Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-12-05
GOVERNOR TAZEWELL'S MESSAGE
TO THE
GENERiL ASSEMBLY OF VIRGINIA.
FELLOW-CIfIZENS OF THE oENATE,
AND HOUSE OF DELgGATEs:

AND HOUSE OF DELEGATES:
The constitution requires of the Governor to
communicate to the Legislature, at every SEES
" sion, the condition Of the commonwealth; and
"to recommend to their consideration, such
"measures as he may deem expedient." Hence,
il becomes my duty, To exhibit 10 you at this
time, all such information as possess in regard
to any matter of Importance To the Common
wealth; aud TO invite your attention to the adop-
ton OF such measures as seem TO me neCeSSa-
ry either to remedy any known defects in the
operation of the laws, or To prevent the oC
currence of evils, which, although they may
not have yet happened, are probable as TO
render il prudent TO guard against them even
now.
In performing this daty, although desire to
be brief | cannot suffer the qualification of this
wish To induce me to leave any thing unnoticed
which deem important to you to know, or of
much Interest to our country. 1t is better that
should be tedious. than my account should be
imperfect; and the interests and relations Of
Virginia are various, and some Of them so
complicated, that the report am required to
make to you, cannot fear, be compressed into
narrow compass.
Although the Gov. is required by our Consti-
tuition, "to conduct ii her in person, or in such
"mauner as shall be prescribed By law, all inter
"course with other and foreign States" yet un-
der the wise distribution of powers and duties
Ia )shed by the Constitution of the U. s., (Which
we are ali bound TO suppott) the case will rare
ly occur, that any state of this COnfederacy can
properly have direct intercourse with any other
States truly termed foreign to it, Some of the
great objects in adopting the Federal constu-
ton were to provide for the common defence
aud general welfare of all the states thereby
connected by bond Of more perfect union than
had existed before this Constitution received
their sanction. To attain these great objects
with more certainty and facility, all the external
relations Of these States were placed, very pro
perry under direction and controuI of the Go
vernment then created by them; and mainly for
this very purpose. By that Government only
can any Treaty be entered into, can foreign
Commerce be regulated, War declared, Peace
made or PiTacieS and FClDnies committed on
the high seas, or Offences against The Law of
Nations be defined OF punished In short, it
i 4 sicult If not impossible TO imagine any
relation that can subSiSt between any one of
these United States and any foreign STATE what
eyer which must not find its foundation and
authority in some act Of the Federal Govern
me t.
NJ hing can Illustrate more truly the conf
deuce rrpo,ed in this Constitutional arrange
~ t Df powers, than the well known fact, that
amidst tn. great variety of conflicting opinions
IA regard To the legitimate authority Of the Fee
dPrdi Government, which have divided our
Pcopie, from time To time, no example exists OF
any doubt being entertained as 10 the erctuSire
right of that Government TO provide for all our
right To interfere in such affairs when admitted
to have that single object, and most probably,
no State ever Will advance any such pretenSiOn.
However may differ from each other in res
pect 10 the right OF expectancy OF acts touching.
our internal concerns, or aS~io what Depart
ment of the Federal Government the power OF
regulating our external relations properly he
longs we all concur in regard to our actual in
tercourse with foreign States. As To this, bat
one thought is conceived, but one language held
by any: aud all agree that thiSlan9uage must be
uttered by some Department of the Federal Go
verument only. AS this Government is OF human
creation, administered by fra men like our
selves II may be, and no doubt will sometimes
be wrong! but be it right or be- it wrong, it is
our Government, and So far foreign States
are concern ID, it must and viii be sustained by
all.
Then, in reference to the relations between
this Commonwealth and any foreign State
whatever, have nothing, ought not TO have
anv thing, To communicate to you. True to
the Federal Constitution which she has pghted
her sacred faith to support, Virginia never has
had. and while she continues member of this
Conlrderacy never will have intercourse with
any such except under the authority Of the Co
vernment Of the United States. In due season
you will learn, | presume, from another and
better source what our foreign relations are; and
to such intelligence, when received, must refer
you.
States members of our Confederacy, who we
never have considered, as | hope never shall
consider as foreign States, have received
veral communications from their constituted
authorities properly authorized to make
them. All of these save one, are made in terms
indicating So strongly the fraernaI sentiments
entertained by these States respectively towards
this Commonwealth, that know not whether
have felt most pleasure in receiving, or in warm
ly and sincerely reciprocatng such friendly and
kind greetings. In the single excepted case, the
language Of which much less than justice would
probably regard as unmerited, as this language
seemed to proceed from a misrepresentation of
tne intent of an Act passed by former Assem-
Oily, did not feel the necessity Of responding to
hn inesame spirit which such misapprehehsioh
mi GIT possibly have induced. | lamented, that
the tone OF this communication, restrained me
from giving such an explanation as could and
would have furnished, readily, if it had been
asked. But the honor of Virginia, forbade me
10 render to menace, what would have been weld
ed, and most willingly, to friendly exposmlaiion.