Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1833-01-17
Virginia Legislature.
FEDERAL RELATIONs-fContinueAJ

OetJceeh me CflteO STATES utd South Carolina.
Wednesday, the ID January.
Mr. SvART OF Augusta, said that If in rising address
the Committee, at this late stage OF the debate any
apology wanting il would be found in the peculiar
situation in which he placed. Alarge and respecta
bic meeting, without distinction OF parties had been
held in The county which he had the honor in p,rt
TO represent, approving OF the principles contained in the
Proclamation of the President-and nsructng their re
personalities TO their bes, cneovor procure
cooperation OF the Legislature OF Virginia carrying il
into effect He therefore moved the adoption of the toll
lowing resolution amendmento the Substitute Of
isred by the gentleman from Fauquier:
ReS0ived by the General .dssembiy of Virginia That
the late Proclamation OF the President OF the U. States
firm, temperate and eloquent appeal to the friends
Union and liberty, setting forth at proper though crit-
cal period, hiS unavoidable and constitutional obligations
TO enforce the laws OF the u States should the proper
authorities of the General Government fail by measures
OF concaon and peace to arrest the acknowledged evil.
ITS execution that we prepared sustain the Presi
dent 10 the extent OF aud influence, in this
IMPERATIVE alternative 20 Ic doctrine OF s Carolina, which
D'union, aud premature surrender OF Federal
Compact aud
If from this resolution you strike out the words by the
General Assembly of Virginia. and insert before the word
means the word "limited you will have one of the re-
solutions passed by my constituents at tho meeting al
ludcd 10.
lie trusted that the resolution he now offered would
not be treated with less respect because it
uactured in this House. but tic hands of the
ploughmen and mechanics OF the country-men having
no objects OF ambition TO crafty and solely DESTROYS OF
living IN peace, aud seeing the government well admins
tered Nor should be thought that he was in wing
hesc Instructions performing task which his consCi-
ence or his Judgment disapproved. The opinions expre
cd in those resolutions he had declared his friends i'm
Ibis House, long he heard the result of tina, meeting
III he et reluctance IN offering this propositions pro-
ceeded from consciousness of his Inability TO do Justice
to the subject And in Offering resolution different
in It's character from those which had previously been
submitted he hoped il would be thought lac INDUCED
no feelings OF sympathy for South Carolina. He syinpa
thised with her people, driven by the Of
deInagogues to the verge which she stood And when
the storm OF passion had subsidized and the still small
voice OF reason should again be heard he would sympa-
thze even with the authors of these evilsproscrhed as
tley VIII be from Their country confidence. and
signed to an infamous celebrity And when South Caro-
lima shall appear in the field with her star and her
one slpc, torn from her countrys banner 10
her head-he should sympathze with her matrons and
her virgins, and the babe in its cradle exposed to all the
horrors OF servie insure cton-when each county in
her commonwealth might be doomed to witness all the
horrors exhibited in the Southampton tragedy
But in this crisis, no half way be adopt
ed Either we areJoT the principles the Proclamation or
we are against them. Law anarchy are the alterna
uveS No one was warmer admrer than himself of the
Report OF the Virginia Legislature in I709 and if the
principles contained III the proclamation contravened any
oil the doctrines there asserted, he would not the CO.
operation OF Virginia this occasion So far however
from abandoning any principle in giving support the
proclamation he believed that the principles contained in
the report of 90 expressly admitted in three diffe
rent paragraphs on the face OF the proclamation itself II
he understood Alright the great principle asserted in the
report OF 80 it this that where law was passed by
the General Government papably unconstitutional or too
oppressive to he endured the right OF resistance was mo-
rally justifiable Mr.. s. prove his position read the
following extracts from the following FROM the
proclamation:
'The ordinance founded on the indefeasble right of
resisting acts which plainly unconstitutional aud too
oppressive to be endured but the strange position that
any State may not only declare act of Congress
void, hut prohibit its execution"
secession, like any other revolutionary act may be
morally justified by the extremity OF oppression"
Look back TO the arts which have broght YOU 10 this
stateook forward TO the consequences TO which must
inevitably lead! Look back What first told YOU as
duinducement enter into this dangerous course The
great political truth repeated 10 vou Tint YOU had tbe
revolutionary right OF resisting all laws that we're papa
bly, unconstitutional and intolcrably oppressive"
4 4 ,l. a.
