Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1860-11-28
.ICHMOND WHIG.
THE VIRGINIA DOCTRINE OF SECESSION.

THE VIRGINIA DOCTRINE OF SECESSION.
To The Edtor Of the Wig:
VIII you permit National Democrat, to whom becaus
he Is National and Sectional Democrat, the col
umns Of Democratic journals in Virginia not open
TO avail himself OF the extended circulation Of the Wig
and 10 invoke It's conservative cooperation in recalling
the attention Of his feloW.czens in this hour Of free
doms greatest peril TO the views and resolves OF th
best aud Wses OF Nirginas SOUS under someWhat smi
/ lar circumstances in the past
Il do little good this time TO indulge in crimi
nation as 10 the cause Of disesses When the dan
ger and the passions Of the hour shall have passed.
the people OF the South shall calmly survey the dange
they have escaped and shall fathom, they surely will
the abyss OF folly wickedues and hypOcusy whence is
sued the demon OF Dsuuion, cannot doubt that they
will visit with the seyerest reprobaton, the conduct o
those who for higher end than the miserable sordd
awless o reoDsRRg hs dVs trade, have ashed the
South into this perous fury, and drove the Coniederacy
20 the verge OF dissolution For the present all question
Of how the evil arose. must be subordiLaedt to that more
Important inquiry show shall the evil be met Let Ii;
see how similar evils met heretofore. Three sever
al occasions in the briei life OF the Republic have cha
euged public consideration OF the case OF conflict De-
tween the Federal Government and one or more OF the
States aud in the discussion Of eech Virginia has taken
prominent if not controlling part propose to notice
these in their order and deduce if shall be able those
principles which may be held to have been settled by the
conduct and speech Of the representative men OF the
Commonwealth in those emergencies.
THE ALiES AND sEDlTioN ACTS, 1891.
In the spring Of 1897, Congress- on the recommends
lion of the President p,ssed series OF measures de-
sgusd to yudcate the national honor from the insults
and outrages OF the "Drectory" and TO prepare the
country for war with France The last of these measures
were laws popularity known as the Alien and Sedinon
Acts aud their purpose was sought through most
dangerous restraint upon freedom Of speech aud ndv
dual liberty Assang thus great natural and reserved
rights they met most violent opposition in Congress
from the anti Administration party or Republicans, led
by Jefferson and Madison, Who upon being overwhem-
ugy defeated in that arena resolved to remove the con
troversy to the field OF State action.
Mr. Jefferson accordingly drafted series OF resou'
tious known as the Kentucky Resolutions, which were
adopted in the Legislature Of that State about the mid
dle OF November lI9S, aud Mr. Madison drew up the
celebrated RESOLUTIONS Of yS-99,' which, with little
amendment after oug aud able discussion, were adopt
ed by the General Assembly OF Virginia in the latter
part of Dectmber OF the same year. They are AS ol'
lows:
l. Rssirsf That the General Assembly Of yrg mia doth
qlyoeay express nm resolution 10 maihtAn AID deend M
Constitution of ~ STATE, agSits aggression either foreign
domestic tnat they will tupso the Government OF The
United States IN AL measures warranted By lhs lomsr
W AMI st f,r ths etd ber duty /, watch over Snd
oppose every intaron oss praiss which constitute the
only OF that uuon, bectUse faithful Observance of hen
al is eaisieue aud he putle h,pp ntss
g. Th.t this Assembly doth explicitly aud peremrlody de
clare that N Views the powers Of the Fd-a Government G E
the compact % which the ties are parties as limit
ed by plain and e Of the instrument constituting
that compact further valid than they authorized ty Ne
srtuts enumerated n that compact ard mat Ia ese c d
rte sp.bl- atd OF oer not granted
by hs compact the se Who tre parties Tie ea have The
rsh duty bound O. ntepos', for hirsng e pro
Rfe OF the evil and mauts inc win their respective lin
@ the authort tights and liberties apre tanning to them
rhat General Assembly Con expires s deep regret
spirit has la suudy in anvs been manifested by M Feae
r vramtL enlarge m paVc by forced cnstrucdons OF
C-ns charter which dthnvs them, nd that
appeared dgu TO eAp1und certain gene al phase
Ehich have been pied rom h. mite grant OF power In
te former az cles o. conitdefaon mere e es, uah u oe
cOnstraed 50 as TO de the meaning and tei o. ne par
nera phrase aut so as 10 By degrees
Sovereignty the Ub ous tenic and Inevitable rssa
hs Uued into absolute al besa mixed monarchy
that The neral Assen nby doth pa t'e-ry protest aga', st
two a,e ih. Aen and seol acis pissed at She last
ngrs the dsl Of which exercises power where
judicial 70 hoa- u he executive suoyett the
rl prup fee goyrnment a. wen a, the rtrula Organl
ethe Of which eNrc,,s in ts maaner Apower not desa
u bat ths ntrary expressly AMI posi-
than uy other ought TO produce unive sal sarm because
lev He'd nst the Iight freely examining public CT a-ae
ers easurs aud OF communication among people
thereon whh has been justly deemed the ony eGeeua
Tss, h-yi-s - n,euoH ivii,', .s,'a,, iIv
a sh he liberty OF conscience ard OF the press cannot DC
cancelled abdde rgtralpe or modified by any authoro NE
m every ss5.e Of sophy and ambition, having with
other ented an iment for at pose which
ars ,eproach;u Dc1n ency aud criminal destneracy Ma
indifference shown the pahis violation Of one
Of = p-essJe-t, which uay b. lstsl 70 ie other.
