Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1857-04-28
The Doctrine Of Nullinration Revived

The Doctrine OF Nuiiinration lie, i,ed
As appropriate pendant to our article of
Saturday we suboin the following oxtrac, from
editorial in the National IateHigenccr, intro
duclory IL the remarks of certain speakers in
the New lork Legislature, which follow
" II would indeed Indicate strange rcvulson
OF sentiment If the exaggerated doctrines of what
i, called " the States Rights school" of politi.
eians. aud which have hitherto found their great-
est acceptance in the southern portion of the
couiederncy. and encountered II the main the
determined opposition of Nmthen statesmen
well oi the Northern People. should. in the
mutations of the time, pass from the hands OF
Their "uglnh patrons aud propristers mtu those
winch huye heretofore done sturdir,t battle for
their destruction aud overthrow. And the fact,
If singular, is even more instructive, revealing
IL it does the protcan shapes which the same go
MUS Of error may assume, and the contrary
purposes Of mischief to which the same poiiicn
distractions may be applied whenever such wide
general principles are declared in order to meet
u single, aud OF on IN eyanescent emergency.
z For instance, THE Resolutions of % aud 90"
5 tthat heritage and heirloom Of the Virginia De
mocraey.) whatever may have been the grounds
upon which their declaration was based at the
time of their PRONUNCIATION, or whatever maY
have been the real purport and meaning which
their authors and advocates intended to assign
them, Ind clearly spent their force when tho
exigency which called them forth had ceased To
exist. Their periodical re affirmation from TINT
day to the present time has only serv ID to per
petuate theory of constitutional Interpretation
which, in the hands Of tho new patrons, is made
the geaerat defence lor another and different
special grievance; SO true Is II that vague gen
ernlitics which aim To override the Constitution
and the inws, rs eSpeundcd by the Federal Ju-
dietary. and appointed to he enforced Ivy the
Executive head of the General Government.
conduct to a universal anarchy which. under the
pressure OF any temporary or local irritation is
liable, if not rcprcssed by the conservative mass
quiet aud law abiding ctlznns, 10 oonvuse the
whole fabric of society by its outbreaks, now in
one section Of the country and now in another:
according II the alterations of the hour.
We have been led into this train of reflection by
the perusa of debate recently had in the Leg
islature of New York on what is termed Per
sonal Liberty Bill" being the project of n law
| (Which, however, failed to be adopted) designed
by its trainers 10 meet what are alleged to be en-
croachments of slavery" us deducibe from the
late decision of II majority of the Supreme Court
of the United States in the case of bred Scott.
The violent, and we may say insane language
held by some who participated in the brief dis
oussion which suhion, is perhaps of that cha
racter which might be better left 10 work its own
condemnaion and when similar ebutions of
sectional passion have heretofore been seen To
subside without hahn TO any save those who in
1ulged them, il is not unreasonable TO hope that
the perpetuity Of the Union will survive tho ex.
ASPIRATION OF Northern no less than Southern
extremists, Among those who rebukcd the in.
temperance of speech into which others were be.
trayed on the occasion above mentioned we are
glad 10 observe the name of former townsman
MIR. NARNrM, who, IN recognizing the Supreme
Court "thc tribunal whose province it is. un-
der the Constitution, to decide all questions of
construction growing out of it," does but give
his adhesion to the only theory of constitutional
Interpretation which can preserve our national
politics from degeneratng into perpetual COLI.
tions and local feuds such us would shortly
transform our now happy family of united States
into the image of SO many Scottish clans, with
nothing III common save spirit of nsubordina-
ton to anything like harmony of opinion or con-
cert of action.
Specimens fthe Debate in the Ne,e York As.
sembiy on the Personal Liberty Bill.
THURSDAY EVENING, April I6
The Speaker | not where oppression
may be. There / stand, ready to repel and re.
sist it. ] recognize power under heaven that
can make a man a slave. ! recognize no Consti
tuition, no law that can deprive man of his per
sonal rights and liberty, and |, as a citizen Of
New York, am ready to place this State in that
attitude.
Suppose New York takes that ground, wha
then! Some talk of revolution. as if that were
TO be the dreaded result Sir, love that word
when it is revolution against oppression
, Ravolnfion in that sen 40. ha W abnut i