Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1834-11-06

regulated by the people of the several Suites, who
brought II INTO existence. The principal object had
IN view hy the ffame,s Of the constitution IN thus
establishing this government, was to prevent AMI
guard AGAINST those silent and almost imporccpuhle
| encroachInents upon the rights retained by tho
sera parties TO the compact, AID those apparent
~ slight and unimportant assumptio IONS of undeega-
ted power which they forosaw would ultimately
| terminate in The entire abroeaaon Of the primary
sovereignty of the people and tho ABSORPTION by the
government Of all the rights and authorities, re-
suI'ing from that sovereignty. Il was clearly fore
seen, thai unless this object accomplished the
original character of the government, would speed
" undergo n transformation from federal repre-
sentative republic, INTO either mixed monarchy or
a military despotiem
AS It 10 realize these antcipations, the govern.
mental machinery was hardly brought INTO full OPP
Grafton, before the disposition to disregard It's re-
strcsions, and enlarge ITS powers, maJo man
Hest Msgnh cen, schemes. purporIing to be con
hut've TO the advancement 81 the national prospect
y"& tho promotion of the general welfare 'al IN
volvng the doctrine OF constructive gr of power
were embarked in and The people, momcu,arlly
daAzIcd by their magnitude, and deceived 10y the
spcclous arguments OF the advocates of strong go
vernment, were bird to the dangerous principles
oil latiudinous construction which were thus
tempted TO be established. But the latent owl thus
,nsi'iously concealed from the public eye was per
| ccived anj exposed by those W#,tchfil sennnels on
the walls Of liberty. who had been CHIEFLY lostrn.
mental IN procuring the adoption of the federal CON
st,'uton, and led 10 the recognition Of those
great conservative principles of state sovereign
~ and state lnterposrtlon, upon tho md.ntc-
nance Of which Tho pcrpctnity Of our FREQ IN
slnut'ons alone depends. The Legislature oi
Virginia boldly and fearersly denounced the
n mi or ecJ bu fot,4
al government and nc those celebrated resolutions,
which have ever since constituted tho text boon of
the true republican party, exposed liz covert and
insidIous resign of overlapping lis constitution.
al limits, and pointed out the m vitabc tendency
OF ts measures, 10 the consolidation of all the re.
served rights of tho States INTO one great central
government unreslraincd by my limitations on
its authority, and basing It's uncontrolled suprcm-
acy, upon the RUNS of the federal republic They
promug gated TO tho people of the States manifesto
OF the true principles upon winch the government
wa, foundcd-They declared, and proved by a
chain ofirrefutabe argument that the original soy.
| efeignIy Of the high contracting parties, was I'M
impaired by their respective dclcg cations OF power 10
the fodoral government; thu, those delegations,
were not and cOutd not be, absolute, rrevocable
and unconditional grants of power, by which the
Sthles were shorn OF their original, inherent and
lndiv'sblc soverel anty, and converted mo mere
| municipal territories holding their very existence
| ut the will Of Neif otoh agent but that those pow
ers were conferred for certain purposes clear
y def rcd and distinctly onumcIatcd in the
pact 10 which the States acceded, and liable
| 10 bc resumed, whenever they should be porvett-
ed from hese purposes and applied to others nj
warranted by the compact that the powers not
delegated, were reserved AMI, as a necessary
| sequence, the 5 at : maxim. the reservation, Were
of
and, 10y parity OF reasoning were likewise to de-
termine that OF the powers which they bad dclcga-
ted ami II ally that whenever he government
should assume any Unauthorized power, the nx-
| ercisc OF which wonld create GaSaS non IGdcris
or case not within the compact, and amounting
TO gross, deliberate, and pal pnble collation. of
| the constitution" IT was the right aud the duiy'
Of the States to arrest such unconsiiuion act
| within their respective limits, md 70 " lnterposo"
for the profession Of Their citizens, from the opera
ton OF such net, and for the preservation ofther
rights and Liberties, thereby enc,oachod upon ana
dIsrcgardcd
These principles, sanctioned by the opprobalion
of the most profound statesmen Virginia has ever
produced and demonstrated by reason and nnalo-
gy TO be strictly compatible with The genius Of our
government, DIS well entirely consonnut TO all
! the pr visions OF our constltulon we're aud have
been ever regarded as HE Alpha and Omega of
the political creed Of that party with which she has
always bcco 'den fled and winch has been styled
| the " X publctn IN con radsunc' on 10 those who
h We maintained tne reverse ot those pfopo8liloits
| IL was her steady, perseverng aud uuwaveriug ad.
| vocacy ot these prlncpI when assaulted IA every
conceivable shape, well by their nvOw cd and
undIsgnised opponfnts, as by those WHO have co
verify and Ju us like cnJeayofcd to ooel ute them
from her creed, which gave 10 Virginia that moral
| and political ascendancy IN he confederacy, when
has justly been the theme OF proud ejaculation 10
herself, and an lncen I'VE to uiabe emnlat on in
her sister States The Inauguration of M. Jrlcr-
son as President OF The Union, Which termlnatea
ties Of thai era, was emphailcallv The triumph oi
Virginia principles; and that event, which exened
ausplcous q influence upon The des,ncs of the
young repablte, gave 10 ,hose principles the force
, and permanency Of settled political nxoms and al
once erected them into cardinal pni iundlm ntal
| articles IN the creed OF The State Rights party. Al
most every act OF that administration received lhe
firm and undertaking support of the people Of Vn
gina and from the regular and harmonious ope
fatlon of the government machinery It's entire Tree
dom from corruption, and the coos aHy increasing
prosperity Of the republic, tho long conrovcrtcd
question OF the capacity Of man for self govern
mcnt, was deemed 10 be at length afirmotvely de.
| cded and that period was hailed 10y the friends OF
constitutional liberty, as the brightest eta III the an
nails OF clvll government
The succeeding administrations were in Ike
manner sustained by the confidence Of The pcOl r.
so long as tneir measures, WITH bat lew EXCEPTIONS
were shaped by a strict adherence to the Catholic
maxms OF her potcai creed, until III elevation