The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-02-09
From, the Sc. Louis Times.
The Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions.

The resolutions of Virginia and Kentucky in
1898 and 1899, the first of which were draw n
by James Madison and the second by Thomas
Jefferson, have ever been regarded as embracing
the constitutional principles of the Democratic
party. Immediately after the PRONUNCIATION and
adoption of tho Constitution, the federal and
republican parties were organized. The con.
stiutional creed of the federal party was, that the
Constitution was framed by the representatives
of the whole people of the United States, as ore
social and political COMMUNICATIVE it formed
a government, in the usual acceptation of the
term, with inherent as well as delegated powers
that the ultimate sovereignty was in the gov
ernment of the United States.-that treason
against the United States" was AGAINST the
central government, and not against the States
as sovereign confederated bodies-that Con-
gress had the power to do every thing which it
might deem for the common defence and
general wefare"-that the words Unnecessary
and proper" mean only appropriate means
and that in all cases of conflict between the
general and the State governments, the Supreme
Court was the final arbiter. In all these posi-
tons the republican party was distinctly at issue
with them.
The first questions which brought the central
and State authorities into conflict, were those
which arose out of the passage of the. alien and
sedition laws, during the administration of the
elder Adams This alarming assumption of
power reused the whole country, and gave birth
to the celebrated resolutions of Virginia and
Kentucky and to the elaborate and unanswera
bic report drawn up by Mr.. Madison and adopt
ed by the legislature of the Old Dominion, in re-
oinder to the resolutions Of the federal States
We find in the Southern literary Messenger, a
work which has continued to sustain for num-
Der of years the highest rank in periodical liter
allure, aud which we think ought to be more
literally patronized in this State, the following
history of the origin, passage, and ultimate in
iuence Of these invaluable paFers Such a his
tory will be more acceptable to our readers than
any thing we can furnish them. 1t forms por-
ton OF the sixth chapter of the "EIistory of
Richmond" a very valuable and entertaining
series of articles
During the summer Of 1898, Virginia and the
whole Union were'agitated, from one end to the
other, by the passage Of the alien and sedition
laws The power assumed, and directed to be
carried out by these laws struck with astonsh
ment the republican party, and excited the most
strenuous efforts to combat them Far more
excitement prevailed than during the momentous
times of '6S, and stormy session Of the legis-
lature was looked for. There was amazement,
but no terror, in Virginia; the attention Of the
whole State was directed to Richmond; men
assembled to see what was to be done in the
emergency, and many prepared to visit the
capital during the winter session, to attend the
deliberations of the legislature. Every court
green and every place of public meeting had
been battle-ground between the friends and
enemies of these measures, until the public mind
was thoroughly wrought up on the subject and
! 81 n,t ,,f. a. III
where decisive battle was expected Soon
after the opening Of the Legislature, John Tay-
lor, of Caroline, offered the celebrated resou.
tions well known as the Virginia resolutions of
'9S They were written by Madison, and, like
every thing emsnaiing from his pen, were clear
in diction, lucid and iorcible in argument, and
temperate IN manner. They had been subjected
to the most thorough and fierce ordeal that the
rancor of party spirit, aided by strong and well
informed intellects, can devise; and they have
stood the test. No point in politics is now bet
ter understood and believed in, than that these
laws were unconstitutional and unjust: no man
now defends them, and no party would ever
adept them.
These resolutions, after declaring the warm
attachment of Virginia to the Union, its value
and its origin and her determination to maintain
the Constitution of the United States, and of the
State against aggression after declaring that
The powers of the government are limited TO the
clear construction of the Constitution, and that
if exercised wrongfully, the States have the right
to interpose then go on to speak of the i'm
proper extension of this power, evidently tend
ing to consolidation, and finally to monarchy /;
they then assa the alien and sedtion laws as
the abuse of powers delegated and as graspng
power not delegated and finally declare that
Virginia has ratified the Constitution as a safe
guard to liberty, and that this being impaired by
unconstitutional laws, she calls on her sister
States to concur with her 10 this declaration,
and in endeavoring to form measures by which
to retain unimpaired the rights and liberties re-
served to the States or to the people.
Parties were warmly divided on the passage
of these resolutions. and a very animated de-
bate ensued. John Taylor, who brought in the
resolutions, was their most powerful advocate
and the most bitter and unrelentng opponent of
the laws. He was man well known for his
attachment to republican principles; for the