Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1833-02-28

by the Getpsrdl Assembly earnestly 10 represent to tire
President the %ppoprety OF this COARSE. -. g..
He said, 1t he hadsatshed the committee that the dsn.
ger Of civil war was not 20 imminent asio forbid dAlIheiate
and cautious action on the subject, he. houSl ii tvnuld: be
regarded as a TIT occasion Tor. Virginia to OK Press her OPT
mons without reserve upon al Ne' topics involved in the
controversy. He said he had MOI heretofore been i'm favor
Of the frequent assertion OF abstract doctrines on the part
Of the Legislature, aud thought The dignity and force ol
some great IundsmentSll truths hsd been Weakened by re-
petition on Ordinary occasions, without the adoption of any
Interior meaMTes for thriS establishment. But surely, II
ever there was a uu.e when the. viudicaiion Of the true
principles ol our gov eminent was important, that tine was
the present. ite trusted IN le"sep that the peace of the
country would be. maintained, aud lhatithc clouds which
were hovetlg around "a might soon be dispcrsc,i but rs
Il was not for human vision to penetrate tho thick veil Of
coming events, it was tho part OF wislsn 10 be prepared
Tr tue worst. Ehes onion WAC in dangcr-as all admit
teds AMI from the pcHQd oil tue tOImaiOTaot The Fe-
der1l Constitution, ting State Legishtutc Is had been loORs
ed TO as .sentinelS ON the wdtcl-toScrs Of liberty, to
sound the alarti TO .he people. Should that Assembly
prove failhlcss TO their trust. and the storm unhappiIy
burst upon the ldud, it was easy 10 conceive, tom the con.
sternatoirw hlch recent events had produced i'll that small
body, tho disndy and confusion which must pervade the
great nlss ok citizens who have no. means of consultation
nut through. their represe natives. 1t WAS n fearful thing
10 see the foundations OF government upluletE, and all the
elements OF social being thrown into wild coIninotiOn.
Thorc were passions at The bottom OF the. human heart,
which in times Of peace slumber so quietly ~that'their ex.
fStepee was not suspected, and Sy0e unto the people, who
oven IN: the glorious contest Tor freedom should incau-
%tously sMr up Ibis fatal sediment. Had France ia her
6rst aud MODEST struggle for liberty, had a 'chIrt 10 guide
her toolsteps and regulate her energies, instead Of lariish-
ing her maine with blood and terminating her wild and
itppetuous career ju. impotence and disgrace, she might
have bought iorth triumpldntly from the horrors OF revo-
luton those captivating principles which she long sought
with such ardcnt but iruiuess devotion. As yet, he said.
ell was calm and. tranquil AZ the surface of a summers
ten-and that WAS the time. for the representatives OF: the
people, whose opinions were but tue reflected voice OF
their constituents 10 agree upon the course The Common
Wealth should pursue under the expected emergency.
That was the time tOGX the and-tnarks-io prescribe tie
watch Ncrl and the signAl-so that when the tempest
shouid come VI come II must, we might meet it undis-
: mayed, aud follow With confidence as one united people.
the path OF duty and safety.
Aud what, he sid, were the principles which II was
Important to aYOY on this Orca>iOnp For hs o,vn rmrt
no wished TO sec presod'ed anew 20 the public m,ind,
IN order that they might make \ fresh aud vivid impress
zion, those great outlines OF our admirable system Of Gov.
eruineni,- which bad been 90 faithfully and beautifully
drawnin the Resolutions OF '9S, and the Report OF '99. Il
was iinportantto free the erigtfal Ext from those spurious
constructions and interpretations, which had been maIc
upon II, for the purpose Of cOuntcnaucing the assumption
OF unauthorized powers by the Federal Government, on
the one hand, and the llclDus interpo,iiion OF individual
states on'the' other. Tie Constitution OF the u. States,
the palladium OF our rights, our liberties, aud our happi.
ness, which, II fairly interpreted and administered, would
Emily attain the great ends for which it was formed. was
IN danger of violation, rs well from the .usurpition of
power by the Federal Government. ~ from A,teun,n,. On
the part of tire States TO withhold from that Government,
u Thu. exercise of powers clearly conferred on. it. The re.
teht Proclamation OF the Presidcnto the United States,
which seeks, IN the opinion OF many, too sedulously even
lor ne 'Suisnle oGleclo o. pre-cryingihe Union. 10 strength
Federal Government had rendered il the more
:FtmpOrtant 10 re-affinn the doctrines of 90. That Pm.
Sclstnstion seemed 10 hun to contain principles incom.
Paible with those that Virginia had long and strenuon,l,
'ilnaini AIMED; and, although they were not carried out into
PrscucaI application, there was reason TO fear, that unless
promptly disclaimcd, they might sink too deeply into the
Puhiic mind. The o'iectof every friend Of rational Iiber.
