Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1833-02-07

that capacity, and under that belief, Virginia
proceeded TO form government for her
self, anterior 10 the Declaration Of Indepen
dence, and existed, until three years ago,
under the Constitution aud form Of Govern.
meat then established, when the sovereign
people assembled in e Convention, and amend
ed that Constitution, which now remains
the monument Of their sovereignty ba
sis Of their fundamental laws.
How, then, is 1t possible for Virginia, to
have received grant of her reserved rights
from the Constitution of the United states,
could receive as a grant, their reserved rights
rs difficult to comprehend, but not less SO,
Than that a'soyereign State can commit trca
son! As early as the 18th June, l776, this
State declared, that "whenever any govern
ment shall be found inadequate 70 the par
poses reproducing the greatest degree Of hap
plness, a majority of the people, hath ansie
dcfeasi5le ri sht o'retorm, alter or abof h it,
in such manner as shall he judged most con /.
'dusive 10 tire public veal" Virginia has
very lately reformed and altered her Govern
ment, and still claims the "indubtabie, una
lienable and in,'cfes bile right 10 abolish il"
whenever the ma Jrlty Of her citizens may
think proper to do so: 10 reform, alter and "a
tolish form Of G ,yernment, are the highest
cree
We have also on our statue book, a law
pointing ont the mode by which a citizen
may expati ate himself and until he avails
himself, OF tbs provisions OF this act, in dives
ting himself of his citizenship, or renounces
ii by becoming citizen OF another State of
this union, or the subject OF some foreign
prince, he is, wherever he may be, citizen
of Virginia, aud to her his allegiance is due
The constitution or compact which untes
these States, among other specified powers,
has given 70 congress the right "to establish
an u0ifJrm mode Of naturaliz alton and no
more, because more was not necessary as
the United States had no citizens on whom
4 could operate, yet ii was dee rableIthat /
formIty on this subject should exist throash
eutthe confederacy, as the constitution pro
vides that "the ctiZons oieach State shall be
entitled TO all the privileges and imnuniiies
OF citizens of the several States" and by
virtue OF this provision, foreigner. who has
been .naturalized and takel the oath of allie
glanceto any one Of these States, may, at
anytime, under this constitutional provision,
transfer his allegiance to another State.
The United States then, being only the
Union OF certain interests of these sovereign
States, intended by them to be used ior their
benefit, by agents appointed Try themselves,
could not have citizens, since the fact III its
existence is the act Of the citizens of the sew
eral States, though al an early period, that
government made an effort TO legislate over
the persons of the sltizens of the States, 10y
the passage Of the alien and sediion acts.
which passed both Houses OF Congress, and
was approved by the President. These acts
met with unqualified resistance on the part
OF several States, and by none with more
decision than Virginia, on whose statue book
law now stands, the written evidence OF
her protecting sovereignty, and the perpetn
al monument of its peaceful conservative
and triumphant InterposItion: Yet the Pre-
sident has given US too clearly to misunder
stand, that when an act has passed both
Houses OF Congress, and has been approved
by him, its constituionality cannot be ques
toned ,,and from his decision, it would seem
there is allowed no appeal, bat to humble
entreaty, and unaya,lIng remoDstrance.
This govern ment, ifit possess the powers
thus claimed for it, is wholly without check
unlimited 10 its sway, and houndless in its
power. Surely this cannot be the practical
effect Of government, which our fathers es
tablished, to secure to their children the rich
heritage of liberty, IL it he, the system has
been misunderstood
We find no relief from the prevailing a
iarms for the safety of our institutions, when
we behold the federal executive, upon a pa
tient review of all those claims to power,
disregarding the sovereignty of the States.
and insisting upon executing an-act Of con-
gress, which has been declared unconstitu
tional, by the only tribunal on earth, which
is admitted to have authority to judge Of its
validity,
In recent message to congress, the pre-
sdent has desired that body 10 put at his
disposal the whole army, navy, and militia
force OF the coniederacy, to be used at his
pleasure, with authority to remove or abolish
the custom houses within sovereign state,
whenever and whatsoever he may think pro-
per- and requires the enactment of laws in
relation to the collection of duties in that
state to be made in cash, if he may deem il
necessary, which cannot be considered in
conformity with that clause of the coDstitu-
ton, which declares "all duties. imports,
and excuses, shall be uniformed throughout
the U. States"
We are not deceived-for we cannot mis-
understand the object of those warlike recon-
mendatons. The doctrine lately promulga-
ted denv any sovereignty to the State; and
State ri 5hts, it would seem, in the opinion
of the President, are held as grants from the
Federal Constitution. The difficulties which
State Sovereignty and State Rights might in-
terpose, being in this summary me thod dis
posed Of, the field is open to the array of