Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-01-04

are to sever themselves from the Union.
In one or two Of the States, indeed, as in the
States of VIRGINIA and NORTH CAROLINA, propo-
sitions have been made, probably with too little
calculated to bring each of them in
conflict with the Government. In both States,
designs hostile to the Government of the United
States are disavowed, the People OF those States
holding the idea of breaking up the Union in de-
served detestaon and no direct proposition having
that object even remotely in view would be for
a moment countenanced by the Legislature of
either OF these States. II may be very well ques.
toned, however, if the two leading propositions in
those bodies-the one, theoretic, to recognise the
right of secession" by any State; the other,
practical, to exclude the products of one State, or
range of States, from another State-be no! each
of them fraught with more real danger to the Union
than the undisguised proposition of South Carolina
to hew it asunder
Let us hope, however, that eventually neither OF
these propositions will receive the assent of the
Legislatures Of the States in which they depend
ing; or that, if they do, the mischief will be
promptly rebuked by the People of those States,
in whose bosoms devotion to the Union is no affec
tation, but deep-seated sentiment.
With regard to the right of SECESSION, which, as
State Rights doctrine, presented a bold front a
gear ago in the Capital Of Virginia, puming itself
upon its derivation from the Resolutions of l79S99,
and Mr.. Madison's Report Of that day-the error
Of which was then exposed and exploded by pro-
ducing the authority Of Mr.. MADISON himself,
directly against tive never expect to hear
of it again as doctrine Of the State Rights school,
after the evidence which has been just brought to
light that in the opinion of the Head and Oracle OF
that school, SPENCER RoANE, and his political asso
cates, expressed more than forty years ago" sEcEs-
SION" is TREASON" The occasion which called
forth this denunciaton Of doctrine which last year
found many supporters in Virginia, was doubtless
the threat of secession thrown out from New Eng
land about that time, when suffering under the excru-
ciating pressure Of an unlimited embargo. like
menace, as some of our readers may remember, was
subsequently reiterated on the floor Of the House OF
Representatives, by distinguished gentleman who
then represented the city of Boston in Congress,
(who yet lives-and has lived long enough to re-
gard as dream the scenes in which he in his
younger days bore part;) who declared with
studied precision of language that certain bill
THAT for the admission Of Louisiana into the Unon
" would free the States from moral obligation, and,
as it would be the RIGHT Of all, it would be the
duty Of some to prepare for separation, peacea-
L bly, If they could, VIOLENTLY IF THEY MUST"
Whatever the occasion which extorted it, the
sentiment of the Virginia patriarch, repeated in
substance and unanswerably enforced by Mr.. Ma
OLSON more than twenty years afterwards, is true ;
the violent secession of State from the Union,
as it cannot be effected without levying war against
the United States, Is Treason, and nothing less
When it comes to be understood by persons Of the
present generation, under whatever party banner
they have heretofore ranged themselves, the doc
trine Of the Right Of Secession originated with the
Essex Junto, was arraigned and condemned, as soon
as promulgated, by the Conscript Fathers of the
Ancient Dominion, and is, as now revived, but a
sickfy sprout from the root of Modification, we
shall hear more, be assured, from any respecta-
BILE quarter, of State Secession, whether, as has
been figured in the flowers of oratory, as grace
full retirement from the Union, or in the form, more
consistent with the reality, of fearful and fatal
avulsion of one of its limbs from the body of the
Republic. 3..,
And now, with regard to the proposition, favor
ed by many good Wings as well as Democrats,
friends to the Union too, for bringing back through
the taxing power Of the individual States, the dis
cord and dissonance Of Legislation between the
States and Congress which existed under the old
Confederation and bringing it back, too, with the
avowed intent of commercial retaliation or war
fare upon Sister States those persons must
be blinded by unreasonable resentments, who
do not at once perceive that any such legislation
would be directly against the spirit and intent Of
the Constitution of the United States. To bring
the matter more plainly to the apprehension Of
those Of our readers who may not have had time
or occasion to look into it before, we quote from
the Message of the Governor of Virginia to the Le-
gislature-being the most respectable source from
which the proposition has been directly made
his recent recommendation of such taxation, as
follows @...
EXTRACT FROM GOVERNOR rLerDs MESSAGE.
and earnestly recommend your consideration the
propety Of laying tar upon all the products of the non
slaueholdng STATES offered for sale ,thin territory 1t
be easily accomplished, and WILL in my opinion, consti.
the persuasive Of all arguments ensure proper
recognition Of our rights
Let inspectors be appointed for each county and town in
the State, whose duty shall be examine all manufactures
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