Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-09-18
POLITICAL.


tkc Oh StCcsShOHs
NUMBER Ill.
The lust authority of Gen. Jackson's 5
name, acts and teachings, has been assaied
by the advocates of secession. They feel
the weight of them pressing with crushing
| force: for these We're not the doctrines of
Gen. Jackson only, but they were sustain
ed by the whole Democratic party ofthat
day, with few exceptions, and by the party,
even with more unanimty, that, with Mr..
Clay at its head, had opposed Gen. Jack
son. The secessionlsts now say that Gen.
jackson modified his views, as expressed
in his state papers on the nulificstion diff
Guilty; and that the Globe so announced at
the time. 1t is true that an article was in
serted in the Globe, purporting to be with
the sanction of Gen. Jackson: bat mt ore
single act, or priacipie Of his arritings,
acas recanted. The article only purported
to be an explanation and defense against
misconstruciions, (not so much of particu-
lar doctrines as by general princi Piles
drawn from the wiiolc;) and all that the
explanation amounted 10 was, that Gen,
Jackson agreed with the doctrines of 49,
80. SO he did; but not with the construc-
| ton the secessionists placed on those doc
trines but that which Madison himself,
their author, put upon them: which con
struction, as we have shown, was in singu-
lar consistency with the principles Of Gen.
Jackson, already quoted by us. Nothing
was modifed-the text was not altered in
the least But even if ii had been TO some
extent, what would that avail, if not to the
extent of recanting the clearly expressed
opinion that state has no right to secede:
and who pretends thisl Was the prnci-
pie of the Force Bill recanted: a bill which
passed the Senate unanimously, John Ty-
Ter only excepted Did Gen. Jackson
mean to say, shortly after the notification
difficulty, and when the whole country
was applaudng him for his course, that
| he had been Just about enforcing by the
sword, a doctrine which was wrong and
unfounded! That he threatened to have
Calhoun & Co tried for high treason,
when they We're only pursuing consiitu-
tional privilege! Would not such charge
even disturb the repose of the august shade
of the warrior statesman in his eternal rest!
Gen. Jackson was not a recantlng man.
But what is something more than conciu-
sive, in that very "counterp proclamation 'C)
he re-asserts the doctrine that state has
not a right to nullify or secede. But, il
he recauted, he came back in March, 1887
In his Farewell Address, after saying that
"at every hazard, and by every sacrifice
LII. I l,,, hn x,s
''but in order to maintain the Union umm
paired, it is necessary that the laws passed
by the constituted authorizes should be
faithfully executed in eeery part of the
country, and that every good citizen should
at ali times stand ready 10 put down, witt
the combined force otthe nation, every at
tempt at unlawful resistance, under what
ever prctext it may be made, or whatcvci
shape it may assume. Unconstitutional ol
oppressive laws may no doubt be passed
BY Congress, either from erroneous views
or the want of due consideration; if they
are within the reach of judicial authority
the remedy is easy and peaceful: and i
from the character of the law, 1t is an a
buse of power not within the control OF tho
judiciary, then free discussion and calm ap
peais to reason and to the justice OF the
people, will not fail to redress the wrong
But until the law shall be declared void
by the courts, or repealed by Congress, nc
individual, or combination of individuals
can be justified in forcibly resisting its exc
cution."
"No citizen who loves his country wculo
in any case whatever, resort to forcibie re
sistance. unless he clearly saw that the
time had come when freeman should pre-
fer death to Submission; for if such a strug
gle is once begun, and the citizens oil one
section of the country arrayed in arms
gainst those OF another in doubtful conflict
let the battle result as it may, there will be
an end of the Union, and with it, an end Of
the hopes Of freedom"
In lS45, Gen. jackson wrote TO his
friend, f. P. Blair, Esq. then editor ofthe
Globe; and, speaking Of the displacing ol
Blair for Richie, said that Richie, ifmade
editor af the organ, would ruin the Dem
ocra,ic party "by his Virginia abstrac-
tions;" Of which distractions this dogma o
secession is the foremost. And Mr.. Richie
felcitates himself, in reply to Mr.. Rives,
that his cours on the southern questions
was sufficien; to disappoint any fears that
might have been entertained on that sub
ject.
And in his Farewell Address. he cites
with great appreciation. Gen. Washing
tons Address-"the unity of government
which makes you one people'-the ad-
monition "to frown down the suspicion
that the Union can, in any event, be aban.
doned," &c.
| Stress is laid upon the word "delega-
ted" in the 10th amendment TO the consti
tuition; and from this word it is sought to
be deduced, contrary TO the doctrines ol
Madison and jackson quoted by us, that
the state stiIl remains completely sovereign
as to the powers in the constitution; and
that the general government, or the ofii-
GERS of it, merely exercise them as her a
gents. This doctrine seems to US contra
dicted by the whole tenor of the Constitu-
ton; it would be difficult to show how ju-
dicial and executive powers could be ex-
ercised as mere delegations Of authority:
and how the representatives, acting for all
| and in the name fall, are merely the a.