Question

1. What is the main argument in the excerpt from the Virginia Resolution?

Answer 1

1. The main point of the excerpt is that the states are in a contract with the federal government and can cancel or ignore measures used that are in violation of that contract. Essentially the states are allowed to ignore laws, like the Alien and Sedition Acts, when the states believe they violate their rights.

2. Because the Alien and Sedition Acts put a watch on anyone new to the country under the Alien Act and the Sedition Act allowed the government to arrest people if they spoke against the government. These acts allowed the government to violate rights granted under the Constitution.

3. Because accepting the acts would be a violation of the highest laws of the land. It would be the governments willingly violating the rights of the people and allowing the federal government to have power larger than granted to them under the Constitution.