Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1839-04-01
ADDRESS
OF THE REPUBLICAN CONVENTION
TO TIE People or ryRGIy,1

"'en' heid meeting, At which they recommended
''hef poh'lea' friends throughout the State the
appointment OF Delegates, to unite with them in
n,"ins convention, TO be holden in the city of
Richmond on the 3d Monday in March The crisis
was deemed 10 be an important one and in refer
ehee To certain differences OF opinion in our
party winch might prevent mutual co-npcra-
"on IN the approaching elections, II not ami
c"oy adjusted; one OF the objects they had
IN view was declared To be, ito consider of the
oest means To restore our ancient HARMONY and
10 advance tho great principles of free Governments"
hhothef object was, to unite all the old" Democratic
hePnphcans III common effort TO maintain their
Peehner doctrines. 1t was believed that many per
sons who belonged to the Virginia School OF 1898
ana looo, but had separated from majority OF their
,iiends IN consequence of certain measures of tho
'''o administration, tending. as they thought, TO too
great concentration of power in the Executive
'leao' would be disposed to ,eoin their standards,
unnef different auspices aud in an emergency so
wen calculated TO excite their fears for the pctmnncncy
oil Tue glorious principles they progressed and that
otheis' "ho had more recently condemned single
measure o' the present Administration, would, by
Tree comparison and interchange of opinions be in
dueed to confne their oppos ition 10 that measure,
aud TO cooperate with then political brethren in the
reelection of Chief Magistrate, whose known o.
pinons SO nearly conform to their own. Accordingly
we who now address you, having been nou,nai,a ;.
renresent them b" portions Of the ,,rople in ,bs;,
primary assemblies, or being Republican members
oil the General Assembly Icerrcdto III the second
resolution calling IT, have met in Convention and
would most respectfully invite your serious attention
10 ue considerations we are about TO submit with
sincere hope that they tend to heal our unnatural
DIVISIONS and assist you IN coming to impartial de
c'slon OF the momen'ous questions you will soon be
Called upon to determine. BY union aud concert of
action, we may avert the evils we have too much
cause TO apprehcnd from the election of a Federal
Wing TO the Presidency; we may indclibly impress
upon our system the doctrines of the State Rights
Republican school and we may bring back the Go
vernnent, IN all its departments, to the principles
asserted by Taylor in his Resolutions, aud by Mad-
son in his Report
frequent recurrence to first principles is recon-
mended as a necessary means 10 preserve our insti
tutlous IN their purity. No less essential is il to
wise aud prudent action, 10 review occasionally
the past history of the two great opposing par-
ties, and learn from II, what we have rieht TO ex
peet from the future ascendancy of the one or the o.
ther.
soon alter the operations Of the General Govern
ment commenced in l7S9 two political sects sross
entertaining very different views OF lis constitutional
powers aud duties. The one, AT the head of which
stood Hamilton believing the Federal Government
to be too weak IN It's ofganza;lon to answer the pur
poses OF lis founders, sought enlarge its powers
and patronage by resorug 10 broad and laitudinar-
an constructions. For this purpose lie and his fol-
lowers pressed into their services that clause of the
instrument which speaks Of "ihe general welfare"
make all laws which shall be necessary aud proper
for carrying into execution The foregoing powers,
ana all other powers vested by the Constitution in the
Government of the u. States, or 10 any Department
or officer thereof" The first clause as they con
tended, authorized Congress to use the public mo-
ney Tor any purpose calculated, IN their opinion,
promote the general welfare whether the objects to
which 1t was 10 be applied were enumerated in the
express grants OF power not; and the last 70 nal
any law having tendency only g Granada m Oh
Ject for which they - authority 10 provide . or
r'e'', or conee"'ent for that purpose. Under this
'o,1eu ana loose construction, they proceeded
'aollsh The Funding Sytem; 10 create Ma
uo"s' Bank; to enact an Alien and Sedilion
Law; TO convert The taxing power granted for the
purpose OF raising revenue for specific objects, in
to a protective power fer the encouragement Of
manufacturers and TO project and partly to execute
magnificent system of Internal movements in
volvng enormous expenditures, under the direction
and control of Federal agents. by which sectional in
teresls mig be swayed, aud States themselves be
purchased. They said, indeed, that there was no
room FOR doubt that whatever concerns the general
interests OF learning, OF agriculture, of manufactures,
and OF commerce, are within the sphere Of the
lional councils, Ear regards appcton OF mo
ney;" and some of then leaders have gone far, as
10 assert that the words of the Preamble to the Con
sulon justified still larger grant Of powers, aud
authorized every measure relating to the common
defence and general welfare, whether throug The APP
Pile alton OF money, or otherwise. Thus the Char
ter of our Rights and Liberties was in danger of
Welding constructions founded on the doctrines of
mplicatio and expediency, which defied all re-
s,raints and overwhelmed the best hopes of Repub-
icanism."
The principles Of The other party are to be found
embodied in the Resolutions OF kentucky and Vr-
GINA in 1893 and the report OF tue Committee Of the
Legislature of the latter State. adopted by the Gen
eral Assembly in 1900. We refer these noble doc
uments explanatory of the creed we still proud
TO ackuowledge--We refer to them as the exponeuts
of political faith, rendered douby dear to us by
the instructive lessons OF experlenceAnd we place
| Them prominently before yon presenting the com
mon grounds upon which may all rally in this criti-
cal uncture of affairs, in favor of an administration a.
greeting essentially with us in principle in opposition
to men who, without regard TO the true interpreta-
ton of the Constitution, advocate splendid and do
lusiye schemes of Government, which by charging
! its powers and patronage, its expenditures and means
Of corruption tend 10 precipitate it into centraliza-
lion or anarchy, and the State Governme nts into I'M
potency and contempt. lfquestions have more re-
Gently arisen, respecting rather The constitutional
distribution of powers in the Federal Government be-
argemcnt of them to the prejudice Of the rights of
the States, Questions not likely TO be brought up IA
gain by the present Chief Magistrate and if differ
OF opinion do exist in regard to the best mode
of conducting our fiscal concerns, we submit II to
your calm reflection, whether ought not, at least
Tor the present to suspend these controversies, I'M
til we the permanency OF the triumph Of our
most cherished principles, by restricting the Gener
al Government, through the means OF a proper
choice of public agents, to the few great and SIM
pie objects of its creation, and by reversing all
the measures which have originated IN the feuefa
school.
Rnt npth,ps il will he said thai these not the