Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1837-10-17
LIBERTY, (ML) TUESDAY, OCTOBER II, 1887.

ooSCItCu tliuL Ehl oLAlE
has the right to nulliy, OF their own au-
thority, "al assumptions OF power by
others within their limits" These reso-
utions admit of but one Interpretation.
will now return to the Virginia Reso-
luton, the gentleman's text book. | VIII
read the first resolution, as it embodles all
the doctrines of the State rights party
"That this Assembly doth explicitly and
peremptorily declare, that 1T VIEWS THE
POWERS OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AS,
RESULTING FROM THE CONTACT TO WHICH
THE STATES ARE PARTIES, AS LIMITED BY
THE PLAIN SENSE AND INTENTION OF THE IN
sTRUMENT CONSTITUTING THAT COMPACT, AS
NO FARTHER VALID THAN THEY ARE AUTHOR
lied BY THE GRANTS ENUMERATED IN THAT
COMPACT; AND THAT IN CASE OF DELHI
crate, PALPABLE, AND DANGEROUS EXERCISE
OF OTHER POWERS NOT GRANTED BY THE SAID
COMPACT, THE STATES WHO ARE PARTIES
THERETO HAVE THE RIGHT, AND ARE IN DUTY
BOUND, TO INTERPoSE, FOR ARRESTlNG THE
PROGRESS OF THE EVIL, AND FOR MAINTAIN
ING WITHIN THEIR RESPECTIVE LIMITS, THE
AUTHORITIES, RIGHTS, AND LIBERTIES APPER-
TAINITG TO THEM"
Now, the question arises, what kind OF
an iaterp0sition did the General Assembly
of Virginia contemplate? 1t must be an
interpositon that will, in the first place,
"arrest the progress of the evil" Usurpa-
tion.) secondly, maintain within the limits
of State, the authorities, rights, and lib
critics appertuning to the same; and third
w. it must be such an interposltion that
can be put in force without dissolving the
Union, for we find the General Assembly
in the LIST Cd, and 7th resolutions, express
ING its ardent attachment to the Union
and solemn determination to preserve 1t
The first kind of interposltlon that will
notice with the view Of testing, whether
it was the kind of nterpositlon Vlrglnlt
f, intended to assert, is the right to Petition
Remonstrate, and Protest. Now, | ask
will they arrest the progress of usurpa
ton by the General Government? wa
they maintain within the limits of Stat'
the authorities, rights and liberties apper
tanning to it2 Who SO bold as to asser
: it? A petition is nothing but an appea
TO the mercy and sympathles OF tn
: usurping body, and disclalms all idea OF
> right, by leaving it entirely discrchonar.
with the General Government to rescln
: its usurpations or not, just as 1t please'
: A remonstrance or protest indeed, recog
> nize the existence Of right, by threaten
ing to enforce it! But there is wide dii
q ference between a threat to enforce
: right, and the actual enforcement of II
b This kind Of interposition is in fact no IN
= terposition, unes the General Government
ment should comply with State remon
strances or protests, and this instead O
being an arrest of the usurpatlon by
9 State, is an arrest by the author OF tn
!, usurpation itself Indeed the votaries o
= this kind of interposltlon, would throw
: Mr.. Madison into the most unenvlabl
!, light, of calling forth the energies OF hi
. brilliant mind, merely to demonstrat
that the sovereign members of this con
: iederacy possess the right to petition, re
a monstrate and protest against the usurpa
!, tons Of the General Government. Dl
e James Madison ever doubt this right
h Could the most stupid politician that eve
!. disgraced the annals Of ignorance deny II
e Would the intelligent General Assembly {
Virginia waste her time in demonstratln
i that she possessed the rightwhich the slave
|, that titled her soil possessed, and Of whlc
@ nature and nature's God would not suite
l. her to deprive theml And shall the free
n men of this Union be tainted, yea, insulte
@ with arguments to prove that they posses
d no more rights than the serfs and Doors
It European Despotsms? Must you VIII
st have gone forth to the battles of you
l. country, or whose fathers thickened tn
= Revolutionary phalanx, be told that the III
d critics thus dearly purchased, are suspende
y on the nod, the tender mercies of majorit
!, in Congress, and that no State has rigf
It to whisper a murmur of complaint, e.
d cept by Petition, Remonstrdnce, and Pr
d test? If this be the extent to which vi
l. ginia intended to carry the doctrine
1t State interposition, it embodies one OF tn
70 most dangerous and alarming doctrine
t, imaginable, that the General GovernmeI
+ has no corrector save its discretion; thu
o it's high WILL is the Supreme Law
Is the land My slave can petition me tor
1t relaxation Of his chains, or remonstra
IF against the severity of his doom, and,
A. disposed, can turn deaf ear to his r.
ot monstrances, and overwhelm him with
/, more grinding oppression. sowith the Gel
n eral Government. Wemay petition, reno
N strate and protest against its usurpatlon
S, and it can spurn our complaints, gras
1t power after power, until it becomes Il
70 centre of vast consolidated empire, ar
al the States mere revolving satellites.
ID can still move on in its career olusurpatlo
f. piing insult upon oppression, till the pc
=; pie reduced to that point, at which rea
in ton must and always will take place, arr