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

lsg the M'.s'sslppi Al all; it hEaved that 81.
United States were withcst Eniss. bsv5,, -
soutee Of the Mississippi. Il will no, =. 49,, :'
that among the powers which the eovernnrn, -
sesses under the constitution, there ex;s,. -. o
settling disputes concerning our limits WITH ,hs
Eeighboring nations. This power was not onl,
necessary in relation to the Disputed bou,d, !.
on the SIDE of Canaaa and F,osica, but Was n
disprnsbie toa government owe, caul.fy Of il
definite extent. The existence Of this power win
not be denied il has bren exercised IA ssce,,,;o
ing our north eastern and southern front,er. ard
ltiaycvcs IN II the power Of eas.ndilg the limits
of the confederacy.
Let us suppose thar tie commissioners uadop,
the treaty OF London, had dttcrrarea the rivss
ST.. John, or St. Laurence, TO be the ,rne s..
Crolx. Would not that part OF the province Of
New Bfunswick, or Qaebec, which lies on tIl;s
side OF those rivers, at this time have been part
Of the United States? Suppose the northern
boundary It Florida had been fixed, uaoer the
treaty Of San Lorensl, to extend from the AT.
lautc oceant to the Gulf, would not all the coun.
Try moth OF tbs line and of the Mlssi..,ppi.
1 ,art OF the very country conveyed by The trsa.
~ lately negotiated, and which gentlemen COP.
ceive we could not constiturionaIly hold y
would not that country at thus time, com.
pose part of the Uatcd States That the
constitution should tic US down to particular Ii.
,ni.s, without expressing those limits--that ws
snculd be restrained to the then BOUNDARIES Of
the United States, when i, is inproof TO the com.
mittee that no such bounds existed, or do not cx.
ist was altogether incomprehcnsible ard mad.
missbe. Far if the constitution m:ant the prsc-
teal limits of the United States, tie extent Of
country which we then .5cs;esed, our recent &C.
.qcis,lons on the side OF Canada and the Nat.
chez, could not be defended. But, SIR, said Mr..
r. my position is not only rnaintainable by the
reas IN Of the enst!enton, but by til: practice un.
der it. Congress have expressed, jim their own
ats, a solemn recognition of the principle, that
the United States, ia their feicra,ive capacity,
may acquire, and have acquired, territory.
twill be rccolleSted, tlao adverse claims once
existed between the United States and The State
of Georgia in relation 70 4 Certain tract of couu.
try, between the nofthorn boundary of the Spa,
nsh possessions, and what we contended was the
southern limit Of Georgia. The United States
\
property Of the United States, m their conted:-
rate capacity, and the State of Georgia claim.
lug it as hers. Although have always sdvo.
Gated the claim of that STATE, it never was on the
principle of an ineapaeity in the United States to
acquire territory, or any other which affects Ihc
question row before us. 1t is true, Sir, We
appointed commissioners TO settle the matters ia
dispute amicsbly wnhGecrgia. Bit, in the mean
ring. we assumed the ,nrisdffinn. easfed GO
Fernment over the couatly, and thereby establish.
ed the principle, that the United States, as such,
uh acquire Territory; the country in question.
as We contendsd, never having been included
within rbe limits Of any particular state, and be.
ing ceded to the confederacy BY the treaty Of
l?8s. Bui, perhaps, it may be answered, thar
this acquisition beng made anterior TO the date
OF the present constitution, cannot affect any IL
initiation or restriction, which it may have pro.
ylded IN relation TO this subject and that 10
prove that tie old confederation could acquire ter-
ritofy, is not to prove the sane capacity in the
present system ofgoyernmsnE. To this reply,
tilatthe constitution contains no sath expressed
Limitation, nor can any be fairly inferred from
IL: and that if the cid coDiederatiou---a mere
government Of states loosely connected league;
all OF whose powers, with many more, are pos.
sesssd BY the present federal government-ift ibis
mere alliance of states could righsuly acquire
territory In their allied capaclly, mach more 10
the ex sting government competent TO make such
an acquisition. To me the inference is irresStl.
Bile.
ITO Sc roxtinWd.