Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-10-06
POLITICAL.
BE-.
LEI. MERSTEK
From TIC Glote.J


THE HONORABLE DANIEL WEBSTER
If there be any man VINO, more 'iah ahy o.,''i
of the are has, by the force OF nus ta!e's' 'c au'o
v or hrs postion and the uniform current OF ms Po-
co, course laborcd TO destroy the doctrines OF the
JaTarsoniau school, the Hon Daniel Webster is the
man. , =, l,, &C
Whatever opinion may exs: about the wisao'n OF
the man. the power OF his character the purity OF nus
natives or the sendor of his abilities, all agree 'hat
he has been the warmcst admrer, tue closest "''.'
Gar the boldest defender and the most conPreheh'
;ye exenplar OF the old Federal party OF any living
man. ,,os
In Gen. William II. Harrisous speech, delivered
n Cheyiot in the State Of Ohio, the ith july 1901
and which speech was published IN me newspapers
pamphleted and widely circulated over ms own proper
name, he says: J.. -, p..rop,,
81 recommend to YOU, fellow citizens, the frocla"a
ZION of The President of the IT, s. issued on the uh "
Dec last and the speeches Of Mr.. Webster, delivered
in The Senate oithe L. 5 at the last session OF Congress
IN answer to the arguments o! Nr Iaih"ai, rs 'o'a
mo the mast eloquent md satisfactory FrpoS'omS o. ~"
,r;,r;n,,S on nhich the GOrernmsRt Of ar thom IS
iiJ ,s., bars bern rereafig pu5jishcd. BY ISSUING
that Proclamatien think Gen Jackson has renaefe"a
service TO his country OF greater magnitude thah hs
splendid victory at New Orleans
Mr. Webster is doubtless eloquent man None
denv his elocuence, even when eNerted against ti'
cause of the people, and the sovereignty OF the Staes
He was eloquent when IN the House OF hrpresch'"
tves he denounced the war, and presageG the run" :"
his country from national resistance I" Engiish a'
fronNn
the Easte orator VIII he still conspicuous when
IA bold d;fance o,lIc public veal, he declared IN me 'e
nate that he would not eniruSt three millions OF ""
10 the discretion of the Government, even though th
public enemy stood before the walls OF tie I"p'o WIN
The tnunders Of their artillery To battcrti down
Bu, the language n the orator, all such OCCASIONS
has DISPLAYED neither the wisdom OF constitutional
statesman the sentiments Of patriot, nor the spr' OF
crossed those Wholesome notions of Government winch
The most celebrated teachers OF Democracy bcqucathcd
10 us: and have rrevocaby pronounced, IN loud CON
tnuous tones, the political innera! OF TINS Federal
Achilles. =
That the speeches Of Mr.. Webster, which Gen. faE-
rso, an cordially exnls are the eloquent eiiusons OF
pracsed orator, may b. safely admitted bnt no De-
nocrat conversan with the political history OF the
country will admit that they conalnh the most saS'ac
tory eypos,ors of the principles oi tins government
And the wonder is that the blaze of eoquence should
conound the annals Of the Constitution the light Of
reason and the convictions OF truth.
few quotations from these celebrated speeches Wi!
suffice to show that Mr. Webster cndeavorcd to prove
,ha, the Federal Constitution is not compact between
The States IN their sovereign capacities That neither the
States nor the People have right TO interpret INC Con
stitution but that the final Interpretation OF that m
strument is exclusively vested IN the Genera! Govern
ment In explaining the nature OF government, the
cyecutes lis decisions by lis own supreme authority
lis use Of force IN compelling obedience 10 It's own en-
actments is not war 1t contempla'cs no opposing party
hayinu right of resistance. II rests on It's power |"
enforce It's own viii. and when i ceases 70 POSSESS
this no wer, il is no longer Government
81 do not agree says he, ''that the Constitution IS
, contract between States in their sovereign clPaci
ties
ain the Constitution it IS the people who speak, and
not the States.
81 contend that il riehtfuv belongs 10 Congress
and 10 the courts Of the T.. $, to settle, IN doubtful
eases The construction OF the Constitution, winch
the supreme law ;. .
possess in It's appropriate departments the authority Of
final decision on questions Of disputed power THINK
il possesses this authority By necessary implication anc
by express grant. =,
Conrress is the Legislature of all the people OF the
United States the Judiciary is the Judiciary Of all the
people of the United States and the laws OF this Lee
gisative power and the decisions of this judicial power
must be binding and over the whole
Congress must Judge Of the extent OF lis own
powers as often it IS called on 10 exercise thel
and must act indie pendent OF State c"ntr";.
"a control of the General Government over State
laws is granted in the Constitution
'rhe right of State interPos'tIon strikes NJ Tue very
foundation of he Legislative power Of Congress Ant
it possesses no effective Legislative power II such
right Of State interposition exists.
.sAll the limitations which the Convention which
framed the Constitution intended it has expressed; and
what II has left unrestricted much part OF its
will, as the restraints which IT has imposed
Now ii IS submitted TO every candid wcli-'ntorined
man. decide whether there nc any thing, IN any oil
atItud!nouS doctrines OF the ola Federal scHoo
which surpasscs in nonaTciIca! tendencies these Sc
veral positions which Mr.. Webster has advanced
They the very positions, against the prevalence Of
which the State Rights Republican party have always
protested; aud which in 7GS successfully cx.
Dosed III the celebrated Resolutions Of Virginia, the
Alien and Sedton Laws Taose resolutions expressl )
assert that the Constitution is compact between The
States and that il is not only the right but the duty o.
the several States 10 nterpose and 10 the cXcr
cse by The General Government Of every deliberate
n ptnd
BY that compact.
The language Of those resolutions is:
"That this Assembly doth explicitly and pcremptori.
" declare that il views the power Of the Federal Go
ycrnment rs resulting from the compact 10 which the
States are parties hunted br the plain and in.
ten,on Of the instrument constituting that compact as
no farther valid than they authorized BY the grants
enumerated that compact; and that, oil de-
hbcra'c, palpablc, and dangerous exercise "i other
powers not granted BY SAID compact, the States who
are parties thereto the light, and IL duty bound
nterposc for arrestng the progress OF me evil, and
Tor maintaining within their respective limits the actho
rites, rights and liberties appertaining to them.
"Thst the General Assembly doth also express Ms
deep regret tina, spirit has, sundry instances, been
manifested by the Federal Government to enlarge lis
powers by forced constructions at the constitutional
charter which defines them and that Indications have
appeared of design expound certain general phrases,
(Which, having been copied from the very limited grant
of pnwers in the former articles of considerations were
less liable TO be m'sconsrued,) US to destroy the
meaning and effect OF The particular which
necessarily explains and limits the general phrases and
30 rs consolidate the States by degrees INTO one
vereign,y, the obvious tendency and inevitable rcsul,
of which would be transform the present Republican
system of the U. States into absolute, best
mixed monarchy.
That the States were declared to be free and indie
pendent States the time they acquired their inde
pendence-that they acknowledged to be 50 by
the mother country in the treaty which terminated the
war, and secured their hbertes-that they were ecog
Missed in the same character under the OLD articles Of
confederation and that the present Constitution was
formed by convention Of the several States, after
wards submitted to them for their raticaton and was
ratified by them separately each for ITSELF and each by
rs own act binding It's citizens forms body OF evidence
which history has preserved, and which sophisry may
pervert, but cannot refne.
1t is intended to discuss here the merits Of the
controversy which grew out of the resistance of South