Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-05-03

W." ~ lHs In.t III
Grafton? Had not every State, tn, o,,..
not New York herself, so far Complied w;,is w:
plan OF Congress, as to recognize the prjn.;. h
Of the Innovation? Do these p%rInc!rIrs
fine, require that the powers Of the TG~,'
Government should be limited, and H..
rond this limit, the States should b. =.
possession Of their sovereignty and j,d,'
dcnce? We have seen, that in the H.
eminent, as in the CID, the general Love-
limited; and hat the States, in al urerst
rated cases, are left in the enjoyment oT :;
sovereign ard independent jurisdiction.
Truth is, that the great principles n g. Il
Constitution proposed by the Convcnro- II
be considered less, as absolutely new, .;,..~!|
the expansion Of PRINCIPLES which are :.r,I a
the Articles Of Confederation" AID an
ZIG, he says: "lf the new Constitution +.
anined with accuracy and candor, it viii
found that the change which it propo:e: =.
sis.s much less in the addition Of new NJ
to the Union, thar in the ic:;go-s:io, r.
original powers
That is what Mr.. Madison said. He ,4o,,
if hc is 10 be- relied upon, and ] know ~.
higher au:hor!ty--that your presen; Co,:,;,-
ton is but an expansion Of the prineini,S
the articles Of confederation; and N ,se -.
book shows how the articles Of co,.sd.r..
could be broken up. Let Us hear him o. ~,
point: Z
"On what principle" he asks, the e.,,. I
ration, which stands in the solemn ;o,g q. {
compact among the States, can BE- su;.,.. I
without the unan!lnous consent 1i the r,-.. /
to il! This question is answered s, ot,. =.
recurring To the absolute necessity Of ,Ie
TO the great principle Of self preseryat;5r~ |
the traasceaden! Law Of nature ard Of 6,.,-.S |
God, which declares that the saict7 and t,r, !
ness Of society arc the objects 4; wh:cE. q =
litical institutions aim, and 10 which AL So,
Institutions must DC sacrificed. Psrsupi Ain
III answer may DC found without s~c.7cL;; No.
| yond the principles of the co.npac, i;s4li
L. -. heretofore noted among. the :cts,,s, -;
!"e co"'S>.--;-- that in tu.nsA.". - So.
| il had received no hlgEe. sanction than a M,
| legislative ratification. The principe Of r,[i
| procaiity seerns TO require, that its oblica;;.
OF the other States should BE- reduced 10 Il.
same standard. 4 compact between i!,,ryes.
ti"n. sorercignS, founded oil acts of Legislative
authority, can pretend 10 no lisae; ya!ii;yE
than Il league or treaty between the !ar,i,s
It is tn established doctrine oa the subject al
treaties, that all the articles are inutusijy con-
ditions Of each other; that 4 breach Of ANY o,o
| article is Il breach of the whole treaty; ..G|
| that il breach committed by either Of Il. "a.
ties, abso!ves the others, and authorizes ti,a;
ii they please, 10 pronounce the conpac, q,
! lated and roiG."-(Fcdcra.iSt, page 70, Sol
49,
From these extracts it will be seen liz: " |
Madison states, that the States are ~Soyciri.el
and independent powers. ard that II a.! ..t
enumerated cases the States arc left Ia !a= r.l
ioyu,ent Of their sovereign independence; sli
after throwing tho similarity in principle II
tween the old articles Of Confederation AL
our present Constitution, he shows how Ill
old articles Of Confederation could b. sr,e,l
ceded and broken up. Why the old article. |
Confederation declared that the Union wlGc.I
they formed should be perpetual, and th.; Il
could not be altered or abolished withOu: It'd
consent 0 faU tie States. Yet the fac, is, tbs.
nine States, upon the principles laid down by|
Mr.. Madison above, did secedc from tia; uao-|
and form ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS advised and SAT,
cd If, and this is her second ret Of secc,s!or. |
Now, sir, won't that reasoning apply ts:y!|
If the existing Government is based vpas the
same principles Us the old articles Of r%oaeir.
ration, and if the States did break W. irs>r ar.
