Arkansas democratic banner., 1851-06-03
Virginia Resolutions of l79S.
Drum up by Jomes aiisoH, m the Virginia House of Delegates; Friday, December 2l, 179s.

Drqirn up by Jomes Madison, m ute Virginia House
 of Delegates; Fraay, December 2l, 179S.
 Rcsoiuai. That the General Assembly of Virginia unequiyoeally express firm resolution to main tam and d. fend the Constitution ot the United States, against every aggresslon either foreign domestic; and that they will support the Govern ment of the United States iu all measures warsan- ted by the former.
 That this Assembly most soemnly declares a warm attachment 10 the Union of the States to ma atan which, it pledges its powerS and that, for this end il Is their duty 10 watch over and oppose every mfraeuon of those pnnciples which conSiI- ute the only basis of the tnIon--beeause faith ful observance of them can alone secure its sSls- tance and the public happiness
 That thls Assembly doth explicitly and peremp tony declare thatit views the powers ot the Fed etal Government as resulting from the Compact to which the States are parties, as limited by plain sense and intention of the instrument constituting that compact, as no farther vaitdt then they are authorized by the grants enumerated m that com pact; and that Tn case of deliberate, palpable, aud dangerous exercise of other powers not granted by the said compact, the States who are parties thereto have the right. and are in duty bound to nerpose, for areSung the progress of the evil, and for maintaining within theIr respective llmlts the authorities, rights, and liberties appertanng to them.
 That tue Great Assembly doth 5lso express its deep regret that a sptTIt has, n SuadTy instances been manifested, by the Federal Government, to enlarge it's powers. by forced constructions of the constitutional character which defines them; and that indications have appeared of design 10 ex pound certain general phrases (whleh, baving been copied from the very limited grant Of powers in the former articles of Confederation, were the less liable to be ,nisconsIued, so to destroy the pteanng and effect of the particular enumeration which necessarily explains and hints the general phrases, and So to consolidate the States, by degrees, into one Sovereignty-tbe obvious tenden cy and inevitable result of which would be to transform the present Republican System of the Unted States into an absolute, Of at best, mixed Monarchy.
 That the General Assembly doth particularly protest against the palpable and alarming lnifac- tons of the Constitution in the two late cases 0f the " Alien aud Sedlion Acts" passed al the last session ol Congtess; the first of which exercises power no where delegated to the Federal Govern nent, and which by ualtIHg Legislative and udi- eiai powers to those of Executive. subgerts the general principles Of ifce government, as well as the organizaton anA positive provisions Of the Federal Constitution; and the other Of hich Acts exercises like manner, power not delegated by the Constitution, bat, on the contrary. expressly and positively ol bidden by one of the sndHlentS thereto--a power which, more than any other, ought 10 produce universal alarm, because II IS leyeied against the right Of freely examining pub lie characters and measures, and Of free cemmani- cation among the people, thefeoa, which has ever been justly deemed the only elfeetual guardian ol every otief riglti
 That this slat hay ig, ty lis Convection which ratified tue Federal Constitution, expressly ds elafed. that, among othef essential nights, "the liberty of conscience and of the press caBRot be cancelled. abridged, rrstrasnea or modified, by any sathoniY of the United Sta,es; and from is extreme anx!cty to gasrd these rlghis fEom every possible attack of sophistry and ambition, having with other States, recommended m amendment for that purpose-~which aInendine al was, In due time annexed to Inc .Conststutioa--lt would mark re- PFoachfa inconsistency, and criminal degeneEaey, Ii an indifference were DOW shown to thz most pal pable violation of one of the rights thus declared and secured; and to the estabgsh1ent Of PTece- deat which may De fatal to Inc other.
 That the good people of this coaamonw edith, having ever fell, and continuing 10 feel, the nost sincere affection for theR brethren of the other States, the uest anxiety for establishing and per peinatIng he union of all. and the most scrupu- loas fidelity to that Constitution. which ig the pledge Of mutual friendship, and the instrument of mutual happiness--the General Assembly doth solemny sppealto the like disposition in the other States, m confidence that they will concur with