The southern aegis. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1857-1862, 1861-07-20

accusing these people Of turbulence, rash
ness or impetuosity? T now proceed to
offer few extracts from the Virginia Reso-
lutions presented by Mr.. Madison and
from his report thereon.
"This assembly doth explicitly and per-
emptorily declare that it views the power
Of the federal government as resulting from
the compact to which the States are par
ties. - Try. Res 1913.
"The Constitution of the United States
was formed by the sanction of the States,
GIVEN BY EACH IN ITS SOVEREIGN cApA-
ITY."--Mads Res. '99.
"In case of deliberate, palpablc and
dangerous exercise Of other powers not
granted by the said compact, the STATES
WHO ARE PARTIES THERETO, haze THE
RIGHT, and are an DUTY BOUND TO IN
TERPosE for MAINTAINING, within
their respective limits, THE AUTHORI-
TIES, RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES APPER-
TANNING TO Them Tr. Res. '99.
"Where resort can be had to no tribu-
nal superior to the authority of the parties,
the PARTIES THEMSELVES MUST BE
SDuHo In The Last RESORT,
,chether the BARGAIN matle has been PUR-
SUED or VIOLATED. The Constitution of
the United States ros formed by the sane
ton Of the States giOen BY EACH IN ITS
SOVEREIGN CAPACITY. 1t adds to its sta
bility and dignity, as we'll as to the au-
thority of the Constitution, that it rests
on this legitimate and solid foundation
"The STATES then, being the PARTIES to
the constitutional COMPACT and in their
SOVEREIGN CAPACITY, it follows of neces-
Iity that there can be NO tribunal ABOVE
'thoir authority to decide in the last re-
sort, whether the compact made by them
be violated, and consequently mat ina as the
parties parties to it t.. THEY MUST THEM
SELVES DECIDE IN the last resort, such
questions as may be Of sufficient magnitude
to REQUIRE their INTERPosITIoN."-
MAIDS Rep. 800.
elf the deliberate exercise of dangerous
powers palpably withheld by the Constitu-
ton, conld not justify the parties to it in
interposing even so far as to arrest the
progress of the evil, and thereby to pre-
serve the constitution itself, as well as to
provide for the safety of the parties to it,
there would be an end to all relief from
usurped power, and direct subversion of
the rights specified or recognized under all
the State Constitutions, as we'll as plain
denial of the fundamental principle on
which our independence itself was deelar-
ed.-Idem.
1t will be remembered that these reso-
lutions of Virginia and Kentucky, although
repudiated by the New England States in
l799, were ratified and sanctioned by the
people, in the presidential and other olec-
tons in the autumn of 1900, which Mr..
Jefferson has appropriately called THE
REVOLUTION OF 1900" From that time,
with some intermissions not of sufficient
weight to disturb their preponderancy,)
the United States government has been
administered up to 1861. They have been
universally received as canonical by the
Democratic party and formed the principal
BASIS of their Cincinnati Platform in 1856.
Even the old federal party seemed to givein
to the general principles therein recognized.
The federal State of Ohio, in 1921, un-
eq,a'Oocaly endorsed the same principles
in the adoption of the following resolution
in their General Assembly:
Resolved, That in respect to the pow
ers ofthe governments of the several States,
that compose the American Union, and
the powers of the federal government, this
general assembly do recognize and approve
the doctrines asserted by the Legislatures
of Virginia and Kentucky, in their resolu-
tons of November and December 1898,
land january, 1900, and do consider that
their principles have been recognized and
adopted by majority of the American
people," This resolution carried in the
House, yeas So, nays7.l
have thus far presented some of the
most prominent extracts from the writings
of Jefferson, Madison, and g Rawlc on the
Constitution" and some others Of the
same school of politics, in whose track
though at very humble distance, have
been taught to follow. To the best of my
ability, I have studiously and carefully APP
piled these principles to the present crisis,
and it seems to me foregone conclusion,
that though it may not be competent for
any State or States to nullify the laws Of
Congress, by any overt act aohile d meme
Der Of the Union, (and this is the same
opinion l entertained and declared in the
case of South Carolina in 1889 yet,
that each and every State retains the
same right to sovereignty at all potnts,