Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1833-02-18
CONCENTRATIONS.
TIE, CRiSiS-Nn 3


The people Of the United States viii no, have faf-
gotten That the Il solutions anl Report Of l1aS--9
erre pro lnrei by tn eel l,ted Alien and Sedliion
laws enacted during tie administration If the elder
Aian> add that tho epoosition arose from he flc'
lh4t taoy grew out o. al exercise ofpower b. The
ftiarsl c0vernm NJ uaWpuanted by the constit Il
ton. This fact must De kept in view, in urdar to
appter NE III. IN ,.ness Of the GROUND which hive
assured haze alleged thatihe controversy BE-
tween the Old Federal and Republican parties was
ba% n la;,uiIu "1s construction Of the constiin
ton the one hand, and limited construction on
tn otter and that hose were the Prinriptl points
ofdisep5so8l1 the Report Of 93-99 The third
res 'l'tton en.belc d tas subject an 'eads rs fol-
Low. rhtt thi+ Assembly doth explicitly and
pasantorily '-lire that 1t views the powers Of
the fed3r, government rs resulting from the com
pact, to which The States are parties is LIMITED
b. the plain sense an intention of the Instrument
Constituting thai compact, & rs 10 father valid than
Thy ate authorized by thu grants enumerated ID
tiNconpact' &c. In .h5 resolution, tn General
Assembly expressly ayow the loctriae Of limited
construction ri the constitution. Let Us now cx
anime to what &C, Of the gaerll government this
principle intended to b anp'ird aud whether
1t was directed against any act which the sscmhy
believed was an enlargement of the pWcrs Of the
constitution. THIS question Will be aetfrnined by
reference to the fifth resolution, which reads thus
That the General Assembly doth particularly
protest sg,inst the pa'tatle aud alarming intr8c
tons of the constitution. IN the lHo late of the
A lien ana Selition laws passed at thu last Session
OF Gongress the first Of which exercises power no
where delegated 10 the general government" &c.
The fourth resolution is as follows. . That the
q neral Assembly DOH also express its deep re-
grai, that spirit has, in sundry instances, been
manifested by ha federal government, TO enlarge
its powers by farccd ilictnns of the constltu-
tional charter, which d fines Them DC. These
extracts from the resolutions show couc'usivcy
what was the real character Of the controversy.
Several States having denounced the doctrines Of
these resolutions, the report was enied 10 sus-
tain those doctrines, and to answer the objections
made 10 them. A fsw extracts from the argum ,nts
OF the report will sustain the view which | nave
taken; II says: I" If the powers granted ba val
II, 1t is so'ely b'capse they A.. yrlnte and, Il
the grated powers are valid because granted all
other powers not granted must net be ra}id."
A ,ain: II. u neral Assembly having declared
taeir opinion, merely b. resrep:n. in general
terms, that forced constructions for enlarglbg the
federal powers have tuleu place i does appear
,o the conni;tec necessary to ~ into a specifea-
ton of every instance To- which th' resolution may
alludc," sc. The Alien and Sadition acts and the
Eank law were then referred to rs indicating this
disposition To enlarge the federal powers and then
resulting from forced construction and calculated
TO enlarge the powers Of the federal government
as the conmittec cannot but conceive to be the
case, sufficiently warrant this part ofthe rcsoiu-
ton" Sc.
Again--" That notwithstanding this ren1arka-
BILE security against miSronstruction, des On has
been indicated to expound these phrases in the con-
stution, to deStroy the effect of the pa1li14-
lar enumeration Of powers by which it explains
and limits them must have fallen under the obser.
walton OF those who have attended to the course Of
public transactions" The phrase in the constitti-
ton to which the above remark is applied is this
The congress shall have power 10 lay and col
iect taxes, duties, imposts, and excuses pay the
debts and provide for the common defemtc and gen
erat weyare the United States" These ex-
tracts suffice to shew, without the aid of argument,
that the true character ofthe qucstiol before the
Legislature was as | have stated il to have been.
have also asserted (as matter of opinion GER
talny) that the Report and Resolutions did not
contain the avowal of the right Of Secession, at
pleasure, by the States. will again quote from the
RESOLUTIONS and Report the avowal Of the princ-
pies OF State interposltion, which it contains
The third resolution, after avowing the principles
OF the construction Of the powers of the federl 60
yernment, airms the ground Of State intcrpoSitior
as follows; And that, in case ola deliberate,
pafpabte and dangerous exercise of other powers,
not granted by the said compact, the States who
arepar'les thereto, have the right, and in duty