Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1803-11-09
FRIDAY, November 4.

FRIDAY, November 4
.DERaTE on TIE LOUISIANA 7REdT7.
The House wen. into committee Of the
whole.
Mr.. Dawson in the chair--on the re- 4
solutions for carrying the Treaty INTO ef-
feet.
Mr.. GAYLORD Griswoi5l said he had hop
ed that some gentlcmanin favour OF the re- i
solution under consideration would nave
risen to assign his reasons IN favour OF IL.
But no gentleman friendly to its adoption
having risen, and feeling himself enabarras-
sed, he would take the liberty of suggesting
his doubts as to the propriety OF the resolu-
ton. He hoped the committee would have
the candour TO believe, that in stating those
doubts which hung upon his mind, his OBJ
ieCt was not to delay the progress OF the
measures contemplated, but to gain lnior-
maticn.
Inrefecting for the short time, 'tiuring
which the subject had been before him, ne
had not been able to pursue it In all IFS bear
.ings, nor to solve all the difficulties it pre-
l.sented. He had first asked himself where
was to be found the constitutional power OF
the governments to incorporate the terrific
~, with the inhabitants thereof, in the u
lsnionof the United States, with the priyi-
fIeges~of citizens of the United States Is
there any such power? And if there Is,
where is it lodged Ia giving his opinion
ON the constitutional right O. making trea-
| ties. he would say that it was vested IN the
President and Senate, and that treaty
made by them on a subject constitutionally
in their treaty making power was valid,
without the assent of this House. his
house had to be sure the physical power OF
refusing thenecessary means to carry trea-
ties into effect; but this power was essentl-
/! ally different from that conferred by the
constitution. But if the treaty making
E,power should be exceeded, if 1t should be
undertaken to make it operate upon sub
l,iects not constitntionally vested, he had a
right TO. say that it was his duty not to car
Try it into effect. Even should its Provisi-
IONS be highly beneficial, it was notices. their
); constitutional duty to resist it. He would
not undertake to say that his mind was per-
feafly fixed hat he entsrtalnsd dasihaiiss ssi
lwouid candidly give them answers.
He foundein the article of the treaty
ltsthat g The Inhabitants of the coded terri
story shall be incorporated in the union of
! the United States, and admitted as soon as
possible, according to the principles of the
federal constitution, tothe enjoyment of all
the rights, advantages and immunities Of
citizens ofthe United States; and in the
mean timethey shallb be maintained and pro-
tected in the free enjoyment of their liber-
Fly, property, and the religion which they
lprofess." Here then isa compact between
the French government and that of the u
United States TO admit to citizenship persons
tout of the Jurisdiction of the United States
as it now is, and to admit territory out Of
the United States to be incorporate into
1.-the union. He did not in the constitution
find such power vested in the President
and Senate. If such a power be not ex-
pressly vested, it must be reservedto the
/ people. It was not consistent with thespi-
/, tit of the constitution that territory other
!than that attachedsto the United States at
| the time of the adoption of the constitution
ssshould be admitted; because atsthat time.
the persons who formed the constitution of
the United States had particular respect
to thethen subsisting territory, they carried
their ideas to the time when there might be
| an extended population; but they did not
carry them forward to the time when an
| addition might be made TO the union Of a
territory equal to the whole United States,
which additional territory might overba-
lance the existing territory, and thereby
the rights of the now citizens of the Unit
ed States. be swallowed I'D and lost. Such