Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1803-12-08


the Kaskaskias Indians whereby we have
acquired large extent Of land, would, &C
cording to this doctrine, be demonstrations
al ;: and so would all the treaties which add
to the size Of our statute book, with the nu-
merous tribes of the natives on our from
tiers. According to this construction, all
our negotiations SO happily concluded with
those people, whom we ever nave uniform
~ acknowledged as the sovereigns Of the
soil, are nugatory, and to be holden for
nought.
He said, be was perfectly aware Of the answer
which would be made, that we held all our n2t'-
onal domain, under G. Britain, by virtue OF the
treaty concluded at Paris III 1883. What, after
all vas the amount of the cession by Eoglaod
Certainly not conveyance of a country which
never was theirs, but righ:fully belonged TO the
INDIAN natives for it WAS IN lis true construct:
on merely gut elaim Of the professions or tile
to the land which the English had obtained by
conquest and treaty from the French. By that
negotiation the United States obtained bare
srlia74is5ueat of the claims and possessions Of
those two powerful nations. But the paramount
tide Of the original inhabitants was not affected
by this. However contemptuously the rights OF
these rude and feeble tribes had been regarded
by the Europeans, their descendants in these
states had considereai them with recognition and
fespeGt. Until the Indians sold their lands for
an equivalent, the humane and just principles OF
the American government acknowledged them
to be the only legitimate owners. And the So.
vereipnty acquired by treaty or purchase to Our
government was derived from the title which the
natives transferred to them as grantees III fair
bargain and SALE
Such, MIR. Mitchell urged, were the rules of
true contraction, and these rules admitted and,
aaed upon by the federal government; and yet
according to the novel doctrine of this day,
every treaty with the natives for parcels of their
country, although hitherto deemed lawful, would
b. an uaconRisutionsl act. According to this
notion, every treaty for lands, holden with the
aborigines hnce the organization Of the govern
nIent, was violation of the contribution. And
thus this invaluable itfrument, this bulwark of
our liberties, had been violated perhaps twenty
times or more, iince we began to buy the fur
plutage of their huoting grounds. The Indian
tribes are as much aliens as any other foreign ia.
lions. Their lands are as much foreign domini-
on as the Oil Of France or Spain. Yet We have
gone onto annex the territories which they fold
us, tc our prelent territory, from the time we &C.
qnired independence, and no mortal until this
debite arofe, MIR. Chairman, has 70 much as
thought that thereby breach Of the contribution
was made. MY colleague is furely entitled to
great credit for his perfpicu.ty in finding thar
al! our great and wife predictions IN adminiGer-
lug this government, have been blandeers and
conAiu,ion-brcakers. But, Sir, the juf jldg
inent on this fubjed is, that the Prehden,s and
Senates of the United States have therefore acted
conaitutionay in acquiring by purchafe foreign
doninions from the alien Indians. And by pari-
~ CT reaionirg, they have aacd not only coDfi
tutionaly, bat eminentIy for the intereft of the
county, 10 buying Louiilana from the whitener,
its prelent fovereigns.
But independent of correct principle and steady !
precedent in favor of the requirement. of new
territory, it may be worth the while to mention
few OF the strange consequences which f5w
f ON the doctrine which the gentlen.en of the
other side OF the House contended for. Accor |
ding TO their reasoning, if by any force Of the
currents of the ocean, or any conflicts Of The winds
and the waves, a new surface of earth should |
emerge from the neigb9orhool of Cape HATTIE
ras, it would be unconstitutional TO take possession
oft. Yet il appears to me. Sir, very Ike an |
absurdity to say, the United States would b elk |
their bord Of union by erecting light boise on
it. Suppose that by volcanic att N, islands should
be suddenly el-vatcd from the bottom e The (
Atlantic, as they have repeatedly I
lssn from the depths Of the Mediter can, would /
it be unconstitutional 70 take possession of them
So far from it, there would on the other band be |
a duty in tie government 10 assume the domlni
on Of all adjacent islands. Again-suppose for
a moment that our present. limits were fill Of
nenie ,nnnI II b. 1,ncnn stt1lticnpl "a ,,nrchase