Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1833-03-29

hiNN"N' anu NihIt lt NuiNdiOl
oil the address, 1t appears the abstract is almost wholly err
roneous. 1t IS my purpose TO invite the attention OF those
concernedi IN ME-. Wise's opinions TO the address itself, aud
letter writer.
1t is true, Mr.. Wise admit, the right of ~pcaccable Sc
ccssion but he says there il no right To exercise il, un-
I'll " all constitutional means of preserving the Constitu-
ton, and all moderate means of reforming the Federal CO.
vernmcnt have been exhausted" If ii be a light. il is a
perfect one, and may be exercised without q" exhausting"
the 60 means" referred to by MIR. Wise. Its a question of
discretion and e%xpediency with the States respectively,
whether they will resort to il in the first instance, at the
hrst approach OF oppression, or whetherthcy will first ex-
haust MIR. Wise's Z" constitutional means" According TO
the address, no matter how grievous, how grinding, how
Illuminating the oppression, it must be endured until those
" means are I" exhausted" would not give a brass far
thing for a right so shackled.
The State having exhausted all constitutional means"
however, Mr.. Wise would permit her TO secede from the
Union; ,hatis, ~'absOlve hersey from all allegiance to the
General Government" Allegiance of a Static IN Tho
General Government worse and worse. Like. | suppos.
the allegiance OF Ireland to the British Government.
Mr. wise says, that in breaches of the compact; in ca
scs OF oppression, SC. the States respectively are the sole
Judges OF the "mode and measure of redress" This is
very true; but adds he, ii is a State rights rule that she
can adopt NO other than the "mode and measure OF re-
dress 10 ,chich she is righUuiiy entitled" wish Mr..
Wise had informed us who was TO he the Judge of this Ii
imitation upon the right. But l will not find fault with
Nr. wise Tor the restriction; for he began TO discover that
his own concessions (he had before admitted the entire
sovereigniies OF the States) were hurrying him into null.
Ii6cation which he was now about 10 attach with n tiger.
like fury, and hence this limitation. To me ii is a quite
new State Rights rule, that a State has a right 10 Judge Of
the mode and measure OF redress, yet cannot act upon the
~"'"'S CV Npg "hNVAs NsAli dioAueT-lneO e-I
neral government l presnme-shall decide whether she
be rightlully entitled thereto. If Andrew Jackson, Esq.
Is to be the Judge, even the poor boon of secession would
De denied The rule IS any thing, in my estimation, but
a State Rights rule. Daniel Webster and the whole corps
OF federalists would seize it, and claim il as their own with
the same joyful avidity that they did the doctrines of the
Proclamalinn. And this poor right OF secession with
all the killing membranes hung about its neck by Mr..
Wise, we are told by the address, is the Z" only means of
restraining the will Of the majority and of preserving the
integrity of the Constitution" IL the States possess no
other means among their reserved, or constitutional, or ma
tlraI rights. for p1prtinu thnsn nbiacfs flny lMJ a., ,ou
indeed surrender at once. In my opinion, to 90 out of the
Union, that is, 10 "~secede,'' is to run away, fly from the
VIII OF the majority, not TO restrain it; and to break The
Integrity OF the Constitution, not to preserve il. Secession
Is no remedy for the exercise of Unconstitutional powers
which secures to each State her place within the Union;
and these relieve and shield her from oppression, or uncon.
sututional acts, by the General Government.
1t appears by the address, that Mr.. Wise is against the
" American System" "totO cGio," Che Tariff and Inter-
nal Improvement, of course y but is for the consiitu-
tonalty of a Bank Of the United States. Ii presents
a gloomy and fearful prospect to find one, calling him self
a State rights man, adopting the reasoning upon which
the consttutionality of The Bank of the u. States has becn
sustained; yet denying "totO cRIo' all the reasoning upon
which the constitutionality OF the "American system"
rests: The circumstance is we'll calculated to awaken the
people to a sense OF their danger-to excite in them the
closest examination and deepest reflection. MIR. Wise
with the compound aries Che common bdttering. ram of
the Romans, and a more powerful engine than The cata-
pulta) oil precedent, OF constructive, incidental, necessa-
Ty and proper powers, makes so complete a breach in
"e walls oil the Constitution as TO let in the whole
enemy. II WIN not do. That politician who takes ground
In favor OF the constitutionality of a Bank of the United
States has already made such an assault upon the
barriers OF the Constitutions, as 10 enable him, like
Henry Clay, TO claim any and 'cvery power for the Ge-
neral Government" Almost all the great names arrav-
ed by Mr.. Wise as authority for the constitutionolitv of
the Bank OF the U. States, are at his perfect command. for
the same purpose, on either branch of the ''American
System" And he may add the name of 'Andrew Jack
son, Esquire, I'm favor OF the consiitHtonality of the Ia
riff, and such "works of Internal Improve ment as pariake
OF " ahonaliy;' and as he undertakes 10 be the sale
Judge IN cases where ne has no right to judge at oil, he
may say what is and what is not a "na,ional work"
have always thought the constitutional principle on this
subject, as e%xpounded by himself, as any thing or nothing;
tnOugp nave reJ0lced that some limitation has been
placed upon it. Judging, however, of the future. from
recent developments, there is too much reason TO fear that
the words irrational works" will hereafter receive a more
enlarged and extended meaning. if we are zone people,
OF a single nation" and not a people of separate and
sovereign States, why, then, surely all works Of Internal
Improvement are "Natonal." | have said hat MIR.
