Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1833-02-21

vested in the State they are sovereign and
that oSent they may be said to be independent be-
other government has any right whatsoever to in
terere with them in the exercise ol those powers The
gentleman from Halifax pursued the object OF his inqui
y, by asking ii the Federal Government was sovereign:
upon this point appeared to him. (Mr NJ. that there
was not the least ground Tor doubt difficulty The
General Government was acknowledged by all nations
upon earth TO be sovereign, and treated with SUCH IL
exercised without limitation restriction all those powers
by which sovereignty usually charactcrzed: declares
makes peace appoints ambassadors, and does every
other which any other sovereign may do in his inter
course with foreign nations So completely sovereign is
the General Government Interference to all foreign
relations, that nos foreign would be permitted in its
intercourse with 10 aude TO the restrictions the
government and attempt the part OF such 10
deny tothat government any OF the rights which pertain
To sovereignty, would be resented an insult Upon this
principle General ashingou acted, when he demanded
the recall OF the French Minister Genet because he at
tempted To appeal from the General Government TO the
people of the United States; and if this demand had
been compiled with, it would have been good cause OF
war against France. Any attempt on the part OF foreign
powers, to treat the State Governments sovereign of
e states TO act Sovercigns, by entering into treaties
with foreign nations with each other prohibited
by the Constitution of the United States express terms
The gentleman from Halifax (Nir. Bruce,) has said,
that the Government OF tho United States is in part
GooeTnment, but a Compact. This error. which did not
originate with that gentleman is gross mistake Unto
witch he was driven, by attempting To carry the
sound principles with which he set out and upon which
his whole argument based their legitimate results
That gcntleman's sagacity enabled him per-
ceive, that he admitted the General Government TO be
Government at ALL he could not get acknowledging
he found himself placed the gentleman found himself
forced TO deny the General Government DO Gov ern-
nent at all, and this he could only do by conounding
the meaning Of of the panest in the English
language To say that the Government Of the United
States IS no Government, but Compact, the gonte-
man has done, is 10 coniound the thing created (vz. the
Government with the instrumcn by which was
The Government of the United States created by an
express compact between the people Of the several States
oil the Union, all other Governments have been Great
ed, by compact either express implied and is as
much Government as any other which has ever been
OF many other Governments. The gentleman from Pc
tersburg, fell into the error when he attempt
ed TO sustain the position that the several States in
this Union were still sovereign and independent by
ieung to what is said by Vatte relative TO States form.
ing Federal Republic. The examples given by Vatte
TO illustrate the doctrine he laws down. relative TO States
forming Federal Republic aud still retaining their
regnty and independence the Cities of Greece, and
the United Provinces OF the Netherlands II the gen.
ueman had observed what said by that celebrated au
thor in the very page from which he made his quotation
he would have clearly, that what is said by the a
thor III the passage which he quoted in relation TO Fed
eral Republic, would not apply TO the Government of
these United States. For, that author there expressly
lays down the rule that State which has formed such
connections with any other State or States, can no
longer, 'ln direct manner, make of the law "
hons and that can longer, of itself, SNAKE war or
an alliance" or treat with nations, and be
garded sovereign State, although the people of such
State may still be governed by their own laws and
magistrates So tar them the authority OF this ceebra
cd writer, and that OF all the other approved writer's upon
The Law OF Nations, was to be regarded directly OPP
posed to the idea of the several States this Union being
considered sovereign and independent The gentn from
HALIFAX having established, as he supposed the posi-
hons that the States sovereign and independent and
that the General Government nothing more than nere
compact, and not a Government came TO the very nan
raj conclusion that he had clearly made the of
State TO secede at pleasure a right derived from
the Constitution of the United States, but as right per-
tanning TO them in their high sovereign character which
had never been surrendered But having shewn as he
(MT. Nj hoped he had done, that the principles upon
which this supposed right Of Secession founded were
unsound and deceptous, the right itself be admitted
not TO have any existence There another argument
advanced by the gentleman from Halifax which, though
ingenious, necessarily pointed those who differed
sfghIent ITSELF but the means OF feTunS TewfS 70 tho
men which had been advanced either by that gentleman
any other person. who had advocated the doctrine
OF Secession The gentleman from Halifax, ttnques-
u0nd6Iy and uneqtdUocdHy correct, when he asserted
that t the States sovereign and independent the
Federal Government could not undertake Judge be-
tween sovereign States and that il South Carolina was
sovereign she could be controlled by any other Co
vernment or power on earth Unlenaby true, as these
propositions are, they are not So than is the con-
verse OF those propositions thai that if the General Co
vernment has the right 10 Judge between the several
States OF this Union in any case if the General Co
venmen has the right to exercise any control over the
State OF South Carolina and prohibit her doing any
act which, according TO the laws OF nations sovereign
and independent State may do then the several States
this Union, OF which South Carolina one, are not soye
reign and independently and of her right to secede
as derived from her supposed sovereign character cannot
be maintained The second section of the third article
OF the Constitution of the United States which declares
among other things that he judicial power (of the Cen
eral GovernmenO shall extend to all in Law and
10 CORtTOreTSIeS betIDEen
ormore States, sweeps away the whole foundation of
the argument in favor of Secession drawn from the ex
posed sovereign and independent character Of the State
Governments For, ii gives 10 the General Government
powers, wholly inconsistent with the pretensons TO so.
vceigny claimed for the several States IL was oh
vous also, from the view which he (Mr NJ had taken of
this subject that the right claimed for State bv the zen
ueman from Halifax, not only to judge when the General
Government has been guilty of any naction of the Fe
deral Constitution, but to declare the whole Constitution
to be destroyed whenever in her opinion has been vio
lated IN the smallest particular, is not only dangerous
doctrine, but utterly incompatible with every principle
upon which our political institutions are founded
There was one alleged fact stated by the gentleman from
HALIFAX, and much relied upon By him, and b
the gentleman from Brunswick (r s. as SUSTAINING tho
doctrine OF secession cone nded for by them IL that
nine states had actually seeded from the old
at the time they adopted the constitution A more
accurate examination of the history of that Transaction
would satisfy those gentlemen that the fact upon which
they place so much reliance, did exist or that If
any OF The States which adopted the constitution db
secede from the government established by the old ar
cles Of confederation they did with the consent of he
other States, and consequently il will not sustain them in
the position which they contend for viz that state
may secede al pleasure, without the consent of the other
States But in point Of fact State ever did see ede from
the old goveanmentOn the contrary IL was peyEectl
welunderstood al the time that when ang State or ,ny
number Of States less than Rne agreed to adopt the NE
constitution those States still be regarded as par
ties to be old compact or confederation entitled TO ali the
benefits secured and subject TO all the
by it, until the constitution should be aeaIIv adoned
the requisite number OF States, provided for by the
Convention which framed II. II no more than eight
OF the States would still have remained united under the
old articles of And those