Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1861-03-27

own limits; anu Wnlcn are reSeFFeu peeo
liarly to itself for the purpose of guarding
its own interest, and to enforce Its OWL
remedies against that internal or externa
wrong which may result from defect IN hS
own laws, or from misconstructlon or 'lo
latiou of those delegated powers tna' are
found in the Constitution, and which MAKE
the sum of the compact between the States
All the States were thus intended to be
brought upon pure and undlsputed equal
ity. Rhode Island, with its two represen
tatives in Congress, has the constitutional
right to claim as much protection for its IN
teresrs under the laws of the General Gov
eminent, as Pennsylvania has with Its
twenty-five representatives: and no o1ite'
however superior in point OF territory or
numerical strength, can claim, through tHe
Constitu ton, any more protection than that
which is awarded BY ii, to the least OF them.
The line which separates the sovereignty
of q State from the authority OF the govern
u,ent is we'll defined by the Constitution.
Bga reference to that compact, we lind that
Il State has no right TO exercise any of those
powers which it delegated, aud that the gov
ernment has no authority to use any power
which was not expressly delegated to it by
the Stares. These powers are plainly and
succinccly enumerated in the 9Th section OF
the first article OF the Constitution, and the
opinion, that the States did not yield their
sovereignty further than was conveyed iii
the delegated powers, is confirmed by a
perusal of the 10Th article OF the amend
ments to the Constitution" which reads:
The powers not delegated to the United
States by the Constitution, nor prohibited
by it TO the States, are reserved to the States
respectively, or to the people" If we are
not mistaken the adoption 81 this article
and the one which precedes it, was the con-
dtion upon which Virginia consented to
ratiiy the Constitution and become part Of
the United States.
The North ignores the doctrine of State
Rights as taught By the South; and taking
It's authority from the preamble, and not
from the articles of the Constitution, it
promulgates and teaches two very danger
Gus heresies, viz THAT AL men were born
free and equal, and that whatever is for the
general welfare is right" Ia obedience to
the dictates of these TWO very mistaken no
tons, it has chosen to make the broad issue,
which they open with the South, and
brestGed serpent's venom upon that har
mony Of those relations which the States
bore to the supreme law Of the land. Had
it not persisted in claiming for the Federal
Government more power ana authority than
it was designed to possess, such word as
Secession would not have been heard in
American politics, and hand in hand and
heart to heart, the States would have gone
on IL their righteous conduct, and offered
an example Of prosperity and peace to the
world The States of the North would not
attend to their own business. They would
NEEDLE with that which did not legally con-
cern them and in their mad effort to regu-
late Southern institutions by their selfgeue-
rated sentiment, they loolishly thought to
bring the Sputh to bow its proud neck upon
the altar OF Northern opinion. This, the
South would not do; and whether Secession
be constitutional or unconstitutional, seven
sovereign States have put II in force, and
prufting by the example which our fore
fathers gave them 10 their separation from
the British Crown, they are willing and de-
termincd if the right expressed in their act,
IS seriously disputed, to defend it with
theic lives, their fortunes, and their sacred
HONOR That the North is entirely to
blame for the present disturbed relation OF
the States, future history will attest; and
illv does it become those who have c0ntrlbu-
ted by their acts, to break the bliss of our
once happy country, to cast the odium of its
uuhappiness upon the names of those, who
with sef-Sacriicing efforts, are endeavoring
to place themselves in position which will
r, md ba,
sings Of life, liberty and peace.
The act Ct Secession is fearful neceSs-
ty; but when the rights of Il State are in
fringed, what eau it do in the absence OF all
probability Of redress? 1t has either to
submit To that aggression which denies its
equality, or u exercise the power or being
its own judge Of the extent OF the intrac-
tons of the con pact which it entered into,
and to devise ia its own special manner, the
mode and measure Of redress. The conduct
Of the North leaves the sensible man to in
fer one Of two things: 1T. That it does not
desire to live at al with the South, or End,
That il wishes - reduce 1t 10 the beggdry
condition of dependent province, and
thereby force it, without the right Of equal
ity to sustain and pay tribute to the General
Government. When HENRY CLAY wrote
the following letter to Mr.. Cotton, he must
have been impressed that the North desired
to overruo the South and bring it to depen-
deuce:
ASHLAND, September u, 1915.
Ny DEAE SIR: Allow to suggest Il
subject for one Of your tracts, which. trea-
ted in your popular and condensed way,
think would be attended with great and
good effect. ! mean Abolition.
Il manifest that the ultras Of that party
are extremely mischievous, and are hurry
ing on the cuuutry 10 fearful consequences
They are not to be conciiiuted By the Wigs.
Engcossed with 4 single iden, they care for
nothing else. They would see the admins
tratiun ol the government precipitate the
nation into absolute ruin before they would
lend helping naud to arrest its career
They treat worst, and den0unce most, those
who treat them best who 80 far agree with
them as 10 admit slavery TO he an evil.
Witness their conduct towards sir. Briggs
aud Mr.. Adams in Massachusetts,, and 10
qr,n9S me.
| Will give You an outline OF the manner
in which / would handle it, Show the orr
gin OF snvery-trace It's introduction to the
British Government. Show how it is dis
posed %: by the Federal Constitution; that
it i. lptt exclusively 10 the States, except in
regard TO tiugitivcs, direct taxes, aud repre-
sant,tion Shgw that the agitation Of the