Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1833-01-31
MATHEW SANpGruR, Sec'y.
MEETING AMHERST.


| In accordance with public notice previously
| given, portion of the citizens Of Amherst met al
the court house the 2lst of January, that being
court-day, to,aho into consideration the important
questions that are now in agitation between South
| Carolina and the General Government
! Whereupon, on motion Of Mr.. Sterling Cla-
hrne, Robert TinS'eh Esq was called 10 The
Chair, and DR.. James PoUeA and William II
| GaTisn3 were appointed Secretaries
! The meeting being organized, Mt. Hudson NJ.
Gar..nd, IT, explained a, length his views in oppa
sition to tie doctrines conendod 70, by South Car
DINA He vas followed by Mr.. Sterling Clai-
borne, who, after Jew remarks, offered the follow
! ing resolutions
l. Resolred That, in these United States SOY.
ercignty of right belongs to and is 'n'.sren IN the
people-That government is delegated trlIs de-
irving its authority from the people, and TO he cX
ercised for their benefit thai governors their
gents unu servants, deriving theI just powers from
the consent ofthe governed and that, as the end
Of all government Is ought TO be the preservation
Of life and liberty security and happiness, wheneV
err any form of government becomes destructive of
these ends, II belongs ofrsb to the people TO hitter
| or abolish it, and to establish new government
laying its foundations in such principles rs shall
seen to them most likely to ctc, heir safety and
happiness.
.. Resolred el5o, Tha. lie people Of the several
States of the Uniop acting scverall, and IN the 81
ercise of the full aud complete sovereignty which
severaIly belonged to them have formed both the
Federal and State governments, and have delega-
/ ted to each certain powers, aud no others, WHICH
are respectively to be found in the constitutional
| charters by which those governments have been
created. For the security ofthc people these row
crs are defined and limited by those charters am
| the exercise OF any power not granted hy thcm Is
tyranny aud usurpnuon--an cvl whch written
constitutions are expressly intended to guard n
gtnst.
/ 3. Resolred, That, ifeithcr government, by any
act, transccnds the authority delegated to them re
specnvely--and such act endhngcrs the lie, the lib
erty, the security or happiness of the peoTe--rcsls
tancc TO such act is not trenson-and that treason
consists in the resistance Of legitimate authority
Only
4 Resolred. That whist between the people on
the one hand and their governments OF the other,
there can be no umpire whether their govern
ncns have transcendcd their auths.ity or not-the
determination Of taat question b. ongf :xel wei,
and without limitation, TO the people themselves.
! They alone Gun he benefited or injured.
5 Resoived, That, whilst these powers belong
of lht to the people ii docs not belong 10 small
majority Of the population OF Il single State, which
population Is bat small minority of the people
, Of the United States, TO alter or abolish the
goyern 7lent established for their collective and
united benefit, safety and harplnoss-by multiplying
the laws of the government enacted for the United
States, or destroying, by SECESSION the compact OF
the Union, entered into for the mutual benefit Of
all--and that all such questions, putting in issue
the fact whether government has transcribed ITS
power necessarily refer themselves the primer
pies OF mmutabe justice, which forbds the idea
that one ont OF twenty four shah dictate to the
ma indcr for such IS the result, i one has the right
to determine, without reference TO that remainder.
g. Rcsnired, therefore, tina, the Ordinance and
laws of the State of South Carolina, lately estsb
lished. are wholly inadmisslble- directly IN con
1ict with the principles which rational people
ght to cherish--snd leading 10 anarchy and de
,ructon AS portion Of the people feel II
our duty 10 rcprobatc them We dcplore that
they have been resortcd to and We trust that the
majority in that State win retlocc their steps, and
confdc in the justice Of sovereign people, who
ifthey err at all never err by design; and who,
it is hoped will soon redress the grievances, of
which it is believed the people of the Southern
States have too much reason to complain.
| 7. R,Soired, Thnt in our opinion, the principles
declared by the President IN his Message TO the
last Congress, are those on which the general 90
vernmcnt ought to act und that the laws arc suili-
cianty strong to execute themselves, and will ST.
lently correct the into which South Carolina
has fallen. We dcprecatc the resort to force, and
would be unwilling to see It used, unless absolutely
necessary to hold in check the dominant party in
South Carolina but concur with the President
in the declaration ath buted to him " that the Union
mua be preserve1'-and with his Proclamation,
that the laws mus, be executed
+ The foregoing resolutions, being seconded by
William M. Waller, Esq. Mr., Claiborne supper
ted them nj length.
Nh Joseph x. Irving then presented the follow
ns resolutions substitute for those offered by
Mr. Claiborne
i l Resolred, That we cherish deep attachment
to the Union of these States and We would derre-
cate and depiore any thing that might tend to its
dissolution
2. Rcsolued, That the Constitution Of the Uni
ted States is compact between sovereign and indie
pende"t States, and that, in of palpable, de
liberate and dangerous violation of the compact
the States who are parties Thereto, have the right
and are in duty bound, to interpose for ares,ins
5 the evil within their respective limits.
3. Rcsoired, That the States, in accepting thu
constitution, have not surrendered their sovereign
ty, and that when any State shall deem onge
continuance in the Union Incompatible with thu
safety and happiness Of the people, such State an