Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1835-01-15
~. rut para

urs, aud the tndi, itusis Of whom the, are
eomposcl wouid others &c be . n.r, trra-
". dep ndent oa the soVsl faith Of thc parties.
and hot go,er~ment, ~b,Sh Is onis another
sord 'or roLiricAL rowsa sNp srrREsAct
bh VII MT Follow fr,,ru tins doeu iUe that
acts ot ue Larger ,oeir,y. Which src nsf t'srsa-
a'Hto us constitutional pow er., bat ~l,sh NJ.
'n's,'ous at the resilu-ty ag,,osi,ie. oil the
smaller >ost,tics, will lVcotlc tbs. suptcu.e
Law OF thc i-',d. Ihc,c vii De- n,rr.iy acts OF
usurpation, and vii deserve to DC treated n,
such. Fe.Lr,,.i,.f sol ~
With tho above text Tor NV guide, Mr
EDITOR, I propose 10 Oitcr YOU few r,llec.
t'ons upon the institutions Of our country, n,
! understand them. from closet aud close con
s'deration, Alter having examined tho ooi-
mons aud readings OF the greatest mco of
Tins country upon bot, sides Of th,s most per-
picked, diversified. and Interesting question
" ~ tn VAN To deny. with any soundncss O.
argument, but thai the general Cove rnment is
inc mere creature or agent, or i0rjai silor-
nHg, ss t.c lawyers would call It. OF the
states, separate and distinct, sovereign and
independent As To each other, aud, alter Sc
parat'on from the british government, OF any
power upon earth. Th,g breathed Al into
existence, and by their fostering care and
mild forbearance, has II attained its present
state; and had the general government been
aHSe niid aud iorbcarins IA the exercise Of
the delegated powers conferrcl upon u by
The principals u the compact, whose agent
Tue general government is, how happy and
harmonious would have been our system Of
government C"mfared with other govern
Inents, 10 be sure, ours is an Elysiun; vet
had TIC general government confined itself
sir'etiy to tho letter OF ats powers, with .ii
o'hers, and none other than what may be
necessary to carry the express powers into
vigorous elect, VIC would have been free
from those political jars and unple A. nj con-
n"sersies that have tended (ihouSh trust
now healed aud forgoitet) 10 al,cnate the
sovereign from the agent, the parcn; from
tho child, the creator from the creature.
our government Is Republican cosstitu-
ilonai government, formed by tho parties TO
hst instrument which choose 10 call a com.
pact, separate, sovereign, and distinct a, 10
each other, and, at the tine they formed hi,
instrument. wholly ibdcpe ndent Of any now
er on earth. IS, III fact, q government of
| checks and balances. They entered into the
government for few specified and limited
purposes, restrained by tho words Of the
constitutions, and a. subSequc utiy explained
oy tho framers OF the instrument. They
never dreamed Of granting unlimited power
70 any set oil men on earth; much less had
'ney any idea OF making the general govern
ment the exclusive judge Of its powers, Is
mat would DO TO make its discretion, ins te ad
OF the constitution, the line of its powers
ANA any government Of \ mere discretion. IL
hsg choose To exercise IL, can be a ty ranny
nor had they the most distant idea of SUBJ
/ mittins their dearest and most paramount
rights to the will OF An absolute, interested.
or mere majority, as that would be, in cases
OF hisn constitutional compact, to surrender
,ne m'ei'e, up aS suppliant servants, rather
man appear As sovereIgu shields. at the throne
OF an interested, absolute, or mere majority.
ne IEO fOrnnE n uhfgh
exercise as compete tyranny, amounting.
"a truth, 10 robbcr -, a. the Nicholas Of ali
the hnssias. To be convinced Of what \
nave SAID, II - only necessary 10 reeur To
fundamental principles, 10 organic law. 10
the formation OF the institutions of our eoun.
Try The states came into tho Union a, Sc
Parate' sovereign, and distinct, each actin.
Tor hseli, each independent OF each, each
sekeo~ Lodging, rally ing, aud ct pleasure re-
Jeeuns The instrument, as the bond Of UNION.
~ notorious, ~ matter in tho history of
our institutions, that some Of the hi-h con.
racing parties. the States, came more rea-
ully INTO Tee Union than others: and that
DINERS stood out, as jealous OF the power.
conferred on tho general government and bo-
cause they believed their sovereign ,;rbI.
and supreme authority were FILTERED azay
4 so 1s 10 make them subjects instead Of sove.
te'Sns- Aud will not stop TO comment how
wei ~ was Tor liberty and the institutions of
this county, that they did stand out until
they eurbcd more eiIectually. N no, tbs "f !
on IN his deo," certainly the douglas in his
han-' Can any one. who has properly in
formed himself of the nature and formation
OF our Institutions, for one moment suppose
mat tho most Federal and willing Of these
states That form this vast Confodcrncy. would
nave come into The Union, had they believed
,n1' he'r sovereign and reserved rights were
10 be encroaehed upon, and themselves. in
,tead OF being looked upon and respected as
n'sh, supreme, contracting parties 10 the in
strument, were 10 be degraded into pet,V cor.
Poraiioos, without power TO protect them.
selves from oppression, without power 10
'hrow themselves 70 the breach on the side
oi hoeuy-dNesiod. in truth. of ell those
powers incident 10 soyercigns, aud all thi,
TOO 10 be done by the vefy beinz vho.e
creature q -, 10 whom u IL indebted for II.
very eHistenee, anil Nbo has since nouri.hed
~, and famed hetrn. AZ a. ~ oald seem. 20 its
present overgr0Hn AID mammoth strength
say ana even enc must agree with me
W. uno-r he.e nHcumsi3Gces, The most
FEDERAL Of the Ststes would not karr cone
INTO the Lnion. Much less fhsn. would have
The roost sgiifedefsl, that !. 10 saw. soroe
o' 'hose Nbo we're the H,ost bscku ard ard
sel"elsht ~ eohing int1 the Gonfedersrv--
ihey beiitved the Iedcfsl Government vet.
ed with too much power. thst she inevitable
/ consequence USHid be c0nsoltdatton. thai
TIE sovereign States souid - mere subjects
Al The fooisiopl Of power EeeI not saw
now eissFlt heir forvcss, hss been proved
~ time. lied they felt "a, they could no,
more certainly have aprr,hendsd a. " "a,
Only ~ disabusmg these gailant statcs Of
these Wsii.founded pfsjulioes. hst the,
grounded them, aai consented 10 become
parties 70 the eompsct. u % apiorsous that
q vas rot and could not have bsen done N
any other way than by Inducing them a. h..
iieVo hat their liberties were safe from the
grasp Of po~er. ard that siI rights. not .s,-
e.heaity granted BY tie constitution. uere re-.
sPectvoly reserved 10 The states. that there.
~ ihe states might be enabled eTscinally 10
f~slst arbitrary power, and. ~ sases q plain
ana Palpable violation ~ the Instrument. 10
in'eTPose for the redress Of the evil As 10
ms naohef q interpretation. II they bad the
.'sh'' surely they bed that 81 dec ding how
lney Wouid eserciss a. Iiad any othsr Ian.
su.ss lhan this been hsid out 10 them. thsy
ANNNI not rnmn funas.s - -