Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-09-23

ence may 90: and let the honest advocates Of conf
ence read the alien and sedition acts and say If
he constitution has not been wise IN fixing limits to
he government it created, and whether we should
g wise in destroying those liInitsg Let him say
zhat zhe government IS if 1t be not tyranny; :
Which the men Of our choice have conferred on the
President and the President Of our choice has as
ented to md accepted over the friendly strangers,
20 whom the mild spirit Of country and its laws
had pledged hospitality and protection; that the
men of our choice have more respected the bare
suspicious of the President than the solid rights Of
the claims of justification, tire sacred
force of truth and the forms and substance of law
and justice.
In questions Of power then let no more be said of
confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief
bv the chains of the Constitution. That this com
an expression o. their sentiments on the acts con
corning aliei 8, and for the punishment of certain
crimes hereinbefore specified, plainly declaring
whether these acts are are not authorized BY the
federal compact And it doubts not that their sense
will be so announced to prove their attachment |
to limited government whether general or partieu-
lar and that the rights and liberties of their coz
states will be exposed to no dangers BY remaining
embarked on a common bottom with their own. |
But thew will concur with this commonwealth in
considering the said acts as so papaby against the
Constitution as to amOuntto an undisguised declara
ton that the compact is not meant to be the measure
of the powers of the General Government, put that
il will proceed in tho exercise over these States OF
all movers whatsoever. That they will view this
a. sezlng the rights of the States and consolidating
them in the hands of the General Gevernment
with a mower assumed TO bind the States mot mere
lv in cases made federa but in all cases whatsoever
by laws made not with their consent but by others
against their consents and this would be to surren
der the form of government we have CHOSEN, ana
live under deriving It's powers from It's own WILL
and not from our authority and that the costaIes
recurring to their natural rights Lot made federal
will concur in declaring these void and of no force
and will each unite with this commonwealth IN re-
ouestlng their repeal at the next session of Con-
| gress.
| l. Rescued. That the General Assembly of Yir
ginia doth unequivocally express urn res9lu!ion
to maintain and defend the Constitution Of the Unlted
States and the Constitution Of this State, against
| every aggression either foreign domestic, and
that they will support the Government OF the oniteo
States in all measures warranted by the former
| 2 Thr General Assembly most soemnly declares
| a warm attachment to the Union of the States, TO
maintain which, it pledges all its powers and that
for this end, it is their duty to watch over and OPP
pose every infracton of those principles which con
stute the only b. isis of that Union, because faith
full observance of them alone can secure Its exist
Snce and the public happiness.
s. That this assembly doth explicitly and perempto-
rally declare, that it views the powers Of the Fed
eral Cove rnment as resulting from the compact. 10
which the States are parties, limited by the plain
sense and intention of the instrument constituting
that cOmBact-es further valid than they are au-
thorzed by the g ants enumerated in that compact;
and that in case Of deliberate palpable and dan
gercus exercise Of other powers not granted by the
| said compact the States who are parties thereto,
have the right and in duty bound, to intePpose
for arrestng the progress OF the evil, aud for man
tanning within their respective limits, the authorities
! rights and liberties apPertaining to then.
That the General Assembly doth also express
its deep regret, that spirit has nsuadry instances
been manifested by tie Federal Government, to en-
large its powers by forced constructions OF theconsi
tionai charter which defines then Emu that iqdl
cations have appeared G. q design - eNpoUnd GER
tain geaeral phrases (Which Ssvo been copied tloH
the very limitei grant Of power in the former
articles Of confederation. -- less hsbie 70 De
misconstTued) 10 destroy the meaning ana
effect OF the particular enumeration Whlcd necessa
raly explains, and limits the general Phra-. anc
so ms to consolidate the states By degrees Into one
sovereignty. the cbyiouz -aaiency, All inevitable
result of which would be p. transform the presen
Republican system OF ,ae United Statg htO an al
! o ute or al best miscl monarchy.
! That the General assembly doth particular.
protest against the Fable and all rming infrac
to- of the constitution. the two late cases OF tht
Alien and Sedtion acts passed at the last session
of Con -ress the first Of which exercises pOwe
no where delegated to the federal government; ant
which by uniting legislative Judicial powers TO thos
of the executive, subyerts the general principle
of free government as well as the particular orga
nzaton and positive provisions OF the federal constr
luton and the other of which acts exercises, in k
q power not delegated Dy the CONSTITUTION
bat on the contrary, expressly and positively forbid
: den by of the amendments thereto; power
$ more than any other, ought 10 produce universe
alarm because it is leyeed against the right of free
ly examining public characters ard measures. and o
free communication among the people thereon whic
has been justly deemed the only efectual guar
Il dian of every other right
e. That this State having by its convention whic
ratified the federal constitution. expressly declared
that among other essential rights, 1.-The liberty
n nd NJ tbp he
abridged. restrained, modified by any AUTHORITY
Of the United States and from its extreme anxiet
to guard these rights from every possible attack
sOphistry and ambition, having with other States
e recommended an amendment for that purpose
which amendment was IN due time annexed to til
n constitution. it would mark reproachfui incOnsi'
! tency, and criminal degeneracy if an indifference
were not shown to the most paipabe violation @
one Of the rights thus declared and secured; and
+ the establishment Of precedent. which may be IA
tai to the Otl er.
u T. That the good people of this commonwealth
having ever felt, and continuing to feel, the mos
II sincere affection for their brethren OF the othe
States. the truest anxiety for establishing and per
petuatng the union OF ALL and the most scrupulou
fidelity to that constitution, which is the pledge
i mutual friendship, and the instrument of mutua
I happiness, the general assembly doth sOlemnly az
peal to the ike dispositions other State, in conf
o dence that they will coHcur with this common
j wealth in declaring does hereby declare. tina
the acts aforesaid unconstitutional and that tn
i necessary and proper measures will be taken b.
EACH for cooperating with this State, in maintain
: ing unimpaired, the authorities rights and lberte
reserved to the State respectively, to the pee
e pie.
s That the governor be desired to transmit cop.
Of the foregoing resolutions to the executive author
ity Of the other states, with reques that the same
5 be communicated to the legislature thereof AM
that copy be furnished to each OF the senator's an
representatives, representing this State the Con
: gress of the United States