Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-04-01

/ snreTrlgn--SO George Ill said at all cveniS-
lie acknowledged each and all Of them as free,
sovereign and independent States. Each OF
! the thirteen had the war power, the commercc
powcr, the land power-(uh, whit domain Of
| land Virginia would have nos, il she had only
| kept Whist was her own--ir she had kent il. |
I.ean. il her o%n hands and entrusted nobody
with It's administration y and each had al! l:c
oihcr powrrS--!hat grand power Of sending d.
riom"!s and :! receiving !Ors;sE ambassadors
included. Each AID every one Of those ihir-
teen States had those powe,S. The gentleman
says that they dres,ed themselves Of those
powers. say they did nct divsst themselves
OF those p,wc;s. They merely granted them
III trust. They merely delegated them to be
used not by another, hu! Tor the several States
as still aoYercig gras still p:oprieto.s. as still So
vcre;sn pTupr,torS o! the power. But il they
did dl"est themselves uf those sovereign pow
rr<, where did they 60 to? Viii the gcntlc,
mam answer me- H'w, where did they 60 to?
Mf. Internationally friend will a;IoS me
10 say, in answering his enquiry, that sup
pose IN: sunj=ct Uf gifts obrys tie intent uf
tiic s;rer. II they were delegated to the gen
cr;il sGvernment. Of course the genera! govern
rncrt received tlie:;l, and is entitled to exercise
HHH u'tI lii"I are Tcctlcl.
Nj. NISE-lS the general government soY-
! crcign go"crnmcnt?
Mr.. MAcFAHLASD-Agency, or whatever
else you may call 1t; speak now Of receiving
tbs delegation Of the powers. Yuu imply By
vonr question tha: certain powers were given;
say lhcy iv!lpw the grant. Ii lhry were
given 10 proper agent, tha. asen! rccrITcd
them.
NJ. WISE-I ask the gentleman if they wsn;
20 ;i!e Federal Gavrrnnlnt, did they constitute
the Federal Government sovereign Govern.
nett!
Mr MAcTAELASD-No, sir; by 70 means.
Mr. Wlsr-Why moi:
Nj MAcsARLAND -Ihe gentleman aust al
;0w t:Ic to give Tie whole force Of tie answer
Inc gentleman Will please mark that gilt
HAY inpoYrrsh tho donor without enriching
the dJHrc.
Nj. IsE.---ind let me say TO the gentle
mai tia; he might as well have told me that
| the moon was lradc Of green cheese, for it has
rs niuc! 10 d. with the question. Sir, the
donor N this case was no donor at all. There
Tas no :l!t. There was 4 grant, | repeat. in
trust, tI:at deprived the grantor OF nothing
aud that did much benefit II the grantee, the
a.
Government. That Government now has the
power 10 declare war; It has the power to make
peac,; it has the power 10 regulate commerce:
1t las the power 10 regulate the disposition ol
the publ; domain; and yet, with all these
powers the gentleman tells US, that Govern
nent Is 10. srvc,ci sn. But he didn't tell US
wiy. Why, sir, with all these cardinal points,
delegated 10 that Government, was il not made
Soycrc!gr? Why? Because it was of Il mere
dsrlvatlsc character. II was not an origi.
ma! Gur,rHncat, and could not he made SOW
ereisn. IL was not sovereign, was not intended
| to tic sovereign, 1t was Here Gcrvativc power,
1t WAS i Great Munic! pal Government. And
ynH may lnvcS; it with all the power Of making
var. with all the power ul making peace. with
all the powcr Of concluding treaties, with all
the pO"cr OF regulating commerce, with all the
powtr cl d:<posing Of lhc public domain-ive
.: six car'iinal powers Of SOvcrcigniy-anl yet
ych cannpt make it sovereign. Why? Be-
cause ;hc powers which it wicljS brionG to
Others. They belong 10 the several States
! Ao", d""s ;he gentleman tel me that this is
iA'>e I1gic: Does the gentleman tell Inc that
this is mere Ingenuity! ! ask is it not fair
logo? Is it not u fair answer GO to my
agent n:d ask him, "ilave yOn power TO sell
Mr. "LsEs live slUc!.. = Yes, sir have
Have you power to sell this piece of land g.
