The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1843-12-27
REPUBLICAN MEETING.
MACON.
DECEMBER, 1S43.

AT meeting Of the Observation-Disclosures Of North
ampton county, assembled at Capevile on Saturday,
the 10th of December, ls43, pursuant 10 public no
tice, motion of John l.. Upshur, Esq, DANIEL
FircHErr, Esq was called to the Chair and, on mo-
ton of A T. Gray, Esq, JONI f. NoTTNGHAM Esq.
was appointed Secretary
DR.. Jesse J. Simpkns then delivered an address,
explanatory of the objects Of the meeting After
which, motion Of John l.. Upshur the following
gentlemen were appointed by the Chair committee
10 draft preamble and resolutions expressive Of the
political opinions Of the meeting, viz John l.. Up
shur, Jesse J. Simkins, A. G. Gray, Miles w. Fish
er, DIR. T. J. l.. l.. Nottingham, Dr. William A.
Thom George r. Fi,chett n 5. Gofigon Robert
b. Nottingham, and Thomas Halle,t. The commit
tee having retired after time returned, and
ported the following preamble and resolutions.
The silent, though rapid marches which the Fede-
raj Government has made within few years last
past towards the consolidation Of the States
of this Coniederacy, cannot but fill with just
alarm the mind of every true friend Of consti-
tutonal liberty The conviction that the ber-
ties of the People will not survive the consoli-
da,ion of the States composing Federal
Union, is one which forces itself. with IRE.
sistible power, upon every who has carefully in.
vestsated and seriously reflected upon the nature Of
our institutions The Constitution Of the United
States is compact tr,aty between separate free,
sovereign, and independent States and the Federal
Government possesses no POWER which that inslru-
mcnt does not confer. Such, however has been the
construction given to that instrument by certain
party OF this country, as TO confer upon the General
Government political omnpotencc utterly subyer-
siye of the rights of the States, and which must II
not resisted, prove at dsan, period destructive of
freedom itself No motives Of expedency, no tenn
porary benefit 10 be derived therefrom-indeed no
alleged necessity, justify the slightest infraction
Of the compact Of union between the States, by the
Federal Government-unlcss the interests of the
several States be identical, any other than most
guarded and strict construction OF the Federal Con-
stitution cannot be resorted 10, without hazarding
consequences dangerous IN the extreme. The histo.
ry of man IN all ages, and under all governments,
clearly atests his proneness to whatever interest in
vtes and power enables him to do and hence the
necessity for conventional restrictions upon, and
chartered limits to- his power. Indeed, the history
Of ourown country is far from being silent upon this
subject Sectional interests controlling the action
Of the Federal Government have, in more than one
instance caused the Constitution Of this Union
to be violated and the rights Of many Of the States
to be Hagrantly and njuriously invaded. In the
two acts establishing Banks Of the United States
in the repeated laws establishing protective duties
TO say nothing Of other laws that could be mentoped
clearly recognised infractons Of our compact Of
Union and infractions, too of the most dan.
gerous character. These invasions of the Federal
Constitutinn arc
Jealousy and alarm the fears Of the People of the
Southern States. Differing materially in climate in
soil, in pursuits and consequently in interest from
the Northern States, and oyerborne in the Federal
Government by numerical superiority, il is per-
iectly manifest, that the rights of the Southern
States Of this Confederacy depend solely upon
strict construction Of the Federal Constitution and
faithful execution Of its provision, so construed
Now # that dependence be destroycd-if that en-
trenchment be forced-if that shield be broken. he
must be blind indeed who can fail to see that there
viii remain for the South no other peaceful resort
BE It, therefore, by the Democratic Republicans
oil Northampton, in public meeting assembled.
Resoired That the Constitution OF the United States
being a compact Il union for specific and limited
purposes, between free, sovereign aud independent
States equally respects the rights Of all the State,
and coniers upon majority OF the States no power
over INC rights OF minority OF the same, which is
not authorized by strict construction of thai in,tru
mcnt.
h'sotrsd, That the Virginia resolutions Of 'os and
the Kentucky resolutions Of 90, contain The ,r,s
rules Tor The construction Of that Constitution ar com
gact
R,soired, That we recognise the ptipein,s n IN,
I true Jefsrsonian school a. the oni, a.,,,;n. ~
cratic Republican principles.