Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-12-18

- IIcCcSsIlN Dl Ouf Siii3lIOn, WaElaTc between u
!. two sections "f our country, without ccSsatiC
+. or interiniSSpm, until the weaker is reduced
suhjection.
In view of this state of things, we arc n
Il inclined To rebuic Or ccnSure the people
Ii any Of our sister States in the South, sutIerr
:. from injury, goaded by insults. and threatenc
i with such outTageS and wrongs, for their bo
r dctcrmnation to relieve themselves from sue
. injustice and oppression by rcSorting to the
u ultimate and sovereign right 10 dissolve Il
,, compact which they had formed, and to pr
4 vide rev guards 70" their future security.
q Nor have we any doubt Of the right of IN
State. there being no common umpire betwee
> coequal severe; Sn States, to judge for itself,
itS ow;; responsibility as 10 the mode an; Inc:
I sure Gi redress.
The States, each for itself. exercised thi
sovereign power wien they dissolved their cor
nccton with the British E;nprc.
They exercised the same power when min
. Of the States Sccelc.l from lI:c Confederation
and adopted the prcScn: Constitution thoug
two States at first rejected it,
The Articles of Confederation stipulated tha
those articles should be inyoabIv observed b.
every state and shat the Union should be per
pc;lmtcd and that no alteration should b.
made unless agreed to by Congress and con
tirmcd By every State
Notwithstanding this solemn compac. por
ton Of tie States did. without the consent o
tGc others, form new compact; and there i
nothing TO show, or by which it can he shown
that tl.iS right las been cali bc diminished s.
lnn- as the States continue sovereign.
Tic confederation waS asScntcd to by tho
Legislature for each State.
The Constitution by t!ir people Of each State
! 70. such State alone.
One is rs binding as III: other and no more
! so.
The Constitution it is true established gov
vcrrment and il operates directly on the indi
viduai the confederation was 4 league opera,
ting primarily OH the States. But each was
adopted By the State for itself; in the one
case BY the Legislature acting for the State
! in the other '1y the people not as individuals
composing one nation, but as composing the
distinct and independent States to which they
respectively belong
The fObldat!o:, therefore on which ii was cs-
tablshed was .ist'erai, and the State in the en-
crci$c Of the same sovereign authority by which
she ratified for herself may for herself abrocatc
and annul.
The operation. Of It's powers whilst the State
remains in the Coattdcracy is Enti0ndl :. and
consequently State remaining in the Conlede.
racy and enjoying its benefits cannot By any
mode oi procedure withdraw its citizens from
the obligation 10 obey he Constitution, and tho
lawS passed in pursuance thereof
Bat VIXEN = State docs; sccrlr, the Constitu.
ton anal la:5 or the United States cease to
operate therein. 10 power is conferred on
Congress IL enforce them Such authority
was de!,ic,! In the Congress in the convention
winch lramc'l the Constitution, because il
would l': an act Of war Of nation against na-
tion-not the exercise Of the legitimate power
ol gDrcrnmnnt TO enforce its laws on those
subject to It's jurisdiction.
The assumption of such Il bower would bc
the assertion Of preroyativc claimed by the
British Government To- lc.isiatc for the Colonies
in all cases whatever; it would constitute Of it.
SELF 4 dangerous attack on the rights of the
States, and should DC promptly rcpccd.
These principles, resulting from the nature
Of our system o confederate States cannot a,.-
nit "G question in Virginia
Oar people il convention, By their act of
ratification. declared and mace knowr that the
the pn,cers Granted nudcr the Constitution be.
States, may hc Resumed hy them whenever
licy shall hc perverted to t!icir injury aud op,
preston
From What people were these powers lcri.
we'd: Coni':$>cdIy from the people Of each
State acting lur themselves. Ey whom were
they 10 ic resumed or taken back By the
people nj the Stat" who were then granting
them away. Who were TO determine whether
the powers granted had been perverted to their
injury nr oppression? :Hot the whole people
OF the United States, for there could be no op-
preston or the whole with their own consent;
and il could no: have entered into the con-
ccilnu Of til. convention. that the power
granted could not he resumed until the OPP
prcSsor himself united in src; resumption.
They asserted tic right 10 resume in order
to guard the people Of Virginia, for whom alone
tic convention could act against the oppression
of an irresponsible ana sectional majority, the
worst form Of oppression with which an angry
Providence has ever afflicted humanity.
Whilst, therefore, we regret that any State
should, in Il matter Of common grievance, have
determined 10 act for herself without consult
ing with her sister States equally aggricred,
we are nevertheless constrained TO say that
the occasion il:stiiics ard lo"dy calls for action
of some kind
The election Of President by 4 sectional
majority as the representative of the principles
referred TO- c,o'he with the patronage and
power incident to the office, inciuding the au
thorilv to appoint all the postnastcrs and
other officers charged with the execution Of the
lawS of the United States is itself Il standing
menace to the Sou,lI-a direct assault upon
her il:St;tutions--an incentive to robbery and
insarrcc,ion, requiring from our own inncdi-
ate local government in It's sovereign character,
prompt action 10 obtain additional guarantees
for equality ard security in the Union, or to
take measures for protection and security
without il.
In view, therefore, Of the present condition
Of our country, and the causes OF 1t, wc de.
clare, almost IN Tie words OF our fathers. con-
tanned in an address to the lrcehcldcrs Of Botc-
tourt in February, l7775, to the delegates from
Virginia to tlc Continental Congress, That we
desire no change in our government whilst left
TO the Tree enjoyment o: Cur equal privileges
secured b. the LonStitWtioa But that, should
a wicked and tyranHcal sectional mojority, un-
der the sanction Of the forms of the ConSttu-
tion persist in acts Of injustice and violence
towards US, they Ony must be ans"erabc for
the consequences" THAT liberty IS so strong
ly impressed on our hearts. that We cannot
think Of parting with it bu; with our lives
that orr duty To God, our country, ourselves,
and ou: pustcrity, forbid it. We stand, there
fore, prepared for every emergency"
Resolved therefore, That in vic:s Of The facts
set out in tie foregoing preamble, it is the
opinion oC this meeting that a convention
OF the people should lie called forthwith;
that the State, in its sovereign character, should
consult with the other Southern States, and
agree upon such guarantees as in their opinion
will secure their equality, tranquility and rights
within the Union. And in the event OF FAIL
urc 10 obtain such guarantees, to adopt in con-
cert with the other Southern States, or alone, |
such measures as mag seem most cHpcdlcnt to
protect the rights anI ca$nrc the safety OF the
people Of Virginia.
Ard in the event Of change in Cur relations
10 the otkcr States bcng rendered necessary,