Yes, sir, have" ''llave YOU power TO sell
that : No, sir, Cannot must 20 10 my
PRINCIPAL "Weil, sir, sill make bargain
| iJr that which Jon have right to sell; tu,
there are terms find not within your power; !;
| ask you whether you can undertake to as.
sume the responsibility in his absence, to sell
to lne On terms that | woull like-to add TO
YOU" power? - lie says, No, sir, cannot do
that; u.ust 80 to my principal"
row why is not he sovereign Why can't
nc sell "N the land Because it is not in the
power If attorney. Why can't he sell the land
o! stock that Is in the power Of attorney on
other ,cruS ? 1t is because he is merely an
a.cnt. The powers are not his. They are
mln". have never divcstcl myself Of them,
am! if he exercises power ne exercises my
power, MT his power.
Is the gentleman answered? Is there any
escape Is there any Eal:e logic? Is there
anything Mcw in this? Is it not atTectation
10 pretend! to nSk these questions and then 10
! r., 10 s.aitlc this House with the idca that |
aln trying to practice upon their crednlity
SIR, do not like that inputation. ] have
an honest earncstncsS in argument, and may
! 20 beyond The bounds sometimes. in pressing
my argument. 1t is not because 1m playin .
tricksler Or practising upon anybodys crcd,l.
! lily bat it is 1ccaUSc am earnestly driving
iu'I tit after tic truth. ain like the swift
greyhound in lhc chase. which sometimes runs
atyoEl tn. gang; but am sure soon to check
my speed aud turn again in the pursuit a,
scoa IS possible. (Lauyhter)
II Tic gerteman's theory be correct, we
have dlvesici ourselves Of the cardinal point
of sovereignty. 1t has gone like soap bubbles
somewhere into the thin air--it is now 10.
where This * the Old Federal doctrine. This
IS the jlu,St Of il. When a gentleman repre-
>cntins States rights State, having the care
OF Safes rights, openly takes this doctrine ard
even s:nlds me Ior not taking it, think it is
pretty hi.h time that we rtcur 10 fundamental
prircipl.S; we had better 20 back to the old
d,clrinrs; we had better revive old Virginia Ms
>he once was Uncc the plantation song Of old
Virginia vas "Old Virginia never tire" 1t
Stems now that some gentlemen arc firing Of old
Virginia and want new Virginia Sir, have
had an an.ipaihy to black cravat all my life.
They we're nr"cr invented, except to hide dirt.
Laushter) believe, now that think cf it.
will 20 back to what wore thirty years ago,
will take white cravat, and ''chaw" to-.
bacco, in order to show one man, at least, who
is willing 10 revive old Virginia daughter }
The question has been asked among other
ilirgs-,he gentleman with much self gra,u
lati"!l ask, whether | would not admit that
.oycreigns were peers? No. sir, have only to
turn u the horn books Of history TO show
that sovcreigns lhcmselSes are very unequal
say to the scn,leman, in answer to his qIes.
lion, 40, soye,cisrs are not peers. You NAY
9, t, France you may 60 10 England you
m.ay go to Belgium, you may 90 to Consiantl-
morir, YOU may 60 10 ST. Petersburg. you
my 80 10 Rome, you may 60 to Naples, you
may 20 to Sardinia, and yor will find that
princes are not peers. Sir, the Emperor Napo.
, !con OF France looks down with as much
| contempt upon some Of the sorerelgns Of Europe
in noin: OF grade as my Lord locks down upon
his iackcy. Aad thereis no less variation ot
grade among sovereigns in their status ork'rgly
or ir.scriaI power than there is among sove.