The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1843-12-15
From the Richmond ENQUIRER.
JOHN NICHOLAS-(No. III.)

JOHN NlCHOLAS-(No. III
To the People Of Virginia more especialy-aad TO the
People # The United States gene1allp
FelIow-citizens: But the Republicans of that day,
having taken these positions in the abstract deemed
it duty to put them into practice And in order TO
arrest the operation of the Sedion Law with the Ii.
mts of Virginia, that State, not by a State CoAyen-
ton called solely for that purpose but by mere or
binary Legislature, passed law the 29th Decem
ber 1898, declaring that elf any person shall arrest
or prosecute, or be aiding abeting in arresng or
prosecuting member or members of the Virginia
Legislature for account Of any words spoken or
WRIT n, any proposition made, proceedings had in
the Senate or House of Delegates every such
so Offending shallbe deemed guilty of msdemeanor
and shall be apprehended, committed and tried before
the General Court or superior Court of law and
being convicted thereof by the verdict Of iury shall
suffer Imprisonment not exceeding one year and nav
a hne mt exceeding two thousand dollars That
such member of the Legislature arrested or impris
oned, may apply to the General Court or Superior
Court, or TO any Judge thereof in vacation for writ
OIL haoeas corpus and, upon return thereof, such
person shall be liberated and discharged
IL may not be amiss TO remark, that just about this
time the Legislature of Virginia caused an armory
and foundry TO be erected, for the manufacture of
arms and cannon. Ii fortunate that the Legisla
ture did not find II necessary to proceed further into
the practice OF notification aud resistance hut il j.
undeniabe, that the principle of resistance to law
not made in pursuance of the Constitution is fully as
serted and carried into practice
This was followed up by letter Of instructions or
the llh January, 1900, from the General A Assembly
of Virginia, to her Senators in Congress. See Madi
sons Report, page L. This letter, among other
things INSTRUCTED The Senators TO oppose the passage Of
any law founded on, or recognizing the common Law
OF England as in force, under the Government Of the
United States.
Meanwhile, the resolutions Of the DIST December
1898, having received rep les from number of the
States, the General Assembly of Virginia deemed il
rel ~ taxi Ia tha a,
her resolutions Of 1898, and to examine more full
ly the several objections and arguments which had
been urged against them by the different State Legis-
laures.
This was done by Mr.. Madison in his most truly
celebrated State paper, known as Madison's Report
And on the 10Th of January, $50 the General As
sembly OF Virginia ordered FIVE THousAsD Cores
OF this great manifesto TO be distributed among the
good people Of the Commonwealth. OF Virginia.
This reply TO the objections Of the Federal States
being unanswerable, none was attempted. A com.
pete and thorough change in public opinion was eff.
fecied Jefferson was elected President Of the United
States, and the sun of Federalism was believed to
have set forever This Report for its splendor and
beauty the correctness OF IFS constitutional doctrines
the severity Of its logic, and the accuracy of its me-
thod, but more particularly for the signal triumph
which IT wrought on the public mind became the
textbook Of politicians and has been Justly esteemed
the Magma Chsrta of the United States Its influence
throughout the whole Union was extensive and abid
ing but nowhere much so as in Virginia where
the valuable precauon insaallu taken to distri.
butte, without any delay, this Palladium Of Constit
tional Liberty among the good people Of that ancient
Dominion, by authentic and accredited copies, ungar-
bed and entire.
The term Federalist becomes odious all deserr if
who can, especially Of the rising generation During
tins period OF complete triumph celebrated gazette
called the Examiner, the organ of the Republican
party transferred TO the hands Of its present edi
tor and proprietor, who gave it the name Of the En-
of de IN fr,,fI,
raised the flag Of NEniTE SANS pEURn
Under this beautiful emblem, floating from the
walls of the capital Of the anceut Dominion il will
readily be conceded that he has done the State some
service, and that this has been among the very few
Gszettes IN which the editor has had the moral cou
rage, being truly intent truth to admit into his co.
lums, disqulshons and essays in opposition to his
favorite doctrines Of the strict school of Stale
Rights and Virginia
Never was there society so fully imbued with the
genuine principles Of American liberty and Of the
true defences Of this Constitution for the United
States, as were the god People of Virginia at this
epoch.
The State pride was fully gratifed One of the
most favored sons Of this ancient Dominion was
placed in the Presidential Chair, TO carry out into
practice the distractions with which he and Madison
and host Of Others had combsed the heresies and
misdeeds Of Federalism. He had been mainly aided
IN this arduous struggle by two others of Virgina's
ayorite sons, upon whom public opinion was rapidly
setting, to Jefferson TO carry out and
continue and settle the great principles of American
liberty, and TO show TO the world that the fondcst
anticpations in theory were TO be carried out into
a consistent and manly practice. There were others,
who each filed his proper sphere in this eventful
struggle. Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe had, as
their associates and compeers, Pcndleton, wythe,
Randolph, Nicholas, RoaDe, Tucker, Brent, Giles,
Mason, Jones, farewell, and a host Of such choice |
spirits.