Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1853-05-27
RICHMOND ENQUIRER.
'..--SCs.,SH.~.,,7S, ;, S,u,sCCnN1Ic nav Do ,sEa.
STATES RIGHTS VS.. FEDERALISM

IL
paes there two great principles. which must 'n .s
nature of things remain as long present system -
State and Federal Governments exists. One Is
ted the States Rights principle, and simply W
the Constitution OF the United States dec'a,eS' V'e
of the amendments,) that "the powers ho' :, ;, .
| United States by the Constitution nor po'
the States, are reserved 10 the States 'eep''"'
people, From this we learn sha '.o 49,. ,no
United States is an instrument OF hmta"oh aou a '"'
Government of the United States ls uo.e'' = - -.
a u. snd f 40 the powers OF that Government 'hus'
! Huh pe in which the Constitution Is written.
o delegated TO the u. by the Constitution, nor
hv II n tho States Chat ls to say, powers ~nich
~ ohb,sd BY that Constitution from being exercised
m rho States or Goyernments) are reserved 10 e
States respectively the peoples 10 De exercised oy me
or the people, or not exercised they please From
this clause that all the powers not delegated 10 e
United States prohibited from being exercised oy e
States powers rights and privileges which oeong eAc'
svely 70 peoples and they are the exclusive
their own powers rights and privileges reserved and
guaranteed by Constitution written In lhelr own language
thew mus, necessarily cons,ue s written; they can
urde,s,.,a i, in no other way. The safety OF a
,aonIe ex;s,s nor SO much In written Conslitu-
rion ms In the plain construction OF the lns'ru
men according its letter. What Is reserved 10 ihe
States respectively belongs exclusively 10 the people OF the
States because power which cannot be enjoyed
and exercised by the people large and yet reserved 10
the State must exercised by the State authorities for Inc
benefit of the people, and therefore, belongs to shem we
cannot therefore, doubt that any system of policy or Pfn
o,pe of Government by which the reaerved rights OF tne
people of Virginia may be considered decided aud taken
away by the people of other Saes the representatives
of other States by combination OF representatives OF
Virginia and other States Ia fundamentally wrong; and 10
violation of the plain written language of the Constitution
10 arbitrary tyrannlca and unus and there can De no
abiding safety under such system or principle.
The other principle alluded in the beginning Of this at'
ce is denomlnated the federal principle and grew out OF
the earnest efforts made by those in the wch
formed the CoRsution,) to give the government VI Tue
United States an absolute and arbitrary control all thngs
over the States and the people, corresponding very nearly
to the powers of the King and Parliament oil Great Britain
over the colonies. The party who advocated these mea
surss denominaed themselves fsderosts in conradsnc-
ton to States Rights party who maintained Inc rghs
OF the States and the liberties OF the people,
The beat Index the principles of the federal party may
be found in the "secret proceedings oi the Convention
which sal in l7s7 form the Constitution and The Plan Of
government submitted by their great leader COL Hamilton
He proposed that the lower house of Congress should be
eeced by the people 70, The term OF three years AND
"The Senate 10 consist of persons elected to serve during
good BEHAVIOR lin other words for e "her election TO
be made by electors chosen for that purpose by the people,
The Governor President ITO be elected 10 serve during
good beha vor Tor for lel "Hs election 10 De made oy
electors chosen by the people" Thus nc was TO De re-
moved through Two sets of electors from the people, and
then to be elected for e He was "to have negative
upon all laws about be passed. and The execution oil all
aws passed. The "Senae 10 have Tho sole power OF dc
claring war" and the President, the "enIire direction
when authorized or begnu aud with view of governing
/ 10 In oil nasedu
laws Of the particular States contrary TO the Constitution
or laws of the United Sates be utterly void. And The
better TO prevent such laws being passed. the Governor
Pfesdeu, of each State shall be appointed by the Genera
Government" THAT s the President OF the United States
sand shall have negative upon all the laws about IL
| be passed in the State Of which he Is Governor o.
PRESIDENT Here was Central Government proposed tt
be established with President and Senate chosen for lie
and vested with power rule great empire They were
given the sole power TO declare and carry on war; and
make and conclude treaties The President could place MI
negative upon all laws about be passed. TO DC executed
and appoint all the Governors the States with power
place their negatives upon all laws about to pass In the
States thus tanspanng into American SOIL in the fedora
government the very principles OF the government of Eng
land which brought abou, the revolution The King and
Parliament maintained that they had right 10 govern The
colonies In all things. The ederaiss maintained that the
federal government have the same right to govern
the States Hereditary succession 10 the President and Sa
nate all that wanting to make perfect monarchy
in America The convention decided differently; and tht
States after The adoption of the Constitution, with vie"
of settling The question: the supremacy OF the States
and the people their reserved rights made clever
amen dmentB thereto almost exclusively for the protection
their rights and their citizens, against the usurpaon
by the federal government fe the principles OF h
are not abandoned What they have failed procure
denied then
by the amendments they propose recover by open ane
fraudulent msconsruc,ion and by public renunciation
Inc fundamental principles upon which the reserved rights
the people the States res and which ought to be he
sacred by every citizen. They propose TO effect their pur
pose by constituting the Constitution not as 1t Is written bu
as they would have 1t wren and where their desires arr
direct conflict with the words of the Constitution, they
rapndjae and renounce the words without mean
np Thus they have the facility OF adopting the principles
of the British government, and that OF Louis NapoeoI
combined The British Constitution consists OF te oesire
and wishes of the Queen Lords and Commans as express
ed in acts and resolves of Parliament and the written Con
si,uton OF France consists of what Napoleon peases
et stand and not repudias These TWO gea
principles combined form the basis Of the Wing ys
tenn The Whigs consrue Constitution as they want II
repudatIng such parts plain for misconsucuon
and in this way have scrupes In doing any thing ma
ori,y of them desire.
It's not remarkable ignorant Wings should see no dan
ger u government founded upon such principles or rahe
upon no principles other than the will OF those VINO govern
because they have felt the full weight OF such govern
msnt Their party have been 80 seldom IN power, la'.
then for TOO short me 10 do much mischeO hat Inc lu
weight Of msrue has not been felt But u IS rema.
that any our adopted citizens should be deceived un0
cheated with Whig petensions Do not the irish defma
French, Italian and other adopted citizens, know fu WELL
no can be sae where the party governing
mas right TO his powers as ne deses ana 70
rom Inc written words of the constitution, or 10 epuoae
any portion thereof Have they not felt the weign OF su''
governments Have they been driven from the noes
oi e'f iane by reason of oppressive constructions
governmental power3 win they consent that any party u
this country shall construe the written constitution as they
please or depart from any of the Of the rights
the people, or of the States Will they consent that The
President of the United States shall have the power orde
Of the country any alien he peases or whom hi
peases for opposition TO his measures or opinions 2
Whies enough, know there are who have, and who
will bend their knee to Baal in principle; because they
do not believe II would ever be attempted again ir