Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1833-01-26


preSsy retained to themselves, the right of resumng tho
powers then conferred the General Government
.s OBVIOUS from the debates in tile different
was believed each of the States would possess
expressly stated or not but which of ihem such
was Their jealousy Of Federal encroachmcn thought pro-
per u'unety 10 reserve wish the same split OF jealous
apprehension Of Executive usurpation which actnated
those distinguished patriots could be into us
or, by the indulgence OF the Committee, will read
much oil the ratitcaons OF Virginia and New York.
pear on this question Z hat of Virginia commences.
me delegates OF the people of Virginia, duly elect
cd &C. land now met in Convention" Sc. a. Do, in
the name and in behalf OF the people Virginia" Cob
serve SIR not on behalf OF the people generally OF the Uni
ted States declare and make known, that the powers
granted under the Constitution, being derived the
people OF the United Statcs be resumed by thew
" whatsoever the same shall be perverted their injury
or oppression and that every power not granted there
by, remains with them and at their will: that there fore
no right oil any denomination, be cancelled abridged
restrained or modified by the Congress, by the Senate
or House OF representatives,, acting in any capacity,
" Oy me president, or department. officer tho
United States, except in those in which power
gwen by the Constitution for those purposes" SC.
Inc ratification OF tho State of New York is il posi-,
oe stronger and more explicit II contains this passage
That the powers of government may be assumed by
the people, whenever it shall become necessary 10 their
happiness ana mat every power urisdcton and right.
whch' not by the said constitution clearly delegated
the Congress OF the United States, the Departments
oil the government thereof, remains 10 the people Of the
several States, or 10 their respective State
" 10 whom they may have granted the and that
those clauses in the said constitution, which declare,
that Congress shall have exercise certain powers
do not imply that Congress is TO any powers not
gwen by the said constitution; but such clauses are 10
be construed, either exceptions 10 certain specified
powers or as inserted merely for greater caution''
Now, 1t will not be conended that different States enter
ed into the present conederacy on different terms ar unc
quail tootngs If the right of resumg the powers tem
conferred on the General Government was retained by
one, it then, and still, belongs TO all The true reason
why each State did not distinctly assert il al thu
time, is, because thew did not deem tb,t necrssarv he
contrary had been for will prove To-
you presently sir by name OF high authority who lived
in those days, that the right of any State Withdraw
from the Unon was not only denied in debate in
the Convention, but that it 'kiIOtcn to exist" Vir-
gnia waichiul and New York however inserted the
passages just read doubt expression in the
'Sner or greater caution know that the construction
OF these acts OF ratification has supposed by soe not
perfectly cearand it will probably be commended that
te gt oil resumption is claimed, NOT for the States or
The People Of The States but for the Peoue of the ~
Stdtes. Unless by this 1t Is meant 10 claim the right for
The people OF the United States, one bodyas inte~
grail nation moving en- mdsseI have no objection TO IT,
The true meaning obviously is that the power to be re-
summed by those who granted H. Who granted ii? The
people of the United States but no, as the Procamation
lniers as one nation The people Of tho whole United
States, (hrs las) did adopt tho present constitution
but before insisted on, and as no member of tLis
committee will undertake TO controver they adopted il
peopIe Of separate Sfates-as nhobing differ nj Cen
PTaphlcai limitsas distinct political communities con.
gregated into separate State governments or conventions
II might have happened by result simple that will
not stop TO explain it, that large majority the peoue of
the whole u States might have approved the new consn.
tuon and yet majority Of the States have refused to ac
cep It, When, therefore, these acts of ratification speak of
the powers conceded being resumed by the people of the
a. States they necessarily mean the people The several
States ne associated and divided into States And In the
New \ DIX ratification, that idea is carried clearly
as To cave no room Tor msnerpretaon, by using the eX
preston the people OF the several
spectVe State governments Sir ii these Passages meant
nothing than the right of all people OF The Union
as mass, TO change the government they were then CT
"uhg, what was Tie use OF those qualifications the act
OF ratification This principle had already been suf-
GENTLY assered-The American revolution was an exer.
else OF this righaud which subjects of the most
AFFECT desposm possess, when they have tho power 10
enforce IT. But that the Virginia Convention which
adopted this reservations re arIed il i'm the Iyht for ,
contend we have the evidence authority in printat
=" member OF the Virginia Convention which framed the
ac whereby the Constitution ratified, ed the
/ Inc IIUh tn do irnUn
quotes the passage have read) and that without ,at
reservation the act could have received majority of
me votes" Such importance did those patriots asc6e TO
" w" Schs''ueu' as IN TACT meaning nothing Tho
committee which reported the act containing this reserva-
uon consisted of Ed. Randolph, Nicholas Madon Mar
snah ana CoTbn Sir, these documents contain the
y essence OF that right of secession claimed in the reso-
G before you You viii not iud in any Of
'eht state papers NuHcdtiI rebuksd State Secs
SION recognised go nOmne Tor they of modern
invention. And yet worthy member OF this committee
mas denounced our resolutions as reasonable What, sir
reasonable! Aud has il to that that is treason
able in us to declare what pure patriotic foreGa
heTs asserted and asserted without guarding which
securely, they believed they would have refused TO
adopt The present government
But let us examine this claim of soueregnfy TO g,e
states little further We have hastily traced it to the
adoption OF The present government. We viii look pre-
senty into the stand which Virginia has subsequently Ia
Ken But let me first examine definition Of sovereignty
WIN Wbch The gentleman from Rockbridge mir Moore
furnished us, and which lie illustrated, by saying, that
state bears to the General Government Tie Same re- aoa
winch an individual does the State This sir frank,
and IT goes the whole length: this Is the essence OF
consolidation. How will ii work Can State, as such
or any political mdemeanor heresy or other offence DO
hned or imprisoned whipped or bansbed or hung?
would IKE to know how the ingenious gentleman would
execute such sentence. IL he wanted TO hang State
Tor instances would he proceed by hanging up her Govern
or or Other public iunconaes2 or, regarding the Le
gisature as speaking the will of the Stale more msned
aey Than any other department of lis government would
he hang up its members conceive no other mode
81 getting at the Statc and should like 10 have this mat
ter settled, who is TO be hung, feel little ticklsh
since 1t seems is so easy for State commit treason
Inc gentleman to sustain his views Of sovereignty car
RES US back great way-to state Of nature-beforo
society, much less government Of any kud-was organ
Hed-and runs out long parrallcl-an ingenious ono
certainly but which could not consider appIicabIs
among people who possess written constitutions and
should not lave adyercd to it, but for ausion IN IL TO
the late Convention here. The gentleman thinks par
ucular politicians then affected regard principles very
hghy-that they talked Of them then mere abslrac-
uOns, &c bat that now, principle is every thing only
wish, with The kpdest ieclings remind friend. thot
his charge be true. he stood opposed there
does here and that If wc have changed in our estimation
the regard due to principles, he have changed al
80 30 th' on this score we are even. And when That
Since these were delivered Faulkner
Commee from ptkn's Statistics which does contain The
na ~ the New York Convonounor the ratification above
read resolution offered rejected That Convention soring
70 mo state the right number
certain cnaCd n tho Cuustu
conclusive
stfucOn Of ratification
that look 10 Convention actually dd
they did The record costainsd IN Pn does
which tho eisctiOu
havoh for