Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-12-11
HMo VIRGINIA, SATURDAY, DECEMBER Ii. 1s4. :,
POLITICS.

POLITICS.
TF-on he Mobile Adrertin, # Mon. 2b)
FRoa Tusc.LoosA-Gov. BAGBY ELECTED TO rhh
u. S. SExArE.-The followinging letter rece'eu yes
terday tells the tale: chron,csl
TUSCALOOSA, Nov. "a, ls4l:
Dear Sir. I drop you only q line by the mai Whcn
leaves this evening, to say that Gov; Dago y,a " on the
Senator in Congress in the place OF Z. I. Clay ," .e
ID ballot. The Vote on the last ballot was
A. P. Bagby % Vo'es'
DR.. ID. Moore 81
Scattering e.
Three Wings voted for Bagby, viz; MIR. Sm'lI u
Tuscaloosa, Mr.. Alexander OF Lowndes' ana VIZ !
tice of Dale. .,
Mr.. Williams was elected Judge ofthc County Court
of Lowndes on the Sd ballot.
The Bank Committee have reported charges OF a ma,
ture involving the personal character OF Mr. itlce Oh
Talladepa, General Garnett (now deceosed) OF Chero-
kee. and a Mr.. Douglas, who died IN our CITY d e"
weeks since. These are founded on transactions WIN
the Decatur Bank.
r. similar charges arc sPokeH-oi aga"rst q e"o u :.
the Senate, (now nameless) and perhaps others. none
of them connect themselves with our Bank.
Tonight, we have the Inauguration Ball IN honor OF
Gov. Fitzpatrick. He is an agreeable man as you know,
and appears to be kindly received by all parties.
Yours, &c.
Gentlemen of the Senate and House Of REPRESENTATIVES:
With a feeling of unaffected gratitude for the conii'
dence which a majority of my iellow-ciuzens nave {
posed in me, by electing me to the responsible ONCE OF
the Chief Executive Magistrate OF the Stale. ana WIN
a settled determination TO requite that confidence, Us
far as | can, by an assduous de votion OF my ieeoie ann
ties to the public service, | present myself before you,
10 incur The solemn obligations enjoined by the Consul
tuition, and to assume the high and responsible oules
assigned me.
In accordance with q custom proper on such occa-
sions, | avail myself ofthe present opportunity pnbiicly
TO ayow my opinions on some of the leading quesuons
of State and Federal policy, which have so long anu
are destined still longer, to divide the pubic mlna.
To the State Governments belong the preservation
Of much the larger class of individual rights, immedi,
ately appertaining to the security OF lie, liberty anu
property; but the extent TO which even these rights are
affected by the constitutional action OF the Federal Io-
vernment, and the still greater extent to which they
are involved by the unauthorized assumption oil fede-
raj power, would seem to require upon such questions
the most open and frank avowal of sentiments from
every important depository of public trust even IN The
State Governments. That agent OF State authority IS
but little to be trusted, who is willing to compromise
the individual rights of the citizen, or that aggregation
of individual rights which attaches 10 the State as a So
vereign member Of the Contederacy, to theory oil the
Constitution, which by the mere force OF construction
comedies TO the Federal Government powers not only
andciegated, but which by the terms Of the instrument
are expressly reserred 10 the States respectively, or 70 !.
the people. | hold that neither the States in their H.
mited capacity, nor does Congress, possess any inhe-
rent power or original existence us a body polite; that
inc CONSTITUTION u q COUpdCl oClHVCh ~ 49,.
States in their sovereign capacity as States that the
Federal Government is the creature OF that compact,
possessing no powers than such as are expressly con
ferred, or such as are Unnecessary and proper to carry
into effect some previously granted power. ,
Those who assert the competence OF the Federal
Government, so far as to dispute the right OF the State,
through any or all of its functionaries, TO examine, dis
cuss, or in any manner to scrutinize The authority OF
the Federal Government, must forget that the FIRST step
to ascertain the limits of State Power, is to know TO
what extent that power originally belonging TO them as
sovereigns, has been delegated TO the Federal Govern.
ment, and that in questions of disputed power, TO yield
10 that Government the exclusive prerognuve oil Juos-
ing Of its own powers; and as a consequence, TO Tx the
limits Of State Power, is at once to annlhIlate the State
Governments, by making the creature supreme and
controlling over its creators.
