Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1833-02-09

write a book'-If had an enemy NJ Chairn wou1
should not wish to inic him severer punishment ho
were r patriot than to read this book.
The miserable subjects OF the Russian Auocrat have
rights The Turk-the oppressed Irishman has rights
nay SIR the very worm which craws beneath our feet
even the worm win turn when you tread ON isnd shalt
we who admit that the States them
TO the rank OF subjects ard Leave rights TO be assert
ed only by revolution Shall we hold our liberties ne ,
gained them only by the sword-or will we claim them nm
nerour constitutions! IL is so, sir have lived long too
know it, r. ~
The principles contained In the resolutions of os are
an tha think necessary maintain the rights of tho
states as parties TO the federal compact This air Is the
only question.hds State the right Judge of piola.
mons 81 me Federal Constellation anu case If the
states do not possess this right, then the Federal Go.
venment In one or other of It's departments has the sole
and absolute right interpret the charter of its own now
ers--and that government is unlimited except nv Its
own discretion. History will tell Won how s,ch
non mas been always abused! Constitutions the re-
n''oi modern improvement in government They are de
signed to mark with precision the boundaries the
rights oil those who create them and the powers Of the
government created ls the boast free institutions
that the hunbest citizen may YOUR oo ,rorro,f
when he considers himself oppressed-and may not So
vereign State Like all written verbal compacts con-
stitutons must be interpreted and the parties have
agreed on no common arber must for him
sell III The Federal Government has the sole and exclu
Ign' 10 1ndge oil MS own powers and the objects to-
which they shall be applied what have The ci
xehs o. some OF these States for their liberties, Concede
TINS ground and you surrender ALL Suppose Mr. CHAIR
man. (what in the progress Of time NAV not he an mnos
soe eyent that the majority in Congress upon this priD
cPe OF unlimited dominion, SHALL after sinking the Sates
to the level OF ahect submissions undertake 10 change tic
ons OF the government and establish an elective orhered
ary monarchy the ruins OF this Confederated Ren,h
to create House of Peers-and to provide for hem
selves and their poserity garters and all the
ering paraphernala royal court 6Cr ra.,Io> might
petition and demonstrate against this true-thev might
insist that was against the and ouo,e kol@
to prove that they had right TO implore bn, bre
we not told that Congress and the Supreme Court and ii w
Federal Executive have the sole RIGHT 10 ndos ot Iau
ar now soon does man feel power forget rghtP'
we have seen that this principle of encroachment ana
usuaon has overturned oil soon or late ans
hence the frequent revelations which have occurred and
restrained by constitutions.
In what do gentlemen differ Mr. ChslrinanS DO nos
all admit that there may lie extreme and papabJs
violations oil The Consii uion, which would require the
states 10 lnerpose in their own re
non! nave never seen man Who denied this right il
me case was such as In his estimation occasion or
us exercise ms sir, is all that the principles Of '9
claim when such violations OF the compact do occur is
the states are TO protect themselves, they not the Fee
deral Government, must judge for themselves You n,a
can TINS right OF sepreservaon in State revolution or
Bleie 70" Iv HUB te UotIjus 10 5. mar i,
right OF resisting oppressive aud unconstitutional legsla-
ton, when eXe'ted 10y State, is very different from the
right OF revolutions as It is termed That, sir no ght az
all Every citizen or subject may bel, he sue
ceeds, is revolution. Nat Turner had this rgh- be-
longs to every slave hat is no right whch depends or
the will OF ano her. Force indeed may sometimes pre-.
vent the zercise o. righIbut Incompatible rights can
not exist by compact.
