South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1834-12-20
Governors Message.
Fellow Citizens ofihe Senate,
And House of Delegates


the Commonwealth and to recommend
to their consideration, such measures as
he may deem expedent." Hence, it be-
comes my duty, to exhibit to you, at this
time. all such information as possess in
regard to any matter ofilnportance to the
Commonwealth !; and to invite your at
tention to the adoption Of such measures
as seem to me necessary, either to reme-
DIV auy Known defects in the operation OF
tbe laws. or TO prevent the occurrence of
! evils, which, although they may not have
yet happened, are so probable, as to rem
der it prudent to guard against them even
now.
In performing this duty, although de-
sire to be brief cannot suffer the graft
fication of this wish to induce me TO leave
anv thing unnoticed which [ deem I'M
portant to you to know. or of mitch
interest to our country. 1t is better that
| should be tedious, than that my account
should be imperfect aud The interests
and relations of Virginia are so various,
and some of them so complicated, that
the report am required to make to you,
cannot. fear, be compressed into mar
row compass.
Although the Governor is required by
our Constitution ito conduct either IN
person. or in such manner as shall be pre-
Ecribed by law, all intercourse with other
and foreign States" yet under the wise
distribution of powers and duties estab-
lished by the Constitution ofthe United
States. (which we are all bound to sup
port. the case will very rarely occur,
that any state of this Confederacy can
properly have direct intercourse with any
N other State truly termed FOREIGN to it.
Some of the great objects in adopting the
\ Federal Constitution were to provide for
the common defence and general welfare
of all the States, thereby connected by
bond of more perfec, union than had ex-
/ listed Before this Constitution received
Y their sanction. To attain these great OBJ.
lects with most certainty and facility, all
the external relations of these States were
\ placed, very properly, under the direction
and controul of the Government then Gre
4 ated by them and mainly for this very
purpose. BY that Government only can
4 any Treaty be entered into, can foreign
Commerce be regulated, War declared,
Peace made, or Piracies and Felonies
committed on the high sens, or Offences
against the Law of Nations be defined
or punished.s In short, it is difficult if'not
impossible, to imagine any relation that
can subsist between any one Of these u.
States and any foreign State whatever,
which must not find its foundation and
authority in some act of the Federal Go
vernment.
Nothing can illustrate more truly the
confidence reposed in this Constitution
arrangement OF powers, than the well
known fact, that amidst the great varie-
ty of conflicting opinions in regard to the
legitimate authority Of the Federal Gov
ernment, which have divided our People,
from time TO time, no example exists of
any doubt being entertained as to the Ex-
elusive right Of that Government to pro-
vide for all our foreign RELATIONSHIP
State has ever asserted a right to inter-
fere in such affairs, when admitted to
have that single object, and most proba-
bly. no State ever will advance any such
pretension. However we may differ from
each other in respect to the right or ex-
pediency of acts touching our internal
concerns, or as to what Department of
the Federal Government the power of
regulating our external relations properly
belongs, we all concur in regard to our
actual intercourse with foreign States.
As to this, but one thought is conceived,
but one language held by any: and all a.
gree, that this thought must be conceiv-
ed and this language uttered by some De-
partment of the Federal Government on
ly. AS this Government is of human
creation, administered by frail men like
ourselves, it may be, and no doubt will
sometimes be wrong but be it right OF
be it wrong, it is our own Government
and 80 far as FOREIGN States are concern
ed it must and will be sustained by all.
Then. in reference to the relations be-
tween this Cemmonw ealth and any for
eipn State whatever, have nothing,
ought not to have any thing, to commu-
nicate to you. True to the Federal Con-
atitution which che has plighted her sa-
cred faith to support, Virginia never has
had. and while she continues member Of
this Confederacy never will have inter
course with any such, except under the
authority of the Government of the Uni
ted States. In due season you VIII learn
presume, from another and better source
what our foreign relations are; and tc
| such intelligence. when received, must
refer you.
In regard to our relations with oul
sister States, members of our Confedera.
cy, who we never have considered, anc
as hope, never shall consider as foreign
States, have received several commu'
nieatlons from their constituted authorl'
ties properly authorized to make them
All Of these save one, are made in terms
indicating SO strongly the fraternal senti'
ments entertained by these States re-
spectively towards this Commonwealth
that know not whether hsva felt mos