g"'ge ch"do"r VIII compel MS % acknowledge that there
Is nohiag The ace Of the Procama, ion cnn.raveunc
pe decdv"ons ia the &C ebra'ed rcpori OF 81. What
OF er lJrc ION Is Tier" then TO the principle deve Oped by
tho Proc'amaiont II has been urged as an obie cijon
that IT denies that he federal compact formed by The
States ia Their corporate capacity and asserts hat il was
otmcdiy ite people. That this position is me is evil
dent from lie puisded he adoption Of ,la, com
pact Sovereign SHtct have he power OF making trca-
ties. IL is essential attribute sover,sntyaud #
our conPac made by SAFES their cor crate c.
pary would have been unnecessary ohave TO
ne people OF ie states Ter their sanction OF Ie
iowJhen va deemed necessary TO call Of
the people OF every State, for HE purpo obtaining
their concurrence in the measure II any other gp-
men were wanting 10 convince of the correc ness of
in the preamble OF the constitution itself decl4ng il 10 be
the act OF the people ~ the United States. II il he mere
compact bewcch the >tacs, soyeregns, why cUnound
I terms aud cal, IL a constitution
II them This I've government formed by the people and
II the cama'ion admits the moral right OF secession in
cases oi paPhhle niacons OF lie constitution, aud where
the acts OF The General Government rievous 10 be
borne let inquire whether South Carolina ius,d in
the course she has taken this the Tariff
law uncousitntio al i il too gevous be borne And
il So bad Sonth Carolina any at the po-
Icy would be Pctmanfni As for related the 40.
stract quesOn how far the terms OF the constitution give
Congress he power he should attempt debate Tic
Truly lucid argument furnished by Mr. Madison shewinp
that u II he not vested In The General GOyernmt Mt il
lists no where, is familiar to the members this House
VI would be presumption IN Mr. s. TO endcavouT To add
force TO what thar great had ssid would
eudeavour to shrw by reference varieiy oi acts al
most Oeval With tie existence
ind pendent OF the which hsd been referred TO by hi,
friend from ROckbrdge, thar the power seemed TO be al
med Oh al hands TO have been conceded to the General
Government.
In the year $780, Congress upon the representation oil
the Legislature Of MassNbusetts granted bounty upou
the expectation OF fish. This bounty subsequently in.
creased, and continues 10 be the law Of the land 10 .
day. Again; is the building and navigation Of vessels in
The interior Of our country and coast an object
domestic industry Congress has given TO our build.
ere an entire monopoly Of uat business What tic
effect OF this grant by the abstraction o all foreign COM
petition, the price Of freight would necessarily rise and
the planter who sent his cotton to the northern market
and received his goods in exchange consequently paid
the amount Of this enhanced price.
Again IT he was not mistaken, VIC have a navigation
law, prohibiting the ships Of foreign nations from bringing
TO our markets any article the growth or nanufc
OF the country under whose flag the ship salts in which
IS brought. Does this destroy competitions And i
not designed for hc protection Of don,csic industry p
lie would then make this solemn appeal % tie Commit
tee. Could 1t be believed HAT Washington, who ha,
acted as President OF the Convention and who wa,
President Of the United States at the time these oct,
were passedtlat Madison, Of the fathers e thc
/ Convention, who had fresh from the debate or
the adoption Of ho ConsdtuGon-coud have so far for
gotten the obligations Of their osths, or far misun