Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1803-11-11

fancy and obscurity, deprived 81 tho n-,-w ga
even OF the hopes OF education. | had vet reaJ
much and reflected more. My arden, and ss
eutsive eye had wandered rapidly over the w;as
held Of ancient history thought b.beu nv
iconnsry, like the Roman republic in the age e
Cato, the sport of every wind and of every %sv.
As FAR as understood the constitutions ad,r;rsi
| II, and wished tor its adoption. But when az
elegant anonymous writer predicted, as the cor
sequence ct ITS adoption, that /" liberty would
be bur name, to adorn the short heroic PAGE oe
the halcyon days Of America" / trembled ana
I shnddered for the possible consequences. If IN
he pIenitude of javest sell. suficency, land who
has TOT been young , have since fancied th,.
/ could form perfect constitution tha,
dream Of the imagination has long been past
Long have ] been sincerely and ardertly attach.
ed to the constitution.
Iforesee chat shall be led into wide field
sud that shall long, tao Ang, occupy the atteo'
ton of the committee. Will the committee be,,
me-! imagine that read favourable answer IN
the countenanccs of all IT'S members. shall be
interrupted by no unpleasant indications of inpa.
ticnce, by no loud calls for the question.
The treaty betore-usls of immense consequence.
and my attention wss early TUNED to the subiea.
From the moment of my election, have deyot,
ed many studlous and laborious hours to the
subjects connected with it. and have anticipat.
ed all the objections against il; none of those
presented this day by the gentleman from New
ork, who opened the debate, or by the gentle.
men who followed him on the same side, have
stuck my mind as novel. The question Of the
constitutonality OF the treaty FIRST presents itself.
L !: said TO BE- unconstitutional, because il en-.
arges the territory of the United States. To
reduce the arguments of gentlemen on this head
TO syllogistc form, they would not strike the
mind with great force. The CONSTITUTION is ST.
lent the snbjea OF the acquisition Of territory:
by the treaty We acquire territory; therefore the
treaty is unconstitutional. 1t has been we'll re.
marked by ar. eminent civilian, that those are
not the mott correct and conclufye reaioners, who
very exper, at their qHieguds their atgais and
their ez9el: but thole, VINO, from correct premi.
les, by jut reaioning, deduce correct conclufons.
This queaion is not TO be determined from mere
view of the conaitution tiff, al hJ' is may be-
conGdefcd as admitted thar it does not prohibit,
in expreis terms, the acquiition of ,crfitory.-
1t is a rule of law, that 10 order to afertain the
imporr of contract, the evident inention of the
parties al the time Of forming it, is principally to
be regarded. This rule will apply, as it refpefi,
the pfcfent que&ion, to our conltitGtion, Of which
it may be fad, as the great Dr.. Johnfon fad Of
the icience of the law, that it is the la ielnt Of
human wifdom acting upon human experience.
The contribution is Compact between the AHrri.
can people for Certain great Objects exprefed in
the preamble mr.. E. here read The bnambtj
in languageto which eIoqlence and learning can
add no force or weight. Previous TO the forms.
tion of this conttaton there exited certain prin-
cpes of the law of nature and nations, conltc. at.
ed by time AID experience, in conformity to which
this contribution was formed. The queiti9n b.
fore US, have always believed, matt be decided
upon the law of nations alone; and under this
inprefion have examined the works of the mott
celebrated authors on that fubjea.
Debate to be Continued,