Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1833-02-18

against the = eoniederacy' was that it could only
| us powers through the agency of the Stnic
governments, who yielded or withheld their aid al
win and Pleasure without any authority TO coeree
mem, ana tins was a material evil to be remedled
ny the application Of the powers Of the government
''fee. y unon MS citizens. Letus hear the tcstmo.
! yot Mt Madison, who is the anthor of the nrgu.
! meh' under review. fio says Experience is
the oracle oftrnlh and when its responses are un.
cqnyoenl, they ought TO be exclusive and sacred
The important ruth which 1t uneauivocally pro.
nominees IN the present case, u.s. that n sorereignfy
over "ttfctgAS, government over governments,
1t legislation for communities as contra distin-
Suished nom Individuals IT Is sGelisM in tfeo-
~ so III practice II Is subvcIsive of the order and
ends ofcv policy by substituting rio2eHae IN place
otiar, or sho destructive coerciaa of the Neord in
place of the mild aud salulaiy coefeion of tho
megiatdcg = tFederalis page lf0) | will add
the testimony 81 Mr. Hamilton upon this point IL.
sad : tha' We are IN earnest about giving the
] nhlon faffeg and dhfaf'ea, we must abandon the
vain object tiegslatms upon the States in their
collective capacities We must extend the laws Of
the federal government to the individual citizens o
Ameriea.'-i might enlarge the vidences but thrsf
are suthc'cnl toBhow that the gfoat object of the
constitution WIS Ia transfer Incorporation uf the laws
Inttheiederal government, from the States in their col
'ocli'e capacities directly 10 the people .hc consti
tuition framed by q convention Of dclco,tnq
by the people ITS preamble declares it 10 la
the act OF the people of the United States using
this language; - We the people Of the United
Niafesi IA order 10 form mbre perfect union, Ne
The powers of the constitution directly olt unoa
he PsePtc, without regard the State authorities
aud II was finally ratified bv ,le psople Of the States
not through theit regunr STATE Authorizes bol
through conventions assembled for TINT purnose.
The distinctive features of a convention md 10Y
eminent must occur to the nind OF the feaoct A
C0Hue1RioH is al organ Of the people the supreme
source OF power, through which they form govern
menls, and dehn a,e 4 define their powers; II gap.
slnmeHt is the orcen through which the fondarnon.
ta law powers OF government are carried into ex
cculoa. At the time of the ratification Of the con.
veal an, every Soe had its government IN full op.
era ION, IA Which was centred It's powers aud yet
the ratification of the constitution was 10y conven-
tlons aud mol by thase State Governments; because
the stat Governments had not the power to net up
ont Il may here be#enqnred e4l, he ratification
IF TIN constitution WIS mot Submit TO Il general
convention. bs referred to separate conventions
! in the several States rhe answer IS Obvious
While the people Of the Stat, 3 were thus ongngfd
IN the important work II organizing IounI 10y
crnmeni md csicnatin, the taoe.crs Of tl,nt row
crnmrn' lhrg intended 10 glard aontnsl a Consol-
idated Republic, aud distinctly ayowcd die existence
Of the States as separate and independent soyet-
egnt,s ia relation Ia lheir res. rvcA powers. In
confirmation of this view ref.l TO the constitution
itsrlf in which it " i'll be seen lhat jicre is no d.
, rect recognition Of the separate aud Independent
cyIs'ence OF the states, except IN the net of lnu
hcAion IN the Senate, and this Was tn result o
! concession and connramjsc agnin edduce the
estlponv OF Mt. Madison On the Tod fast, page
3i6 } The e1uutYnf iopre ant, tom II another
point, which being eyleni.y the le,I.. u compro
mise between HE opposite professions of The large
and SINAI, states does not ca! far much DISCUSSION
/ IT, indeed il be richi that among people tho
! roughly Incorporated INTO one natior every district
ought 10 have n pr oortipotgi share the govern
nlents, and that among independent, aud sovereign
States bound together by 4 simple league. the par.
/ ties however UNEQUAL in SIZE on ,it 10 have an
equal share IN the common councils il docs not ap.
pear 10 be without SOM reason, lhat ~ Il p9and
rcpabiic. parlak ny both Of the national and Ied
eydt Character the Government ought to be founded
on MIXTURE of the princiules of proporiiondl and
cquat representation But ii Is supcrhaous to try,
by the standard Of theory, part of the constitution
winch is allowed on all hands 10 be the result MOI
# theory but OF a spirit OF anxiety and Tia, naturrI
Difference and concession which the peenitariiy II
our poijti>at Situai5n tc1dcfed ind,speasitic. A
common government, wjH pe,rers cgaalfo as Oh
JceiS Is called for by the q still more loudly by
/ the political situation Of America. A government
founded on principles more consonnni To the wishes
If the larger States is not likely to be obtained from
the smaller ones Thu only option, then, for the
former lies between the proposed government, AMI
a government still more objectionable. Under tins
alternative, the advice oiprudcnec must bc to en-
brace the lesser evil "A gnIn he says In tins
spirit il may be remarked, tia, the equal vote al
lowed 10 each is at once constitutional recogni-
zance ofthe portio1s Of sovereignty remaining. the
individual states and an ,nStracnt for preserving