Believing therefore that the States are the only
counterpoise under our system, to the consolidating
tendency Of Federal authority, and that to their Jeal-
ons scrutiny we can alone look for combining the Fede-
raj Government within the limits prescribed by the
Constitution, | should have be been false TO the high
trust to which have been called, and 10 my long'cher-
ished convictions, not to have thus publicly taken the
earliest occasion TO avow the opinion, that the hrst step
in sustaining the sovereign right of the States, and
the liberties of the people, is TO check the already over
grown power of the Federal Government. The pre-
seQt time is pregnant with admonitions. The distribu-
ton of the nett proceeds Of the public lands is but an
attempt to buy up the State and make them stipen-
diaries of the Federal Government, under a fund
wrung from the labor Of their own citizens, and un-
der the h~agitious assumption that the power 10 aus
tribute does not involve the necessity OF taxation
to nm equivalent amount. He must be blind to the na-
ture of human action, who does not see IN this scheme
of distributing a portion of the Public Revenue, an art
fully devised plan Of assuming, to that extent, the State
debts, throwing the whole burthen of supporting the
Federal Government upon import duties, and OF reViv-
inn a5ain an unconstitutional Protective Tariff. In
principle. it is liable to all the constitutional objections
of appropriuting Federal money TO local objects, while
in practice, II will lead to the greatest p~rofligacy and
corruption in the State Governments, by causing them
to look to the Federal Government as the great almoner,
who at all times stands ready TO rcplenlsh their waste
fully exhausted Golfers. +.
If TO this picture of Federal ACKNOWLEDGEMENT and
State and popular degradation, be added the reunion
of Bank power, in the hideous form of another uncon-
stitutional United States Bank, the advocates OF I'M
piled and constructive powers will have succeeded in
giving the finishing touch to our institutions, by en-
graninq on them all The usurpations which they have
so long and so laboriously struggled to effect. | have
adverted to these topics not to increase the acrimony
of party discussions, which already exist in the coun-
try. hut in this distinct form 70 renew the pledges OF
nv whole life, in opposition to principles which no.
nestly believe must end in the destruction OF our State
Governments, and the subversion of our Republican
Institutions. g.
Not presuming in this address, and at this period of
the session. TO encroach upon the more appropriate du-
ties of the very able and distinguished Chief Magis-
trate Of the State whose official station l am now ABOUT
10 assume, by making a recommendation OF any oist'nct
1 lRDtSlltlvc uCIOU, j uOpS I oia ~ PA'N"
mari. that in the practical administration of all govern
ments, economy is one of the highest of public virtues.
The essence of modern oppression, is taxation. The
measure of popular liberty may be found in the amount
of money which is taken from the people to support
Tie Government, when the amount is increased beyond
the requirements of a rigid economy, the Government
becomis %profigate and oppressive.
should do injustice perhaps to the history OF our
State legislation, not to say, that so far, there have been
but few fany gross and aagrant departures from a be.
coming economy in the expenditure of the public mo-
ney by our State legislature. Perhaps no State in the
Union has heretofore found less cause OF complaint OF
actual prodigality, and yet it is a problem of great diff.
cultv 10 saw, 10 what extent our finances may be embar-
rassed by the revulsions which have oVertaken our
Site Bank and its Branches, in common, more or less,
with every form of paper credit known to the civilized
Whether the paper system will ever recover from
these revulsions, begins to be, with many, a matter of
serh us doubt; certain it is, that no one has yet been
ably 10 devise a panacea which will relieve the Banks
= -. c.L.:- .nbaronf fondanrv IN ercass nf