Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-10-13
Democratic Speaking.

4
Democratic Speaking.
Dropping in at the Masonic Hall, Friday
night, we found "the Democracy" in con-
clave, and listened to two short addresses
from Messrs Samuel j. Booker and Aus
tin NJ. Tribe. The former gentleman
treated US to, what is quite rarely vouch
saied to MS by Democratic orators. an ar
gument and the latter INDUCED in some
very handsome defamation. We will
do both gentlemen the justice Of saying.
that they acquitted themselves credita-
bly, in their separate departments.
Mr.. Booker gave condensed and cur
sorry history Of the formation Of our Fedc-
, raj Union, and attempted to deduce from
1t the conclusion that the respective States
} of which it is composed, are and have ever
been, independent and sovereign-and of
consequence, endowed with the right to
resume the powers they have delegated to
the Federal government, whenever, in the
judgment ANY one of them, those pow
crs have been abused. To sustain this posi-
ton, we thought, Mr.. Booker assumed the
main point in issue. He contended that
the original confederation was designed
mainly as commercial alliance, and for
the purposes of foreign intercourse and
common defence;-but he failed to remark
that for these purposes the States entered
into "a perpetual Union.' as is distinctly
and repeatedly declared in the Articles of
| Confederation. He told US what was the
necessity for, and the objects Of the Con
stitution, but did not mention that the first
object recited in the preamble, was to
form "a more perfect Union, more per-
feet, than WHAT Undoubtedly more per-
feet than that perpetual Union which
had already been formed, and with the de-
sign Of more efiectually securing its per-
petuity- This was the chief purpose Of
the Constitution under which we now live.
I 10 consummate this object, it was found
necessary that the States should surrender
certain essential elements of the sovereign
ty, which Mr.. Booker supposed them still
TO possess, and on which he based their
, right to dissolve the compact. Among
these were the right TO declare war and
make peacc--to form treaties with Foreign
powers-to coin money-to regulate com
mercc with Foreign States--io establish
postal regulations,and other rights, without
{ the possession ofwhieh, no State cau,in the
proper sense ofthe word, be S0eereigR-
Did the States (ha,ing, in their then
sovereign capacities, The right 10 do SOY in
tend to make a full, faal, and irrevocablc
surrender of these rights The answer is
to be found in the fact, tlattheir relinqush-
: ment was found necessary 10 form the Union
and that Union, it US declared, should
he perpetual II we arc right IA this view
, Of the subject, Mr.. Booker's arugment,
: founded on the original and continued SOW
: creignty ofthe States, falls to the ground.
He furthermore argued that the Fedc-
raj Government was formed by the State
Governments, in their relation as separate
;. Statcs--was in fact the creature of the
: State Governments, and that it was para
dox TO suppose the creature greater than
d the creator. We do not think it nccessa-
ry at present to consider, how far this posi-
ton is effected, by the fact that in ratifv-
o ing the constitution, the people in convcn-
: ton, and not the States as such, acted-it
; is Sufficient answer 10 say, that no single
State is the creator Of the Federal Govern
ment. Originally there were thirteen crea.
tors-now there are thrty-one. The crea-
I, ture may not be greater than the thirty
one creators, but lis PROFESSIONALLY great
er, than any one of them-the consentient
and embodied will of thirty equals being
more potent than that Of one dissentient
We understood Mr.. Booker 10 argue
further, that the separate states had given
no power to ,ac Fedral government. which
could rightfully be interposcd to prevent
state from Withdrawing from the Union.
1t is certain, that the Union is vested with
the full power Of selfprcservation. The
prime object Of its trainers, as we have
stated, was to make the Union, Heretofore
existing, "morc perfect" To accomplish
this they enacted thai:
This constitution and the laws of the
United States which shall be made in pur-