Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-09-22
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POLITICAL.
From he Meaiaor.
The Right OG Secession.
NUMBER ~.

/
NUMBER ".
It's, singularly enough, pretended ,hst
Alexander Hamilton favored the doctrine
OF secession; and the 2Sth number Of tho
Federalist is cited to provcit. Wecsll tho
readers attention TO r4ic language of tho
writer the best retutation ot this pre-
tension: Tho natural strength OF tho peo-
pie IN large community. in proportion 70
the artificial strength of the government, is
greater than in a small; and of course moro
competent to struggle with the attempts
Of the government 10 establish tyranny.
But in confcdcrncy, the people. Without
exaggeration. may be said to bc entirely
masters OF their own fate. Power being
almost always the rivulofpower. the gence
raj government WILL at all times, stand ruh.
dy TO check the usurpations Of the state
1 governments; and these will have the same
dispositions TO tlre general governments
The people. by throwing themselves into
either scale. will infallibly make it prepon-
dcrste. Ii their rights are Invaded ~ e.
thcr. they can make stse d hc other as tho
instrument of redress. How wise will il
be in them, by cherishing the Union, 10
/
can never be too highly priced
at may safely be received as an axiom
IN our political system, that the state gov.
! cinments will, in all possible contingencies,
| afford complete security ega'ns1 mraaoms
ofhe public liberty by the national authori-
~. Projects Of Urswpa1ios cepuot 30
mlskcd under prciences so likely to es-
cnpe the penetration Of select bodies Of
men as ofthc people at large. Tie lcgis-
lature will have better means N informa-
ton; they can discover the danger at dis
tancc; and possessing aitre organs of civil
power, and the confidence Of tho people,
they can at once udopta regular plan Of
opposition, in which they cnn combine an
the resources Of the community They
can readily communicate lciM eorh other
IN Mr diGveat states; and mite their COM
mon forces for the projection OF the com.
mon liberty" AHMis 10 enable state 10
| tahe up her bed and rail- ont oftAe Umi0~
in Me creycisc ossr .aey ~~dtrfgbee 1ight of
pedceabic scccssion"?ti Or was it ncces.
| sary for the attendance Of all these other
states, to hold up her train, as, with qucon.
ly stride. her serene sovereignty, strodeodt
4 VI tiit oHlbfi Ht WOTub liuuC1kt0 Nv III
shew in what, how and whcn, ard Ia the
exercise of what sort of rights. the state
legislature could oppose the general gov
ernment and tie general gocunmenf Meny
A clear revolutionary right to prevent
usurpntion--tsclf rcvoluion---to be pur.
sued by clear revolutionary remedies,
which are better furnished to hand by the
organization the states.
SO far from Hamilton holding the doct
trine ,hata state had right to withdraw
from his Union, he denied the right ofn
state to secede from Me Union tormed 5s
tie articles of Confederation In tho 22d
number Of The Fedcyalisf, he says: III
has not little contributed to the infrfnf-
ties of the existing federal system, that II
never had ratification BY tho people,
Resting on no better foundation Than tho
consent ofthe several state Legislatures, II
has been exposed to frequent and n,ricrss
questions concerning the validity of,tspoW-
ers; and has, IN some instances. given birth
to the enormous doctrine of right Of leg
lslatlve repeal. Giving It's ratification to
| the law of state, il has been contcnded
that the same authority might repeal tho
law by which it was ratified. However
| gross hcresy it may he to maintain, thai
a party to a compaa has right 10 invoke
| that conpact, the doctrine itself has had
respectable advocaios. The possibility Of
! a question Of this nature proves the ncces-
sity oflaying the foundations -four ma.
AoAai government deeper than in the mere
sanction Of delegated authority. The fab
| ric of American empire ought to rest on
the solid basis Of the CONSENT or Tms Pro
rLE. Tho streams q national power ought
TO flow Immediately ftom the pure Original
fountain Of all legitimate authority.
Verify there is much excellent reaching
for disunlon or secession schoolmen here's
The new constitution was TO close the pos
| sibilily or urging what. without il, was an
erroneous doctriDc,--the right 10 revoke
the compact--which would be, and with.
| out which there could not be--a withl
drawal from the Union.
Again: IL the same number, first quoted
from .DIr. Hamilton says, just before the esl
| tract given. and relied or by the s,cession-
lists: IF the Representatives Of tho pco.
pie betray their constituents, Mere is MeA
no resource fcji bm IN tie ercytioeef that
original right ef selfdcfenec, pdich ,spdr-
amount 10 all posittre firms Of fgorernmeat;
and which, against the ssupat.cn Of the
national rulers, may be exerted with an
infinitely better prospect OF success, than
against those Of the rulers Of an individual
state!
The proposition ard proceedings con.
nected Herewith, upon the part Of several
Of the New England States. il resistance
Of the embargo. during Mr.. Je,fersou's ad.
minisfialion, have IMPRESSED themselves
indclibly upon the public mind: They
left behind them q stain ofindelble infsmy
upon the characters Of the men implicated
in those proceedings; and YET ,lia. ptupoi
sition was only (2) one 10 seccde from the
Union upon the ground Of The uncorssisu-
tionality Of that law, and the proceedings
merely u meas,ires taken in furthersnce
Of that project. II the right OF seeess'on
be allowed, how do we account for or Jus
| tify this vehement opposition. anu 'ne &c
monstrations oftreason, and the tnrea.s o.
the infection OF the penalty for IT, 50 RE a.
bout that tif1e1 Yei these were freely IN
dulgcd, and tho whole country wero IN
dignart and incensed; ana, had the pro.
ceedings Of the Hartford Convention besh
followed by an overt net, It tannot b
doubted thai force would have beet sp'
i piled by the government to reduce to sub
mission these rSciisant states, and ID bAtU
held them to the perfo.mance bf their leds
isral otlsatiot Hsw could tbs hsye hstn