~ticIes, does it rot follow hat the same r::s:
exists now, to break up the prcsen, Cyneder..
lion? But Notwithstanding al this. We IRE rva
told here, by able and distinguished mrn, ,Aa.
because We voluntarily ASSERTED 10 tia, Gjy.
crnncnt, our hands are hound to It witt. lve..
Of steel, for ever; and if We resist it, ". an.
10 be regarded by all the world as rrte. AID
traitors"
Now, Mr.. Chairman, with these rcsc:..
views on this subject, come down 10 tie n.
ton Of the Virginia Convention that ralih~.
your Constitution and sa". il any ren;i:
man will take up these debates AID rcsi the
carefully, he will see tIat it vas IL %corceie:
fact, running through: the WAo!e pr9ee:dihc,|
nj secession or Withdrawal, that tbs gre,I
right belonged to the States, and iha. thrI
could exercise it wEsuevcr They thought
proper.
Sir, You know, and this Convention hao@.t
that Patrick Henry, George Mason, Arr! VA
Grayson, and other able and ji>tingIishe:I
men-y0nr rcacratci father, SIR, among Id
misunderstanding To tx President Ty.Ss
warred against tho ratification Of this CpEsl
iutinl II the bitter tnd--warrcd again, 4
upon ;hc ground that il would %conccle a fox
dau.ental principle that would over ride S:ati
sovereignty and State rights, and c~onsoliia:
rvcrJ thing into one Government, to ue tesu|
lated and controlled by Il numerical m4jOri?
How did the great Edmund PenGleton mer|
that? How did Edmund RaadclIh meet Il
How did Col. Nicholas meet it: Ii ge9,i.&c.|
will give ne their attention, ! vii! SHOW. .5ea
the debates Of this Convention, hos these GER
tlcmen met that objection. | will nC~ .ra:
from Eiliott's debates, vol 9, page 81.
Edmund Pendleton, the grea. lawyer AMI IS
triot, in reply to Patrick Henry said:
"Whcre is the cause Of alarm? We. ;:I
people, possessing all power, form a Gp:r.a
mcnt, such rs We think will secure happiness
and suppose in adopting this plan, az sI"' q
be mistaken IN the end where is the cas- T.;
alarm on thut quarter: In tie sane pan *:
point out an easy and quiet melhol o. ~Irior!G.
ing what may be found amlss. No, bu:. ga!
gentlemen, we have put the Introduction I:
that method in the hands uf orr servants, whp
Will interrupt it from motives Of sc!tlntcrest
What then: We will ~resis:, irl M friend
say? conveying an idea Of force. Who
snail dare to resist the people? 30, ns III.
dsicm6ie in Conrenti0n; nhoUy retd!.l' DE-
legated p0trcrs, or reform them SO as 10 Pc
ve"t such abuse, and punish those se:s.E:
who have perverted powers, designed !r ou:
happiness, to their own cmGlumen,.
"WholIy rtcaN our dc!egateR r.4rr.
Whit is this but secession? And VS. il a.:
held up by Pendleton AZ q remedy t" ;.s
States, when the general powers bsI 5e:
?crr'r'ei to their INJURY
I: a. is what our fathers understood. Sr. j:
was the great remedy Of resistance winch IL!
laid down vixen they formed the Fedora or
verEmcnt: and yet you now hear senl,vn@
den, ing the sovereignty OF the States Az
you have now disseminated the n.w dvc;;irs
that it is treason in mo Or in any be,iT L
preach the doctrine Of Our rcncratrd Ancestor
That is what Judge Pcrditton SAID in th.;
debate. Now, sir, let us hear what Sir. Mit'
son said. do not care what you m-y 4;9!e
about Mr.. Madison's writings thereafter. lYr
may quote ~hst he said IN h:7 !s;:s.' '"'"'
revolutions. lie meant revolution b"i"ts'
Sovereign States, and not revolution 5e:'''.
the STATE and the General Government "'
$50 IIF -