Whereas, the Federal Constitution, which created the Government of the United States, was declared by the framers thereof to be the supreme law of the land, and was intended to limit the powers of said Government to certain general specified purposes, and did expressly reserve to the States and people all other powers whatever.
Whereas, the President and Congress have treated this supreme law of the Union with contempt and usurped to themselves the power to interfere with the rights and liberties of the States and the people against the expressed provisions of the Constitution.
Therefore, we the people of the Commonwealth of Virginia petition for peaceful withdrawal from the Union so that we may secure the blessings of Life, Liberty, and Property for ourselves and our posterity.