Daily national Democrat., 1861-06-28

virginia RESOLUTIONS were uuODItb W "a N'e"'O
Legislature, and bind no one; but as their
obvious meaning and import has been de-
clared by the Democratic party to be por-
tion of the party creed, it is proper enough
that Democrats should see what their mean
ing and import is. They were written by
James Madison, and his Interpretation of
their true intent and purpose is doubtless as
correct as that of any Of the modern minia-
ture Calhouns who seek to identify him with
the heretical teachings Of the Calhoun school.
In December 1881, Madison wrote to n. p.
Trst as follows;
| cannot see the advantage of this perse-
verance of South Carolina in claiming the
authority of the Virginia proceedings in
1898 80, as asserting right in a single State
to nullify an act of the United States.
In February, 1888, he wrote to Andrew
Stevenson, of Virginia:
have received your communication of the
29th ultimo and have read it with much
pleasure. 1t presents the doctrine of nulli-
tcation and secession in lights that must con.
found, if failing to convince their patrons.
You have done well in rescuing the proceed
ings in l79S-99 from the many misconstruc>
tions and misapplications of them.
To Mr.. J. q. Cabell he wrote, in April,
1888:
The attempt TO prove me a nulifier by a
misconstruction Of the resolutions of l79S-99,
though so often and so lately corrected, was,
observe renewed some days ago in the
Richmond Wing, etc.
In a memorandum con notification" writ
ten in 1885 SO, he wrote:
Although tie Legislature Of Virginia de,
clared, at a late session, almost unanimousl y,
that South Carolina was not supported in her
doctrine Of notification by the resolutions of
1898, it appears that those resolutions are
still appealed to, etc.
In the letter to Mr.. Trist, Dee, 1882, he
said:
1t is remarkable how closely the nullifers
who make the name of Mr. Jefferson the
pedestal for their colossal hercsy, shut their
eyes and lips whenever his authority is ever
so clearly and emphatically against them
You have noticed what he says in his letters
to Monroe and Darlington, pages 43 and 302,
vol H. with respect to the powers of the old
Congress to cocrce delinquent States, and his
reasons for preferring for the purpose a naval
TO military force; and moreover, that it was
not necessary to find right to cocrce in the
Federal articles, that Gcing Inherent IN the
nature Of comPact.
These extracts from Mr.. MIadiaon's letters
are quite enough to show that the Virginia
resolutions never were meant to justify the
and anarchical doctrine of State
Secession. We have quoted them from Ben
tons "Thirty Years" chapter S. The pre-
ceedng chapter aboundS in quotations, to
show from the debates and speeches upon the
resolutions, in the Virginia Legislature, that
they were intended only to express public
opinion, and to influence the public mind fa-
vorably to a repeal of the obnoxious Federal
legislation against which they complained
The mover of the resolutions, John Taylor,
of Carolina, said they appealed TO public
opinion alone; If that should be against
them they must yield" lie also said:
"They (his party in the Lesislaturc) had
pursued system which was only an appeal
TO the public opinion, because that appeal
was warranted by the Constitution and by
principle"
SO said all the advocates OF the resolutions.
They only desired to obtain by free public
discussion, and legitimate agitation Of the
subject, repeal of the offensive laws. They
denied in toto any intention to counsel or
recognize any other "mode Of redress than
that Of laLorng peaceably to create public
opinion in their favor, to the end that Con-
gress might be thereby influenced. And yet
in the face of these abundant proofs the
friends of Secessionism parade the Virginia
resolutions before us, as sustaining them The
Kentucky resolutions are to the same effect
with the others either contemplate anything
more than a declaration as to the relation
between the Federal and State Governments.
When they were adopted, the United States
Government was but just being tried. Any
Constitution, or none, would have answered
under Washington. But when man less
universally beloved took the helm of the ship
Of State the ultra States Right party and the
ultra Consolidation party commenced pulling
each way upon the Constitution to make it
fit their IDEAS Adams had the power, and
used it, to go outside of Constitutional limits.
The opposition were greatly incensed, and
the Virginia and kentucky resolutions were
the expressions of their fiery Indignation. In
after years, the resolutions were used by CAL
houn, for defending his anarchical theory of
the right of minorities to secede from ma
jorities. As. we have ,nown, James Madison
gave Calhoun and his followers a flat contra
diction when such use was sought to be made
Of the resolutions. The resolutions them
were adopted, the meaning given them while
they were being debated, the known attach
ment of Madison and jefferson to the Nation
al Union, the numerous letters of Madison in
explanation Of them, all forbid the idea that
they afford any foundation upon which to
build the pretense that secession is State
Right, and cannot be resisted by the General
Government The "obvious meaning and
import of the Virginia and Kentucky reso-
lutions should be studied again by "Missis-
sippi" lie may find that with his secession
notions "there is not scintilla of Democra-
cy" in his composition
No News B7 THE PoNY.-The Sncramen-
to Union says that not only the telegraph
wires but the United States mails east ofth
Missouri frontier appear to haze fallen into
the hands of the rebels. The Pony Express