The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-07-17
Mr, Madison.

,u., to.day n very interesting COM
w. giving an accouhs oil an in',
niun's ...;,;, Mr.. MADISON the year oe'o.e nc
,,ieG which affords the Key "s W ,asass;on
~ Mo view OF the questions o' ss 49, s.;a
"a # s,atcs,rights. We nave ie.' ,':,.rfss
ANY, Nr MADISON was not FRANK !" "'s ' wv"
.n"' .. .',,;nrs bearing upon sta'es.r,Su's,
zen ,hot no avoided issues that II oepao,u
1'ne 49,. Instructed the way 10 VIC cs'"o'
rshment Of the Union, unaeE .Ae ps
.s", ,h,, those issues were not ptas'Na''
81 .,ot they would pass away ana no. oe
""u ;,,an rho substitution OF the impract'-
c,hili,v Of secession made "y mr. AZ AD,sos
IN his conversation with our correspondent
is very striking, and its force must pc W.
rrowledccd by all frank gentlemen, how
ever earnest may be their State5-rt2hts sem
timents. We have been warm enough ioi
all practical purposes in that hue ourselves
II is pity that the question had not oeeh
more definitely settled By our ~iorciathele'
Take Mr.. MADISON, for instance - = r 80 49,,
that he felt the necessity OF union "a .ps
States for the common defence H.u
=. general welfare" 1t is Furthermore pna,"
that he and his compeerS, even Oh tle Siue
of conservatism, thought that the common
government Of the Union should pave c"'A
s-y and power enough to command les!'o''
and ensure protection. MIR. MADISON Wv
orv WAS. we think, that as the Legislative
aon.rtmcnt was composed of the represent
to,;vos NJ the States. the danger OF oppres.
sion and tyranny WAS not great TIC '.'' ~,
no objection to the deelara''ons Vi Wv
States in accepting the CONSTITUTIONAL u', W
a.. omordmepts that were adopted ny 'he
St,tes which asserted more strongly 'ha'.
4be constitution itself, the "reselVea
rights" Of the States, because doup'ess II,
did NOT think they presented any Tfactlca'
His mind was no doubt greatly exercised
bv these preserved rights"-how in'fac,
lions Of them were to be asccrtalneo. ahu
how those infractions were to be res'sted.
His Virginia resolutions of 80 90 not polhI
out the way, and offered no solution OUTSIDE
Of the public opinion of the States geher-
allv. or the Union. He, with other States
rights men of the times, claimed Ihosc
RIGHTS. but he furnished no remedy Tor
their violation outside of existing tribunals
and the public opinion Of the nation eA-
pressed at the polls and maintained by tnc
representative body Of the people.
There is no disputing the fact that ne
considered secession not practical ques'
ton. He hoped, no doubt, that by the
regular movement Of our political system
collisions between the States and the Fede'
raj Government would be avoided, and that
the resort to extreme measures would DC
also avoided. The notification of the Fed
eral laws by State he repudiated, ana the
withdrawal Of Il State from the Union nc
deemed impracticablc. Whether he hac
any remedy for an infractiOn of the Consul
tuition, beyond the appeal to the judgment
of "the people," is matter OF debate,
but we always suspected that Dir. MADISON
inclined to the Supreme Court Of the
United States as the tribunal to decide
1pon the constitutionality Of the laws oil
Congress.
Whatever view may be taken of his attl-
tulc towards these questions, it can hardly
be denied that the remedies OF public opln-
ion and the Judgment Of the Supreme
Court are all that are left to Us now. There
are States.rights asserted by the Constitu-
ton. But their maintenance rests upon the
public Judgment and the public tribunals.
There Is no such thing as force on the
side of the States that is at all practl-
cable. We can rely only upon the faith
full administration Of the la~S for the en-
ioyment of our rights, State ard personal,
under our present system. The central
government is strong to that degree that ii
is irresistible. save by the power OF such 4
number of the States combined as would
be strong enough, in their employment OF
the political means of changing the national
rulers and modifying the laws, to relieve
themselves from laws and measures that
might be oppressive. We see no hope OF
any other eXpcdcnt to stay the exercise OF
unconstitutional powers by the centra!
Government.
Both secession and notification have been
proved to he impractlcable, as MIR. MAD1-
SON regarded them to be- And what else
is left but the public opinion Of the whole
nation and the judgment Of the Supreme
Court!
1t is useful to LOOK at this question fully
in the face. 1t cannot profit Us in any man.
ner to debate impracticable questions. 1t
were better to secure triumph for the
side of the Constitution and the faithful
administration of the Government by max
ing practical issues, freed from sectionalsm
and the rancorS impaired by the war,
than 10 suffer defeat by vainly fighting upon
issues AS impractlcahle and pr0titleSS as be-
wailing things that are past and not to lie
recalledS
GI,,.I