rhat good people Of hs commonwealth having ever f
and continuing usi ncre affection for their e!h
reu the ttuet AuNetv Tor establishing and per
pn,ing he union ALL and IN. meet seupulous hiS that
oD.titup which Is the pie mutual f ndshp aud the in
sruueut hoppn The General Assembly DOH solemn
y ssl 10 % k sostops in a r staies Ia confidence that
tey y concur with this cor tngnset h declaring il does
hereby lane that the ae Aior,sal Ire uneosi ullonN and
M. nv aud proper measures will be taken ~ acs
op,rang with this State maintaining uanpared the tuih)r
les gh and liberties reserved TO The states respectively or 10
That the Govern or be der,d transmit copy ofhe fore
going outoOs the executive Suthoi Of the other States
s ,ques the BE- communicated TO the Legislature
thereof and that opy each OF The senators
peseatAi', representing this stae Ia The Congress OF he
United siatts.
II will be observed that the act Of the General Govern
ment against which these resolutions directed are
termed "plpabe aud alarming uactiOns Of he Constr
tuition" Subyersiye Of 'the general principles OF free
government aud yet it is obvious that the idea Of orci
be resistance much less the idea Of dissolution receives
no couutenance whatever in these famous resolves.
The first resolution expressly pledges Virginia to sup
port the Constitution against any aggression, whether
foreign or domestic aud adds pledge equally solemn
aud emphatic "t0 support the Government Of the Uled
States in ALL MEASURES warranted by the Constitution
Ii is impossible avoid the conclusion that the Virgin
ans Of that dsy considered themselves honoraby bound
10 aid the General Government in enforcing obedience
the laws no matter by whom resisted-n word Thom-
as jefferson and James Madison Taylor, OF Caroline
Tazewell aud Nicholas Cabel if they lived in our day
would be styled submssioniss' and TRAITORS TO the
South"
The last of these resolutions provides for the transmits
sion of copy of the whole the legislature Of each Of
the other States and accordingly the attention OF those
States called TO the enunciaton Of political theory
therein contained Responses returned from seven
States strongly condemniug the action Of Virginia, and
n the succeeding session Of the General Assembly these
received consideration at the hands Of committee
whose chairman was james Madison This constitutes
the "Report OF l7g9.'
There is not syllable in tina. lengthy and justly cele-
brated document 10 the slightest degree Warranng the
doctrine Of "peaceabe secession forcble resistance
70 the law but much that egAtives both inierences
In the debates IN the General Assembly IN 1898, Ger
tain opponents of the Resolutions OF qS urged IA
a objection that they would uce, if they did not con-
template resistance This promptly and emphati-
oally denied; thus Mr.. Mercer said
The ate bevei that some Of It's rights had been Invaded by
the OF the Federal G0yernuent and proposed remedy
Shs1sSy 70 's.n a1 oo 5eg5 o. 's j m f0''s vas mol
| Mr.. Barbour said
'Iihe cud conceive consequence foreod EARNED ress
tAnce) would grow Of The he wnul become its tte
blood shed the most crefu evils that could befs country
eept slavery For bis part he ws Or using no violence
the peculiar bic ssng Of The American people to la
dress within The reach by constitutional and peaceful means
And these objections raised in debate were
they in the cOunterresolutons passed by of the
States which kadisOns Report response, and ac
cordngly fud in that document emphatic denial
OF the assumption that Virginia contemplated force
means Of resistance. Thus in defending the act Of Vr-
ginia from the charge OF usupng the Office Of the Su
preme Court by declaring the Alien and seddOn laws
constitutional SIR Madison styles the Resolutions Of 9S
expressions Of opinion unaccompAnied with any other
effect than what they may produce opinion by excl
ting reflection. The eXpositons Of the judiciary the
other hand are carried toto immediate effect By force.
After vndicating the Of Virginia in declaring
the act unconstitutional he adds that other might
have been employed and these he enumeratess p;ace
ful legal and eonstuOnal-none in the rsmOes degree
contemplating force, much less secession"
More than thirty years Afterwards Mr.. Madison, in
letter to Mr. Everett speaking Of these Resolutions and