Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1833-05-03
Richmond, Friday, May 3.
STATE RIGHTS.

STATE RIGHTS.
Ever since could form an opinion upon nol;-
ties we have believed that the general tendency of
this government has been towards consolidation
We have seen centripeta powers prove i'm most ca
ses too strong for the centrifugal Power tends to-
wards the centre-and unless the States and tbe
People should all their vigilance and enerov i'm
counteractng it, may length arrive at an over
wheiming, splendid, national governments which il
has been the object of some Of politicians to ac-
complish. In some few cases. the tendency has
been in the other drection-for there have moi beep
wanting discontinued and ambitious men, who have
attempted TO deny TO the Federal Government what
Mr. Jefferson called its constitutional vigour-Let
us rapidly sketch these several lnoupenieuis
The Bank of the U. States was the first great en-
croachmcnt that was made upon the Rights of the
States. In vain did Madison raise his voice agninst
IL IN Congress-in vain did Jefferson protest against
it in the Cabinet of Gen. Washnpton-In vain did
they demonstrate, that there was nothing i'm the let
ter or the spirit of the Constitutions to Justify lis es
tnblishnen-tlat 1t was neither among the specified
ehaS, nor was IT among the necessary and proper
means TO carry into execution any of the given now
ers. The first Bank was established ho,yeyer-nnd
" many an error, by the same example has rushed
INTO the State" In the same manner we saw n ma
onal University proposed to he erected during the
hrst admnstra'ion-under the highest sanction
which was ever known to our country
The next Administration was marked Inv more
Migrant usurpations. The Alien and Sedition Laws
were passed. The Rights of the Alien were left at
the mercy OF one Executive Magistrate. And the
/
Rights was outrageously invaded, in defiance Of the
strict letter of the Constitution
III was then that the conservative principle of
peaceahie and constitutional State Interposton was
tried by virginia and Kentucky. And those cele-
brated Resolutions passed i'm '9S-'9o and thar
measurable Report adopted, by the former i'm
99-lSOO, which effected the greatest Civil Revolu
ton ever known in orr Annals. The 4th Virginia
Resolution declares:
THAT the General Assembly doth also express its deem
regret tha spirit has in sundry instances
Gu oy e Federal Government 10 enlarge its powers by
forced constructions othe Constitutional charter which de
nes them and that indications have appeared of design
10 eXpound certain general phrases (Which having been
pied from the very limited grant of in the former
cles of confederation were the less liable TO he
e so as TO destroy the meaning effect of the
enumeration which necessarily explains limits the pc
herai phrases; and so as 10 consolidate the State bv de
grees into one sovereignty the obvious tendency and In
evi,aole result OF which would be, transform the pre-
sent republican system of the United States into an abso
lutte, or at best mixed monarchy
The phrases to which the Resolution refers are
common defence and general toeLfdre."-The Repot.
IN reiteraung and confirming this Resolution pro-
duces the following remarkable proofs:
THAT notwithstanding this remarkable security aqains,
ns-cohs"ucuon, design has been indicated to expound
these phrases in the Constitution SO as TO DESTROY the eli
feet OF the particular enumeration of powers bv which !,
explains and limits them, fallen under the OH
serVaton oil those who attended TO the course of
nc Not to multiply proofs this subject 1t
WIN suilce TO refer TO the Debates of the Federal egs
rature In which arguments have on different occasons
oeen drawn with apparent effect from these phrases in
"To these indications might he olIod ,,;,,,., :,
sr'her the official report manufactures by the late
oi me treasury made the 9th OF Decen,-
per- l'9i ami the report OF committee of Congress in
January, 1884, on the promotion OF Agriculture In tho
rSt oil these II is expressly conended TO belong sto the
" discretion oil the National Legislature 10
" the objects which the general treI1re and r
winch, under that description an appropriation of mo-
hey requisite and proper And there TO be no
" room for doubt, that whatever concern the oena
" raj Interests OF LEARNING, of AGR1cULTURe q,
MANUFAcTUREs, and OF COMMERCE, are within the
sphere OF The National Councils as far regards an
= PP"cd"o" 81 money The latter report assumes the
same latitude oil power III the National Councils and an
PheS II 10 me encouragement OF Agriculture. by means of
society 10 be established the seat of governm.n,
Although neither OF these reports may have received tho
sanction OF law Carrying ii into effect vet ON the Other
h'hu' me extraordinary doctrine contained in both has
pissed "ihout The slightest positive mark of disapproba
uon from the authority to which it was addressed
But the calm appeal Of Virginia succeeded-Mr.
ADAMS ana ms party were turned out-and Mr.
Jefferson was elected. His administration presents
fewer cases of encroachment upon the Constitution
man any other-and the action of some of the Eas
tern States on the Embargo ia the only sountn,r n,
an opposition to 'the constitutional vioorn of The
laws. 9'' u ''o
The administration of Mr. Madison uresen,od roo
attempts to shackle the Federal authoritv-ond CO
Verai to enlarge its jurisdiction The first was in
.ne case OF RIttenhouse's heirs-but the Federal
Marshall finally triumphed over the ar1uv of G,,,,
troops Of the State of Pennsylvania. TIe a,tar1n,
10 deny to the General Government the use of thn
mlhia In period of war-and still more the pro
cGeungs OF the Hartford Convention are Deculiarlv
obnoxious TO the criticism of every friend of the
Ohion. Dut peace came-and arrested these trans
acuons On the other hand, we have to Lament tLe
ground taken by Mr. Madison as to the Bank of the
Us. According to his Message the Bank was IN
DE considered as constitutional, because had been
sanctioned by all the Departments of the Govern.
men-a rule of construction, which vould Loyo
equally justified the Sedton net or indeed on,,
other usurpaton, however eXorl,itant Brt II ,vns
under the same administration that new strides were
made for extending the Federal authority A nov
Bank was established with capita of AZ millions.
and this bill was signed by Mr.. Madison But thanks
10 his pen, on the other hand for the veto with which
ne arrested grand system of Internal
we owe the attempt to establish that measure IN
the genus oil Mr. Calhoun. He had gained much
credlt, during the warwhich he abused i'm the frst
moments of peace He came forth the ultra Fede-
ralIs lie stigmased State Rights as "stufn-nnd
declared on one memorable OCCASION that hut for
/ them, we should rise to the rank of n prent Fnnre
lie advocated the establishment of the Bank He
Drought forward his great Bonus Bill for establishing
TIE system of Internal Improvement which Mr.
haclson vetoed, only two DAYS before his admins
traton expired. He was the great father of The ia
ri bill OF 1916, and supported it on account of ts
protective principle.
/ During the next Administration the Plot tbiclens
/ upon us. MIR. Monroe's celebrated Memoir TO Con
gress takes the broad ground, that they may appro.
pirate money to Internal Improvement The fin
ger OF Mr.. Calhoun is to be seen upon that paper
appropriations were made for this object. We saw
also other blows eveled by Congress at the Rights
OF lhe states We saw the Judiciary of the United
gfan