Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1861-02-28
rhe rpnd,mou,al Righr. of the States.

the leading isq1iy Of che day is as to the true rea-
to- as p1 al bodies Of the States 20 one another and
TO ,te General Government On the proper resolution
Of l. inquiry "a on pivot turns the justification or
csaI mraton Of any line Of conduct they may think
proper 10 puisuo On the arising Of differences among
diem r. the right decision Of these may be involved
or most vital interesisthe maintenance OF our existing
Governments, State and Federal or their overthrow
ami substitution by new ones-tbe safety Of our 20
cal sys,em-and the issues Of peace and war.
The starting point TO settle in order that we may de
pe these re- alive rights and duties is who were the
elemental constituent parties the compact Of Union
The language OF the Constitution, on which this question
has arisen is, ave the people Of the United States -
The answer 70 the inquiry hinges the meaning Of this
phrase the people Of the Ul,ed States" The mean
ing OF it. we think pasly given in the Constitution, it
self The ratification OF she Conventions Of nine
States shall be sufficient establish the Government be-
tween the States so ratityiug the same that is, ma
;,rty Of every separate Convention, representing
or,y Of the people Of every separate State, not less
t,n nine. Accordingly, il was there practically and
unanimously construed by the almost contemporaries
acts Of an eOucerued-a the representatives who EN-
poyed the phrase aud al the people whom they repre-
,sntsd aud majority Of each Convention of each State
Iadf,irc the Cous'ut or being more than nine, Who
s,o flco. established che preseat Government Of the
I-.tsd States What proof Of meaning could be more
c3rcusive-mOre a5sola y beyond appeal-than an in
rprstaton universally scted or aud whose results were
accented by the whole country without dissent
WHAT room is there-how purely absurd it is In the
face of this unanimous practical contempOraneOus inter-
rre.ion-to seek different Interpretation by eonstruc-
ton
l. said by the verbal casus,s that the people Of the
United S.a.es"-mesns minority OF the people, and
hence that's majority Of tae people Of the United States
established the Government. And this view would be
;,soutes.i5e If the Constitution and the action Of those
Who made it bad nos furnished verbal well
As practical cous.ruc ioc overriding all speculation
a5ou. what they Intended The Constitution itself de-
e4red that they meant that majority of the Conven-
ton Of nine States nigh, establish i,-and, the fact is,
tsa. the Conventions OF rne Safes ooncurring in the
rllG.atiou id establish 81.
Another answer Il that ne population Of foar Of tas
sl.,s viz: Virginia North Carolina, Pennsylvania and
Massachusetts, a5oa, the TINE of the adoption Of the
Constitution Q72ol was, ia federal Numbers, majority
OF the people Of the United States a5oct ls10o9o TO
lGuJll1l and ths, t..ir Unanimous vote for i vou't
ns,bl-s established Co. AID Ga, the population of eight
o. ls >.s amounted probably 10 nearly fyc-Sizths OF
an, people Of she United States (ab'u 2so6Goo out Of
g i.uu.n and YET, their unanimous vote could NOT
Ai..,,ri slcdtsc Governuca. bile bare m'iority Of
,ae sp..s epsope Of certain min States, nos fourth
OF w whole pe0pe OF t, United States lbut 500 900 cut
~ . go o0N, g,uf haze created and established the
Government. Of the United States The ijea therefore,
at looking TO a numerical m i9y of tae people OF the
st. as the colst tlt-i creating authority o. ibis Gov
eminent is m-rel, graa..ols and absurd.
A. -he time they ratified the compact Of Union, the
S.lss were separate, Independent sovercigntes. As
ogcr.l1,es. assembled r their Coayentons, they rat
6.lt As sov.rc-l,i.s, therefore they became parties
t,i.. A soyer.igu.es. go raff,iug it, they became
h1rad ly 10. As Constituents pa-f-s they possess tie
universal rsb, Of parties all comp,cts, TO Judge Of It's
ir.ou ana aasoge tlem.elges from the obligations Of
OF &C. bu: subject Of course # ,aere be judge over
chem, 70 the decrees Of their superior.
4 .ossrsi, parties there Is 10 judge over them, no
common arber and in ttl character, with all the rights
and privileges. sad all the disabilities and responsibilities
%. indc9eu3eat sovereign parties, under the Jaw Of Ia
lions passing on compact into which they had euie,eS
,bey may Of right judge without srpeal without sure
nor whether the compact be violated or no aud if iu
iractel, in their opinion, determine the mode aud
measure Of redress.