The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-01-30
virginia's Protest Against Federal III.
terferenCe.
RICHMOND, Va, January |.

=
terference.
RICHMOND, Va, January ls.
The Senate special committee and the
House committee ON Federal relations,
acting jointly, to-day submitted a lengthy
report and series of resolutions in re-
gard to the alleged usurpation OF State
rights by Federal Judge Rives, of the
Western District Of Virginia.
The resolutions declare:
lst. That the Constitution Of the
United States is in rs full force and vigor
~ when adopted and ratified.
ID. That Virginia in re-entering the
Union after the civil war resumed all
her relations to the Government OH per-
feet equality with every other State, and
is entitled to the same rights and honors
and bound by the same duties and obli-
cations as each Of the other States, and
her citizens are equal in every respect
under tie Constitution with ali other
citizens Of tho United States.
Sd. That the United States can only
exercise tie powers delegated TO them by
the Constitution. Within the scope of
those powers the Government is supreme,
beyond them it has no existence.
4th. That the preservation of the States
and maintenance Of their government is
~ much within the design and care of
the Constitution as the preservation of
the Union and the maintenance of the
Federal Government, and the separate
and Independent autonomy Of the States
is necessary to union under the Constitu-
tion.
9Th. That the essential and funda-
mental right reserved by the people OF
the States is to organize each State as u
separate and distinct political society, to
constitute therein such government as
best suits their will and pleasure, and to
change the same whenever their conve-
niencc requires it, subject only to the
Constitution of the United States and
the laws and treaties made in pursuance
thereof.
9th. That o necessary and inherent
condition of this reserved right of local
self-government is the right and duty oi
State to protect life. liberty and prop
crty within her jurisdiction by laws Of
her own creation and by officers of her
own selection.
7th. That the Constitution of the
United States grants certain powers and
imposes consequent duties upon the
United States which they are bound to
| execute and perform, and that the rights
reserved to the States impose on them
certain other functions and duties which
| they are equally bound to execute and
| perform, and the United States can nc
more rightfully interfere with and at
tempt to execute the powers and perform
the functions of States than States can
those Of the United States, and any at.
tempt of either to interfere with the
rights Of the others will be usurpation
and unconstitutional and void.
9Th. That the United States have only
the right to prevent the exercise by the
States of powers prohibited to them by
the Constitution, by pronouncing such
forbidden action void through judicial
power, but in no case can the United
States undertake to perform any duty
which the State should perform.
9. That, therefore, all acts of Congress,
particularly the civil rights bill and the
vide for the performance by the United
States of duties belonging to the States,
are unconstitutional and void.
10Th. That. therefore. the action of the
Judge Of the District Court of the United
States for the Western District of Vir-
ginia, in assuming jurisdiction of the
cases OF Lee Reynolds and Burweii Rey-
nolds, parties charged with crime against
this Commonwealth and held to answer
therefor, ia m attempt to execute the
laws of this Commonwealth and to regu-
late her internal policy in the courts by
an officer of the United States, is unwar-
ranted by the Constitution, destructive
to the rights of the people OF each State
to protect life, liberty and property in
their own way by their own courts and
officers, and ought at once to be rene.
died by proper judicial action, and that
the recurrence of the same should be
remedied by appropriate legislation.
1lth. That proper legal provision
ought to be made for the prompt and
effective supervision by the Supreme
Court of the United States of all pro-
ceedings of judges of inferior courts o
the United States.
18th. That the Governor il instructed
to direct the attorney general to institute
proceedings in the name of this Common
wealth before the United States Supreme
: Court, and demand such protection anc
redress as that tribunal can afford in thu
premises.