Daily Richmond Whig & public advertiser. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1833-1840, 1833-04-04

N
iederet'onj end the restrained energy of f.SsrsI
system.
ofths same character l. the objection. tia, ~.
Doctrine will be the source Of weakness. IN n
.ne only ssufcs of strength; without tsipg into
.ne esiimate tho operation Of moral csuses. such
would appear TO DO the fact; but IL wc take into an.
espmste the latter. you will find that tiross Cow.
eIrmen,s have the greatest strength in which pow
or has boon most efficient y Checked. IN. co.
ernmsnt Of Rome furnishes mer,e MA, ...nra.
ihere TWO independent and distinct powers sIistI
ed-uhs People acting by tribes in which <hs ola.
oeians prevailed. and by centuries in whic tis
tneian' ruled. The trbunes were the appropriate
representatives. Of the ono power, snttho Senate
OF the otner, each possessed of the authority of.
checking and overruling one another, not m ds.
partments OF the Government, a. supposed bv thu
Senator from Massachusetts, but a. independent,
powers-as much the State and General
Governments. A shallow observer would percsivc
IN such an organization. nothing but the perpetual
source OF anarchy, discord, and weakness; and.
yet experience has proved that il was the mo.t
powerful Government that ever existed; and res,
sen teaches that this power was derived from the
very circumstance which hasty reflection would
Consider the cause OF weakness. will venture
An assertion which may be considered extrays-
CANT, but In which history will fully bear mo ous
that We have no knowledge OF any Peopls ia
which power Of arres,ing the improper acts
oil tho Government, or what may 30 called the neg
f~"S VI ootcIuinotf was loo strong, except
Poland, where every freeman possessed n Veto but
even there, although 1t existed in SO extravapant
form, II was the source Of the highest and most
teity attachment to liberty, and the most heroic
that more than once saved Eu >.
rope from the domination Of the crescent and ciu,
etar. II IL worthy Of remark that the fate of Po-
land 70 not to be attributed so much 10 the e.e,,,
OF tnis negative power of itself, a. the facilitv
| whion u afforded to foreign influence in control
ing Its political Improvements.
| am not gufDrlsrd that nit ~.
| iect Government which the Senator from Mae,
| chuseus has formed, q Government Of an .bsolu,,
| majority, unchecked and unrsstrained. o,.y.,;n.
through representative body that he should be 90
hueh shockeS with what he is pleased to call tho
aosurdity oil State refo But let mo tell him. that
ms scheme OF perfect Governme nj, a, beaptif,I
rs nc conceves 1t TO be, though often tried h,. In
rariasy failed, and has Mays rum Whenever tr;.d
through the same uniform process Of faction, cor
iupuon, anarchy and despotsm. He considers
tho representative principle the great modern
Improvement IN legislation, and Of itself sufficient
10 secure liberty 1 cannot regard il in tho light
IN which he docs. Instead Of modern. IL /, Of "a.
mote origin, and has existed in greater or less per
Iecuon' 10 every free State from the remolest an.
tiquiiy. Nor de consider il as of itself sufei,rt
to secure liberty, thosgh Iregard it a. ora of tho
indispensable means-the means of securing the
cope against the tyranny and oppression Of their
rulers To secure liberty, another means is still
necessary, the means OF securing the different por-
" soSicy against the u1ustlCe and Opprcss-
ION OF each other, which only be effected by
pefo' interPostion or notification, by whatever
name the restraining or negative power Of Govern
ment may be called.
The Senator appears to be enamoured with his
conception Of n consolidated Cove rnment, and A.
vows himself to be prepared, seeking no lead, to
rush IN its defence TO the frUnt rank, where the
blows fall heaviest and thickest. I admire his gal
lantry and courage but will tell him that he will
hnd IN the opposite ranks. under the flag of liberty.
spirits as gallant as his own; and that experience
VIII teach him, that il is infinitely easier 10 carry
on the war OF legislative exaction BY bills and en-
| actments, than Ia eItort by swsrd and bayonet,
from the bravo and the free.
The bill which has passed tEis body, is intended
TO decide this great controversy between that view
oil our Government, entertained by the Senator
and those who act with him, and that supported
on our side. IL has merged the Tariff snd all
other questions connected with il, in the higher
and direct issue, which II presents between tho
Federal System OF Government ard Consolidation.
| consider the bill as far worsc aad more danger.
Gus TO liberty than the Tariff. Il has been most
lwantonly passed, when its avowed object no lsng.
or justified it. consider il as chains forged and
ht'cd TO the limbs Of the States. and hung up TO
| DO used when occasion may require. We told,
IN order to Justify the passage OF this fatal mea-
/ sufe, that II was necessary TO present the olive
branch with one hand and the sword with The
| other. We scorn the alternative. You have no
right 10 present The sword. The Constitution ne
yer put Tie instrument in your hands to be en-
PloTcd against State; and us TO the olive branch
whether We receive IL or not, will not depend on
your menace, but on own estimate Of what In
due 10 ourselves and the rest of the community,
in reference to the difficult subject, on which we
have taken issue.
The Senator from Massachusetts has struggled
hard To sustain his cause; but tho load was too
heavy for him to bear. l am not surprised at tho
ardor and zeal with which ho has entered into the
controversy. Itis great struggle between pow
or and liberty power on tho side Of the North,
and liberty on the side Of the South. But,
while l am not surprised at tho part which
| the Senator from Massac husetts has taken, must
express my Amusement at tho principles advanced
by the Senator from Georgia, nearest me, mir.
Forsyth had supposed II was impossible, that
one of his experience and sagscity should rot per-
cciye the new and dan gerous direction which this
controversy is about TO take. For tho first time,
we have heard an ominous reference to . provision
i in the Constitution, which have never known
to be before alluded 10 in discussion, OF in con.
ncxion with any of measures. refer TO
that provision in tho Constitution, in wties'
| the General Government GUARANTEES a repaolf-
can form of Government to tho Statcs-a power
which, hereafter, IL not rigidly restricted to the
objects intended by the Constitution IT. destined 10
he pretcIt TO interfere with eur political Affairs
and the domestic institutions, in manner inf.
nitely more dangerous than amp other power which
has ever been exercised the part Of the General
Government. 1 had supposed, that every South.
| on Senator al least would have been awake 10 tho
danger which menaces US from this new quarter;
and that no sentiment would be uttered, on their
part, calculated to countenance the exercise Of
this dangerous power. With these impressions, I
heard the Senator with amaIement, aIludinR 10
Carolina, as furnishing case which called for the
enforcement OF this guarantee. Does he not see
the hazard Of tho indefinite extension Of this dan
gcrous power7 There exists in every Southern.
State domestic institution, which would require
a far less bold construction 10 consider the Govern.
mont Of every State in thai quarter not to be Re-
publican; and, Of course, to demand, on tho part
Fof this Government, a suppression Of the insiiiu-
ton TO which alude, in ful6lment OF the guaran-
toe. l believe there r. no hostile feelings.
combined with political considerations, in any SOC
tion' connected with this delicate subject. But ID
requires no stretch Of the imagination to SEQ tho
/ danger which must ono day come, if not vgilani-
| ly watched. With the rapid strides with which
| this Government 10 advancing TO power, a time
will come, and that net far distant when petitions
will be received, from the quarter to which al
luds for protection; whom the faith Of the guaran-
toe will be q, least as applicable to that case az