Page 136 - History of Rockingham Co
P. 136
ROCKINGHAM COUNTY
man, and Allan C. Bryan secretary. On motion of Au^stus
Waterman a committee of seven was appointed to report a
preamble and resolutions to the meeting. The following gen-
tlemen composed the committee : Augustus Waterman, David
Steele, Henry J. Gambill, Samuel Cootes, Dr. Michael H.
Harris, Major Edward H. Smith, and James M. Huston.
A lengthy preamble and extended resolutions under seven
heads were reported. The preamble referred to the recent
nullification ordinance of South Carolina and acknowledged
the crisis thereby impending. Resolution 1 asserted the su-
premacy of the national government, and denied that it was
a compact or league of independent States; Resolution 2 ac-
knowledged the right of revolution as a last resort, but denied
the right of any State of nullification or peaceable secession;
Resolution 3 deplored the "precipitate, rash, misguided vio-
lence of our Sister State of South Carolina," and denounced
her conduct as "plainly, palpably, dangerously unconstitu-
tional"; Resolution 4 approved the proclamation of the Presi-
dent; Resolution 5 reprobated the action of the governor of
Virginia (John Floyd) in transmitting the ordinance of South
Carolina to the Virginia legislature, and declared that the
Virginia Resolutions of 1799 could not properly be held as
justifying the recent action of South Carolina; Resolution 6
cheered on the Union party in South Carolina; and Resolution
7 ordered that the secretary transmit a copy of the proceed-
ings to the President of the United States, to each of the
Rockingham delegates in the General Assembly, and to the
following papers: Richmond Enquirer, Constitutional Whig,
Staunton Spectator, Rockingham Register, and The Globe.
The resolutions adopted, particularly Resolutions 1 and 2,
followed the constitutional sophistries of Daniel Webster;
and on the same page of the Register with them is printed
Webster's speech in Faneuil Hall, delivered December 17,
1832.
Resolutions 3 and 6 were carried unanimously; the others
"with a very few dissenting votes." We may infer that
Peachy Grattan, I. S. Pennybacker, and Dr. Moomau were
—117—
man, and Allan C. Bryan secretary. On motion of Au^stus
Waterman a committee of seven was appointed to report a
preamble and resolutions to the meeting. The following gen-
tlemen composed the committee : Augustus Waterman, David
Steele, Henry J. Gambill, Samuel Cootes, Dr. Michael H.
Harris, Major Edward H. Smith, and James M. Huston.
A lengthy preamble and extended resolutions under seven
heads were reported. The preamble referred to the recent
nullification ordinance of South Carolina and acknowledged
the crisis thereby impending. Resolution 1 asserted the su-
premacy of the national government, and denied that it was
a compact or league of independent States; Resolution 2 ac-
knowledged the right of revolution as a last resort, but denied
the right of any State of nullification or peaceable secession;
Resolution 3 deplored the "precipitate, rash, misguided vio-
lence of our Sister State of South Carolina," and denounced
her conduct as "plainly, palpably, dangerously unconstitu-
tional"; Resolution 4 approved the proclamation of the Presi-
dent; Resolution 5 reprobated the action of the governor of
Virginia (John Floyd) in transmitting the ordinance of South
Carolina to the Virginia legislature, and declared that the
Virginia Resolutions of 1799 could not properly be held as
justifying the recent action of South Carolina; Resolution 6
cheered on the Union party in South Carolina; and Resolution
7 ordered that the secretary transmit a copy of the proceed-
ings to the President of the United States, to each of the
Rockingham delegates in the General Assembly, and to the
following papers: Richmond Enquirer, Constitutional Whig,
Staunton Spectator, Rockingham Register, and The Globe.
The resolutions adopted, particularly Resolutions 1 and 2,
followed the constitutional sophistries of Daniel Webster;
and on the same page of the Register with them is printed
Webster's speech in Faneuil Hall, delivered December 17,
1832.
Resolutions 3 and 6 were carried unanimously; the others
"with a very few dissenting votes." We may infer that
Peachy Grattan, I. S. Pennybacker, and Dr. Moomau were
—117—