The means by which State may counterval the IN.
constitutional measures OF the Federal Government and
protect itself, must depend the occasion Very mild
measures We're sufficient in 1888, 10 prOcre repeal
the alien and sedtion laws. But sir willie do moi think
that we should commit the State any particular remedy
al this time, indicate no necessity for
resornS 10 IL, am unwilling THAT such construction
shall he given TO the proceedings OF Virginia 9S rs to-
destroy all the reserved rights Of the States the righe
10 ''inteTp0Se which then asserted only nermits
State demonstrate how utterly futile must such reme-
dy always be? The American Colonies demonstrated hut
their wrongs were not redressed Can Won neserva
liberties by protestngl Sir this all which was claim
ed in 1898, all which the States do then is this
Union, not rope OF sand hear it termed but arp
iron bandage on our necks.
has been said that the nterposion contemplated no
the resolutions OF f79S required the concurrence of tho
States, before it could be etecua How can il be ex~
pected that all the States will intepoSe to countoract
law for which majority Of those States must have voted
10 the Senate, il not also in the House of
he doctrine OF State Rights is indeed idle farce,
the pnanimity OF twenyi States he Necessary TO
effect The doctrine Of South Carolina insists on con-
curence of three iourths of the States in Convention to-
re-aiirm the power which may be questioned But SIR
is one of the fsllacies Of that doctrines think that the
sovereign rights of State of which each State claims to-
be the sole judge in tile last resor) should be committed
; to the keeping Of three-fourhs. This number may
amend, grant powers; but when State inferno
against unconstitutional act Of the Federal Govern
ment, il is not question of amendment-but whether
the Constitution it is authorizes the complained Of
The gentleman from Petersburg referred 10 an act
ed by the Virginia Assembly in 1898, protect its mem
bers by the writ Of Habeas Corpus against the sedop
laws This act is am Illustration Of their purpose furnished
by the authors of the resolutions Of that period 1t carried
out the principles of those resolutions into practice did,
e "inteTPOsc" Ii direct collision between the au-
thoHhes OF the State Legislature and Congress-True-
there collision of orcebu there might have BEEN
Suppose prosecution had been commenced against a
. member OF Assembly under the SediiiOn act, and
he had been arrested by the Marshall Of the United
Staes-snppOse him 10 have applied Cas- he was at,~
thoriZed TO do) TO State Judge for writ Of Habe-
as Corpus, and ii had been granted Now, Sir, the
sheriff could moi have executed that writ without coming
in direct collision with the Marshal and Thus The State
and Federal Officer in executing the respective laws must
have Tesoried TO force II has been said that the Act %
=, Assembly amounted TO NuhcstioR. Ia was he act of
State, claiming 10 jndge Of violations of the Federal Com
pact, and 10 enforce its decision al it's own peril but
Sir differed in every respect from the complicated
il cbnery Of the $. Carolina doctrine u bold and
open siand against oppression. defiance to tho au.
hors and abetors Of the Sedon act and bile was
given under the pretext Of any consu right of
the State to abogate law of Congress there was no an
peal to Convention OF the Siaes. II did suspend
# the sedion act, but by resisting it, demanded uncondi-
iona lepeal.
II a Safe Judge in any Of inraci'ons in the
Federal Competed must decide--and, deciding, must
have right to nainia its decision. IT establish,
therefore, The sovereignty q the States, and their right
Judge 10 such have done enough. he RENE
dy may be considered when here is occasion 10 srpy H.
81 II IL be misprOu Of treason in State 10 ex-
, ercise this right Of judging and condemnng the Of
j. Congress how often has Virginia been traitor? While
have dcavored to show that State sovereign, can
protect W reserved nghts against The tyranny Of tie
IS eal Government, admit that like al sovereign powers
r this is exercised at the peril Of the State II is equally
true that the other States which also sovereign may
N levy war on the States thusressng unconstitutional
MEASURE The abiier Of s0vcregns is the sword But
10 deny that competent for the Executive Of the United
10 States to make upon State any more lhao spon'
h, Canada Cuba. The power 'evying does
side in that drpa ent Of the Federal Government Much
OF the difficulty this subject TO arise from these
OF conf ing rights the State which may be driven n the
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