WIse's construction OF the Constitution i'm relation TO te
Bank, lets in the exercise of all and any mowers bv the
General Governments; and that il is dancerous-nav ii sa
FOLLY, worse than madness, to trust any individual as a pub
lie tunctlonary who maintains that constitutional CONSTITUTE
ton. Mr.. Van Buren,, in the debate in the Senate on
root amendment to the rulcs of the Senate, made this
remark "During the administration OF General Wash.
ington, no acts of a strong character took place save the
incorporation OF the Bank of the United States. th,t
great pioneer Of constitutional eacroachments." Yes
1t IS over the highway through which this great pioneer
performed his work, that the advocates OF unlimited pow.
ers IN the General Government have ever since ira.
veue"; anu u Is on Ils great highway we find MIR. Wise.
But ] beg pardon of Mr.. Wise aud of the good vconIe nj
the district, Tor giving Van Buren, as authority. Mr..
wise has very unkindiy pushed Van aside asa "desDicn.
ole politician" notwithstanding he, and the good old Go.
neral, whom Mr.. Wise "IciH BOt' give up, are AS Closely
united az the Siamcsc twins A blow at one, wounds
NE other. Let that pass, however, Mr.. Vie will not.
| know, object TO the authority OF p. u. Barbour. whom,
lie calls "our pure State Rights poliician;' snd the vo.
ters OF the district, am sure, will hail the authority oil
this "Pure Stale Rights politician as ordcnlar. If Le
proves Mr.. Wise unsound, il is no fault Of mine. HeisI
Mr.. wise own Apollo. Let The people say whether thev
WI yield 10 the principles of Mr.. Wise or his Apollo.
They cannot have both. That "pure state Rights
dolrician' in biz letter to the committee in behalf Of tic
Shocco Springs meeting, North Carolina, saws. " consi.
per this Che incorporation Of the Bank of the United
Sates0 as being altogether beyond the constitutional com.
potency ot Congress. The dfffUde of cOGsfrVcno
when would bring Ibis (hc Bank Of The o.. Siates) with
Ia nc pale OF The Constitution, would in my estimation
@ieTH destroy al h0se restrictions and resrrpGfiOns
which make the FcdcrGi GOCerpment a limited 0ue"-l
Can language be stronger Can language be more en-
phdiicaly warning in the contest now going on within the
District for a member TO Congress? Can MIR. Wise rea.
? sonably expect that he, an advocate for that constitution.
AT construction which gave being 10 the Bank of The Uni.
tel States, should receive the votes of hc same people
who so recently filled the welkin with joyful hosannas Tor
Andrew Jdckson's veto upon that Bank? viii the same
people who are opposed TO he "Amefican sysicu" as I'M
constitutional, elect 10 Congress one who is Tor such a
latitude Of construction as would bring The establishment
OF the Bank within the pale of tho Constitution and who
would mus "uffcriY desfrOD all those restrictions and re-
sJUdttons which make the Federal Government a limit
Ell one7'
Mr.. Wise says, "lho President asiaicly senthfs mcssage,
to Congress in which nc pledges himself no. 10 resort fol
any but defensive force, and submits The whole subject 10
the wisdom and moderation 0f the peoples preventative
TO provide a remedy by law instead Of by armsi' LII
most singularly strange, that Mr.. Wise should pfcseuttoI
the people such an Interpretation Of that message. have
noi the Time to shew how utterly incorrect it IT,. But Il
% assert That the message asked for powers which no Pre-.
sident Of these United Statrs ever dared before IN ssL al
E..sruna Al. e IA IT, q ua