Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1837-10-17

SUCH uSuI pullOu. COllCuu tllat III Oto'C
is bound to submit to the usurpations oil
the general government; but that each
State, in the language of the Virginia
Resolutions Of 1913, has right to inter-
pose for the purpose of arrestlng the pro-
gress Of the evil (usurpation) and main
tanning within the limits OF the resPec-
tive States, the authorities, rights and lib
critics appertaining to them. This is the
abused and dehyunced doctrine of nuIliti-
cation. 1t is merely the right of StattV
10 annul, or if you please, nullliy, the
usurpations or assumptions of undelega-
ted power by the general government. Yes,
this is the doctrine which has been styled
treason and rebellion. What! sovereign
State be guilty Of treason? Monstrous,
ridiculous absurdity! would ask the
honorable gentleman, (Mr. Haynes) how
could the State Of Mississippi be hanged!
How would he get hold Of the neck OF this
State? Perhaps he may wish after the
manner of Roman Emperor, that the
people of Mississippi had but one neck,
that the head might be severed from the
body at a stroke. hope that he would
not hang the Governor OF, the State for an
offence committed by the whole people.
To return to the subject 1t seems to
me if the doctrine be conceded as conten-
ded for by our adversarles, that no State
has the right to annul the usurpatlons OF
general government, that we live, not UNI
der government of limited powers, but
complete, absolute despotlsm. 1t fol-
lows as corollary from their dangerous
positions that the general government is
the Judge of the extent OF its own powers,
and if this be granted, the citizens OF the
States of this Union must know, that they
live under government as supreme, IRE
sponsible and omnipotent as the British par
Lament. Little did our gallant ancestors
dream, while struggling against the arms OF
oppression and anticipating rich reward
in the enjoyment of the blessings oil free
government, that the noble results OF their
tolls and sufferings would be scattered to
the winds Of Heaven by degenerate pos
terity. Little did they think that before
the lapse of so years, the proud temple
they had reared on these shores TO COM
, memorate their struggles in the cause OF
liberty, and shine forth beacon-lght to
the pilgrims of freedom in every CLINE,
would totter to its base, and sink beneath
! the grasp of her own children, the gener-
r alton of '37. Sir, the British Parliament
has its Constitution. 1t has its Magma
9 Charta, the Bill of Rights, the Right Of
y Petition, and the Act Of Settlement, defn,
O ing the boundary of its powers. But what
is the doctrine of the British Monarchstsl
. 1t is, that this same Parliament is the
:. Judge of the extent Of its own powers
What is the consequence of this doctrine
:, Why, she can construe those instruments
C as she peases, pass what laws she plea
;. ses, execute them as she pleases, and, In
: the language Of celebrated commentator
: upon the British Constitution, she can dc
a any thing but turn man into woman
or woman into man. Yes, poised up
u on this principle, she can stand forth sole
> monarch of the land, WELD the arm OF SUI
y premacy and omnipotence, and, backed by
n hireling soldiery, she can bid defiance
+ to the limitations in those instruments
# and spurn the remonstrances OF her sub
"a iects, till the loud voice Of revolution
r. frightens her from her entertainments
% And are not our opponents attempting te
70 assimlate our government to the British
r.. Parliament? Do they not attempt tt
. clothe tho general government, govern
al mont created for special purposes, and witt
i defined powers, with the same arbitrary
N authority with which the British Parlla
q ment is armed? No rejecting man cal
- 9 deny it. And will the freemen OF thu
70 Union suffer themselves to be told, tina
IA they live under q government OF un,imi
4. ted powers? How long will they bea
i, this insulting doctrine to be proclaimed II
If their presence, that they live under a gov
20 eminent as supreme and irresponsible a
~ the British Parliament, to extrlcate them
: selves from the despotism Of which a gal
: liant ancestry spent their lives and Tor
- - tunesY And this from Republicans! u
ne on Royalist advisers,
n Ay, shout--nscribe, rear monuments OF Shame
90 To tell oppression that the world is tame
Is Yet, remember that the eyes of million
Nv of freemen are upon you, their moral en-
A. ergies are awakening, they begin to dis
ne Germ the flimsy platform upon which you
We principles rest, and the mighty orb
A truth will ere long return IN noon-da
he splendor, and your principles will vans
al like Presidential exhaatlon, :,
n. As the gentleman has bestowed conslo
es cradle attention to the Virginia resolution
n. of '98, and the opinions of Mr.. Madison
:, shall offer a brief comment upon thos
~ resolutions. As the Kentucky Resolution
i, seem to have escaped his notice, ! sha
,ir present you with few extracts irol
,r- them:
,at "Resolued, That the several States
y. 4 nc A,,nn