Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-09-10


blench. In that was your only peril In the strife OF
minds, there is danger 10 the bold To the sedfas,
will-the faithful henrt-the righteous purpose-all
things possible. Before these, all obstacles disap-
pear and all the shapes OF terror melt into air. have
been with you, Sir, in spirit | have the shapes
that surrounded you-l have heard their mutered
threats, and burned to hear you breathe your
upon them burned 10 hear you say,
"YGu cannot tempt
have not heen your du.e, your prey.
stand upon my strength do defy,
Spnrn back and scorn yr. Back yc hailrd icnds'!!
flencetorth there IS no fellowship between you and
lhem-betwcen the willy seducer and the intended VIC
tim Of his detected arts-no fellowship.
..fon are not of their order, but belong
To uller powcrsn
What did these require Of YOU | forbore to
speak Of il heretofore in lis character. Delicacy
torbad it. Decorum fobad il. To denounce any act
in advance, criminal and Infamous, is 10 hold Ian
guage which every man OF honorable sensibity will
feel 10 be the language Of menace and insult. Such
language did not chose 10 use. left il TO those who
alternately sought 10 aud bully you to your de-
srucon. But now, that the trial is past ask, ''What
did these men require Of you Was any thing but
PERJURY Were the shallow sophisms they suggest
ed really intended 10 convince your Judgment, and
tisfy your conscience Or, were they but hints of
which YOU might avail yourself 10 gloss over your
crime, 10 those who might be SILLY enough TO bc'evr
you sincere You know that they. whose esteem is
necessary 10 the comfort OF your life, too clear
sighted To be thus deceived Call up the forms Of the
.
ship you have Of pride, than in the honors
of your Office Confront yourself IN Imagination with
one Of thcse-con.ont yourself with MIR. Tazewell-
mark his lofty bearing-meet the calm, cold scrutiny
Of his eyeand, while ne reads your thoughts say 10
him thus III think as | have always thought, on
the constitutional question; and had heen free act
nv opinion, man. and had i taken, as man,
the oath defend the Constitution, should have com
mtted perjury IN signing the bill. But precedent has
asceriained the opinion of the President such That
0iI,tp
frnd the Constitution being taken by me- as PreSiden
bound me To defend it according to that established o.
fciut opinion Ny conscience is clear did not pledge
IT BY my oath; for, 1t IS only as an tndtrdaat that
have conscience. The President, as such has none;
and It was only as President that | took the official
oath"
Could you go through this mockery, Sr' Did your
pure minded friend permit you to touch his hand
would he suffer you 10 hold il long enough TO finish this
speech? And let the Of this interview be that
old metropolitan village iustrious IN lirgrnIas his.
tory the theatre of noble Deeds and the nursery OF
mighty hearis-let it be there and when thus spurn-
ed look around for sympathy, and iook in rain. Aye
there's the rub. IL is not the least part of your
offence If can understand the indictment, that you
have had the fear of poor old Williamsburg before your
eyes What compliment do they pay her, who thus
identify her with that OF honor, that love OF honest
fame that pride in dong right, that seis-rfnonncns
spirit sacrificing every thing Tor conscience sake Tor
which you have dared to brave the wrath OF faction,
which boasts itself speaking and cteldtng the sove-
rern will of the people Of the United States But IS
il the Ering only Of that grassgrown village that you
would dread TO meet Are there spirits OF the wise,
and and good of other days. haunting her streets
that might pass before your face and cause your
hair to rise, and your flesh TO trembe Could you
gaze on the mouldering wall Of that old Capitol,
once the scene of the noblest and the boldest act
recorded in the annals of Freedom, and not fear that
The stern eve of your brave Father might look out
from the ruins and blast you God forbid these
thnrs should ever cease TO influence you when
your conscience is scared, as with hot iron, you
NAV disregard them Not till then.-And say to
these gentlemen, | pray you, sir, that II the hiSto-
Ran shall trace TO old Williamsburg the first move
toward the cmancp patton of Virginia from worse than
colonial yassalage, TO those who have so long tusked
her sweat and atiened her substance, he will take
il as proof that are least apt TO degenerate when
surrounded by memorials Of the virtues the honors and
The sacrifices of their ancestors.
You did not ccndescend, in your message to the Sc
mute 10 ,ake any notice OF the sophism have Just en-
deo vored 10 expose. You right. You could not
have done il in terms consistent WIN your own u'e"'y
II can only be spoken of III dcris'on
will YOU pardon me- If add word on that other
cheating device which was presented under the name
Of Compromises j.
The tender of any thing, by way Of compromise, IN
volved an admission OF two things
That YOU were known TO entertain the OPINION,
that no Branch Bank OF discount be lawfully es-
ablished in any State, but by the authority OF such
State.
,. That, holding this opinion, you were not to be ex-
nected to sanction any Bill authorizing the esiaosh'
men Of branch Banks of discount in any State, but un
der the authority of such State.
A third proposition results inevitably from these,
which NAV be stated thus: If Mr.. Clays bill does IN
fact propose 10 authorize the establishment OF branch
Ranks in any State otherwise than under the authority
Of such State, ii would be your gh, and your duty TO
rejectit. .,. -
These were the data from which alone you could be
reour.d to reason and from these you did reason 10
show that you were bound to do what you have done
What propose to myself is little more than re
stating of your argument but hope to draw II out mo
such chain of reason and inference, that every d"
ucr at least shall that he must break INK Oh aoa
Inant, before he can deny your conclusion.
All reatirc rights the creatures OF Law" anu at .e
rights of artificial persons necessarily So
r9ht can be exercised within the limits OF any s.ae
bnt in virtue of the law of that State or the law OF the
II s IT, in any case, therefore, the power OF Ion
is petent to confer the right, The law oil the
State can alone confer it, If the power OF congress
ADEQUATE 10 confer the right, the acton OF the Sae
unnecessary. If not, State law is lnd'spensaoie.
The manner Of the enactment OF laws IS, ID eacn
State prescribed By the State Constitution il cannot
he presumed that Congress can clam authority 20 d'c-
s,r 10 any S;ate new form Of legislative enactment
nnt nown n it's Constitution. When the Constitution
.be alu.on here the separate and Independent Deeara-
ou Of du.ndeaes by Virginia, the 18th Of May, l776