Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1803-12-01
CONGRESS-
OF THE
r NITED Sta r E S.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,,
TUESDAY,, October rs.
TUESDAY, October rs
DEB4TE on the LOUISIANA TREATY.
(Mr. Niebol/oxs Speech foutieus&.J

(l1r. Nieb0l,ox's Speech foutiaHt1.J
Let the Constitution however be examined
let the principles OH whichlt was formed be taken
into view, and il will be found that instead OF
fo.biding, the constitution recognizes the aufho-
rity 20 acquire territory. In theyearA 76waen
the UalteI States absolved their allegiance to
Great Britain, eachistate becaa.e iseperate and
independent sovereignty. AS independent So
yere.guties they had tu!i power in the Language
of the declaration OF Independence (" 10 levy war,
conclude peace, eontrad alliances, establish Com
,nesce, and to do all other acts and things which
independent states might of right do" Each
state separately and for itself bad all the attributes
oifovereignty, and no man can be hardy enough
to deny that at that time, any of the REFLECTIVE
ftates had the capacity TO extend its limits either
by conqpea or by purchafr, Thefe are the only
two methods indeed by which territory may be
acquired, and there have been very few wars in
which the fubjetts of one nation or another have
not been compelled to change matters. 10 the
year 178l the articles OF confederation were r.
nally agreed TO, and each state surrendered
portion Of its sovereignty, for the common bcne.
ht of the whole. Much was reserved, but much
was given up. The management ofexternsl con.
Germs was given to Congress, and Congress alone
had the power to levy war, conclude peace and
contract alliances. The capacity of the individu-
al states TO acquire new terrltory no longer re-
NAMED to them. 1t was surrendered to the gee
neral government with the powers of war and
peace. In the year 1888 the states again return.
ed as IL were to their original lnoependcncy.--
Their sovereignty was once more assumed. They
deliberated about the means of more permanent
union, TO secure to themselves and their posterisy
all the blessings of liberty. The present consttu-
tion was adopted, and even larger portion of7n-
dividual sovereignty was surrendered. # he right
to declare war was given to Congress, the right
to make treaties 10 the President and Senate.
Conquest and purchase alone are the means by
which nations acquire territory. The one can
be only effected by war, the other by treaty, and
when the states Invested themselves of these pow
ers, and gave them TO the general government,
they gave at the same time, that right to acquire
rritory which theys themselves originally had.
The right must exist some where. 1t is essential
to independent sovereignty. TheIoth section of
the first article of the Constitution, expressly pro-
hibits the states from entering into treaties, or
levying war, and even from forming any com.
pact or agreement with another state or foreign
power without the consent ofCongress. All the
rights which the states originally enjoyed, are eli.
Their reserved to the states, or vested in the ge-
neral government. If they once had power indi-
vdually to acquire territory, and this is now pro.
hibi.ed to them by the Constitution, it follows of
course that the power us vested in the United
States.
The gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. r.
Griswod) admits that during the last session he
was an advocate for very vigorous measures. BY
yigorousmeasures he mean wal. Will he deny
that it was his wish to seize upon N. Orleans by
force will he deny that this, and this alone,
was the reason why his friends and himself did
not unire with us in the measures then adopted
for the purpose of acquiring this country ?---lf
the genteman's object was war, if his oblca was
conquest, did he mean that we should drive all the
inhabitants of the Island into the Gulph of Mrxi-
CO, afterwards retire into cur own limits did he
wish that We should fight for the sake Of conquest
only, a ID not with view to enjoyment II
he then thought that after conquerng New.
CLEANS We should have a right TO hold it, surely
il will not ow be denied that we Can hold it after
Sayiug obtained it by peaceable measures.
IT. becoutiased.y
FRIDAY, November Is.
A message was received from the President of
II =. y ~. 80 It