Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1833-01-26
Observation-Disclosures.


/
Committee Of The Whole, on The state Of The Relation.
6ettoeen the United States and South Carolina, on
| Thursday the 3D. January-(Continued)
proceed TO the other distinguishing charact erstc OF
the resolutions Of the committee IL is the protest " icb
hey contain TO some of the principles of the Presidents
PROCLAMATION. IL Is this which has called forth
the warmcs opposition. Ii is this censurc as gentlemen
choose TO regard it, of the high behes of the powerful
Executive oil this great coniederacy which have
produced consternaion and called forth the jealous
and able hostility. Let examine the grounds assumed
by the committee, and If there be one which is moi
enaoe. The Proclamation seems to have been sketchod
oy an able and skiul craftsman; but who had no
ume TO examine ancient documents, or look into rusty
parchments-or, perhaps his mind was of order TOO
towering TO condescc nd such drugcry He leans over
oca iscts and prosIraes legal conclusions with rapid
and happy facility.
The resolutions protest against the Presidents theory
oil the origin OF our governmeh-his denial the
oil all the rights qualities, and properties OF
his reprobation OF the right OF State 10
rom the cohiederacy; and his consequent conclusion
occupied with denunciaon of his intention TO execute
~ that the citizens of such seeded State while acting
IN obedience to her laws, may be hanged up traitors!
Sir, pause moment aud consider Are these our princi-
Piles, they not' Are the principles of this Proca
nation, those for which the republicans ia 9S and 'g9
conended and which effected the civil revolution of 1901?
or are thoy those which the ancient school of federalism
with Hamilton at its head, held forth that day. and for
whch Tie same party has ever since contended 1t be-
comes us to look into these things carefully The
utons under consideration deny the consistency of these
principles with those for which Virginia has contend
ed and especially with her celebrated resolutions and
report prepared by Mr. Madison on the memorable occa
sion before referred to- Our opponents who profess to be
disciples OF the school with ourselves-to hold with
the doctrines OF that report their political text book
and TO look up TO Mr. Madison the father of the faith
in deny any such Inconsistency, and affirm that this Pro-
clamaton contains in truth the true reading of Vir
gina State Rights principles. This then is the is
sue we nave now TO examine. Before l undertake it,
cannot help observing, that il is very remarkable
and somewhat strange, seeing that all profess TO believe
IN the doctrines OF 49, that there should be so MANY
substitutes offered, having for their object get around
any reeraton of those doctrines! The gentlemen be-
heve Them they say, TO be true; but they think
prudent 1t seems not 10 say in their resolutions; and il
IS equally remarkable, that writer perspcuous and
analytical as Mr. Madison is, in all the State Papers he
has drawn, should be cited both hands with equal con-
hdence as sustaining, in his celebrated report the pn-
ciples of this Proclamation, and of our resolutions CON
demning them we will presently with what pro-
prety. The time was when il was asserted that ,o
toere all Tepu6icdnS-dH tederdlss but seems now
that we sal republicans and ederalists though
differing in political opinions fur as the Zenith from
me adr sul all OF us believe in the resolutions
report oil 9S concur with Mr. Madison in that able ex
pose, and oil course all republicans The Froclama
uon attempts TO show that the States SUCH can retain
no sovereignty; that 'the glance of their citizens was
transferred, in the first instance to the Government Of
the United States that State cannot be said TO he
sovereign and independent whose citizens obedience
10 laws not made by i; that even under the roya 70
Vernnent we had no separate characer'-that by the
adoption OF the Federal Constitution, national govern
ment was created, which was " not a compact betweeA
sovereign States-hat State has right TO secede'
in fact, that ours is NATIONAL GOVERNMENT in
winch the people OF all the States represented as
-" ONE PEOPLE," and what is worse than ali-that " our
representatives in Congress all of The
united States and not OF the particular States from which
they come. Now, sir, these the principles against
which regard II as solemn duty to protest They
strike at the very foundation of political system,
as our republican fathers understood them, and have
ever expounded hemthey obliteate the lines of de.
marcauon between the several States as distinct poi-
cal communtiehey annhlate the rights of the States
and regard the people OF all America as an aggrega
ted mass on one hand, and grand national govern
ment on the other-hey present feature of a con-
Federated republic la fact they sketch the outlines OF
an arbitrary unlimited despotiSn, which would be the
more dangerous, as assuming the disguise OF free go
Verhmeh sir TINS was not the- government for which
our usrious fathers periled their elves and their for
tunes in the darkest days OF the revolution lit is not the
government they thought they had ratified after the dan
gers oil mat revolution overs and il govern
nent which they believed they had at length brought
back to It's purity after temporary alteration when the
accomplished what they considered the glorious civil re.
volution OF 1901. But sir ought not to forget that the
propricty has been questioned this floor of our canvass
ing the principles oil Presidential Proclamation not adj
dressed TO Congress- or to this particular State. Sir con-
less when heard this it startled me. did not expect
this this floor, from that quarter Elsewhere il has
been asserted that arrogance and PRESUMPTION i'm
Virginia to undertake TO question the propety of any act
or The correctness OF any opinions, eanatng from the Fee
dera Executive, not directed Immediately herself Ii
has been attempted to be rdicued, that the humble Lee
gslature OF oe of the States should be sitting judgment
on the soundness Of political views proclaimed by the Par
sIDENT OF THE U. STATES. Sir, has the time indeed
arrived when in Virginia. protesting TO be re-
publican, will hold such doctrines these Was not
lousy OF Executive over every ire
guar exercise OF it, the very spirit which gave birth
Piles avowed in this Proclamation, whether addressed TO
her particularly not Has Virginia no interest in M
PRONUNCIATION Of the principle that State shall secede-
and that her citizens shall be executed as traitors Should
she see others fall around her with Indifference because
she happens not to be the Immediate object OF aackand
when the principles avowed and the powers assumed
might under other circumstances be directed against her
sef Ne sir, this is not the Argus eyed spir. with which
liberty must be watched, If it is to be preserved Even
during the short and ngorous reign of terror as it was
calledwhen the Seiiion law was in force did not Virgil
mia then exercise the highland declare il her duty to ex
press freely her opinions when republican principles were
assailed by department OF the government And sir
the time has arrived when any State in this Union shall
surrender the right, be afraid to exercise of scr
nzing with perfect freedom any Executive commune
ton OF any President, and denOuucng principles we sap-
prove, we shall have nothing left worth preserving"
viii proceed then to examine these doctrines Of the
Procamation.The attempt TO disprove the individuality
OF the different States under the colonial government and
the denial OF their Sovereignty, under the old confedera
ton, founded assumptions which are historically in
correct As Colonies they existed under distinct char.
iers, and when they associated for common defence
and protection, the 2ud article OF the confederation
expressly reserved 10 each State-all its tights as d
sovereign, independent State; except such as were
gwen up to the general Congress TO be exercised or the
comnon benefit OF all And when, after the Revolution
the present Constitution was ratified so far from its being
Intended, protesting TO effect gdGnaon Of the
distinct communities which thereby associated again the
STATES dsinctivey recognized throughout all the
debates and all lis provisions In the General Convention
at Philadelphia which proposed it, the delegates did not
vote numerically, but by Sates-edch State giving one
vote, every question which occurred whether the state
large aud influential, as were New ors and Virginia.
small and inconsderable Delaware and Rhode island
And how vast adopted afterwards BY taking the votes
Of all the people one nation? No sir. II was ratified
ing for themselves in their local OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
that State would accede 10 the proposed form Of