
ratlons on this subject kept steadily i'm our view thar
whch appeared to Ms the greatest interest eycrv tu
American, me consolidation Of Union, in which ~
involved our prosperity, felicity, safety perhaps our ma
uohal existence his important consideration, seri-
ously and deeply impressed upon our minds led each
State in the Convention be less rigid on points Of nfe
Iior magnitude than Nigh have been otherwise expect
cd, and thus the Constitution which we now present is
the result OF spirit Of auity of that mutual Difference
ana concession which the peculiarly eur poIicaE situ-
alton rendered indispensable'
The Convention of Virginia by which the Constitution
was raled spent twenty five days i'm the most careful
examination and discussion of its provisions Every OBJ
Jecton which great talents and devoted love of liberty
eoud conceive made and urged against its adoptio
II was finally ratified by of 50 10 TO- with propos-
eh b OI rights aud certain amendments Intended fur
ther AMI more explicitly define and limit the poer and
acuon OF the government. The deep and thrilling ute-
rest which the subject excited in the public mind induc
Oh tie Convention TO preface their ratification with the
following declaration:
eve the delegates Of the people Of Virginia duly
cIecteu III pursuance OF rccomme nda0n from Gene
raj Assembly, and now met in Convention having fully
anG freely investigated and discussed the the
Federal Convention and being prepared as well az te
most mature deberaton hath enabled TO decide there
on, no. in the and 10 behalf of the people of Vir
GINA declare and make known, that the powers trsttcd
under the Constitution, being deyUed fr0hi The peopc of
me a. HdteS, may be resumed bV them, whcnsoe = or
TIE same shall be perverted their injury or oppression
aud mat every power not granted thereby remains with
mem and at their will That there fore TO rgbt If any
denomination can be cancelled, abridged restrained or
nouihed, by Congress, by the Senate House OF epre
sen"Ves acting IN any capacity, by The President or
grW IaF rrfff a. F".t