'ty was TO save the Umon; and in pursuing this noble prr-
pose, with undivided aim, il was reasonable to appreh.nd
that the people might not, in the arIour Of their pa
stHoiSm, examine with sufficient care, the means nv which
Il was to be accomplished. IL was his wish 10 preserve
the Union and, it the worst should come, he would cling
10 the last remnant ofit-but, as he did not vet deSpair 81
ts safety, and did not tlriuk the danger so imminent AS To
'cA'lfor the surrender OF a pat OF the system, in. order to
save the balance, he would still contend Tor the whole
'and enueayour to preserve it in its pure aud pristine pro.
Poriinnt instead oil rushing .pAluc-Stricken. into either
TextTme, he wished, if possible, to avoid all excitement or
alarm and ceolly consider the means not only of saving the
~OnInny hut OF saving the Constitution, and of saving il TN.
muutdted by notification on tile one hand, or consoida-
toW on 1he other. He haibeen' equally grieyed and sur
prised at the abstract doctrines of the reclamation "a, he
understood them. He would fain persuade himself still,
that the President had notiDtende4t TO asset, in their full
eSteot, the opinions which are deducible f,on thSt docu-
lnent: and when he rehcr;ed on the early devotion of
%. 1lsu"g W,',eu culZch' TO TIC pure principles OF Repuh'
"heanism, and the many recent proofs he had given OF his
respect tor Tho rights OF the States, lac was almost tempted
70 suspect, that some " cunning clerk" OF the Federal
school, entrusted, as Is usual, with the adjustment OF de-
Nits, had abused the confidence OF his superior. The Ere.
rdent was no., ana had never protested 10 be, a man of
6etaiis;--he was a man OF results-oi action-and his long
career OF usefulness had afforded a happy illustration of the
superior value Of such talent, over the Improbable, If not
.tuischievous acumeno Of The subtle and mciAphysicaI theo.
y'st' II wasremsrkablc, that wiltshire Objects of the Pro-
elAnatlon were unquosnouabiy cool, and the conclusions
generally correct, the supposlion and reasoning which led
,.to.them were highly erroneous, the premises embracing
dOe'fines most repugnant TO The true theory OF our go
%yernment, did not seem necessary in all cases, to the
cohclnAons:-as Tor Instance II was not necessary 10 deny
the sovereignty OF the States, in order to show that they
InaAhot a right al pleasure TO secede. Certain il was, that
tthe President INTENDED To pronulgate the doctrines v hich
.the argpIneptalive part OF his Proclamation seemed TO in
rove, the web was so cmiously and ingenionsly woven,
mat though there could not in the end be a doubt about its
meaning, yet there was not a man, even the most inteli-
gent, who did not find it necessary to read that argument
again and again, before he could be satisfied A. TO lis full
scope and tendency. He ksew very well the vagu0ncss
and iaHacy OF language and how difficult il was ia treat.
ing a dItlcult, abstract subject, TO avoid misspprehensiun
ma colslierdlion admOnIshGd him of the probability that
injustice might be done to The President in the conslruc.
non oil ms state paper; but whilst he continued TO under
iAnd.t IN the sense which he did, he was ready to protest
- oguastthe erroneous principles it contained, and TO con
. triette ms mite III laying them low before the majesty OF
the true principles OF the Constitutions. But when he had
s1ll thus much, he wished il TO be distinctly understood,
mat lie should not concur in denouncing, as some gentle.
men seemed eager to do, the President of tie T.. States
rlose integrity and patriotism lac held in the highest e-
'tHnaHon. When he remembered the signal proofs he bad
gwen, ol a desire TO cOnfne the General Government, in
q; practical o%Perdtion, within its appropriate limits, and
sst9ji himself constrained to admit, what no one indeed
could deny, that his administration, take il for all in all.
had been one Of the best with which the country had
cver. been bicst, he could not think Of withdrawing
his humble support from lhlt individual, because he
nan Ihlen lhio a single error, however dangerous that
error insight pc. whatever might be thought as 10 the
intent and meaning OF The President ih regard to the ab-
siract doctrines discussed il. the Proclamation, there could
o. ne 80 mistake about the practical character OF his adm.
nistratl0n, which was such as had hitherto met the hearty
appreciation OF The friends Of S;dte rights. when he re.
tected on the eminent services that citizen had rendered
his count y-iiow much The South, in particular, was in.
debtod to him Tor the salGtdry measures Of his admins
HduQn' aUu h"r mgch they might yet expect from him,
- = proper support were given him, he could not with
NAV hisconllHence from him, or unite, in any degree.
WIN MS secret or ayowed enemies, in denouncing him to