Berkeley and Jefferson intelligencer. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va.) 1802-1810, 1805-05-31
TWHoLE No. 3I+

tlZtu natlohS 10 paw tnc most SdN tCu tt~
gard to plghted public faith. And, sir,
he friends Of our govcrrm, mt have de-
wed much consolation from the idea
hat the United Suites would never SUI
.,r their national character to be stained
\ violation Of this important nAtl"nai
'inciple. Yet, sir, from what has ta-
IN place, it has been b, Ii, we'd, that the
nited States would not hc b. hind arv
.. MON on e.T:h in the preservation 1T
his public virtue. But il the res'luti"N
u the hir shl uld b" pass, q into d law.
h.. valuable prin, irlc NAV receive n
uencrs. must BE- permit', d to doubt
he power Of Congress to tNtingui>h the
dances without the concurrence al alt
nc states. The settl, ment ha, ing h,,n
made Under a solemn agreement OF Ill
he states, where will >ou find pow or
vested in Congr, SIS to ALLEVIATE the inte-
icst which any individual state has ac-
quired in the balance in consequence Of
that agrreme MT, and vest It in arn,htr
state No such power IS e<pr, s>td in
the constitution, nor can lconCciNr it TO
be implied by any thing which is EXPRESS
ed in that lnstr, mtnt.
If then Congress have no orstitnrion-
al power TO make the extlngui>hmt mt,
will not the transaction be considered a.
an innovation on the rights oil indisiaaal
states, as well as dereIlctlonof polite
faith?
A gentleman from Nrw-YorI IN.
SAID, that the rxungui>hm, 1t could NOT
be violation OF thr publ, faith, b, cause
Congress had already given up part of
the debt. 1t seems to me tina, The X n.
tlrman's conclusion does not naturally
follow the pre- misses NJ hI,h h> HIS stat d,
for if it could under any circumstance
be considered a aeFe4etien Of public
faith 10 extinguish these balances, it Cans
not at this time be considered the SIS so,
merely on the ground of the legislature
having hcfct otore fallen into erroron the
suhi"u The fact is, that Congress did,
in 1899, pass law for remitring tn ba-
lances, on condition that each debtor
state would paw into the treasury Of the
Cnt' d States b> a given period the n
mount Of the sums " hi,h had been as
sumcd bv. the United States, OF their re-
spr,tivr state debts prior to the srttle-
nj. But, sir, at the time of passing
that law, and ever since, have cOn>i-
dercd it in the same point OF hgh, is I
do the resolution be tore YOU, and tbs re-
fore cannot admit that as a cir, umst.n, (
in favour of the # solution. / nat rro-
vision has now txPlredr without brIng
embraced bv any Of The debtor states, rN-
crpt in that which has heen doAS By the
state of New.Y York in fortii> ingheEpoutS
end hArbours. II the state OF Delaw4 re
Rad thought proper to h4re oompG, i
with this liberal provision, she night
have been discharged irem Il de-, #
S COO,O 900 for : Co O4O, but it 5, ems II t
she prefers a tot~I Atlnt4"n To a PSI III
pay ment. II the balances should * ~
tlnguished on the principle that ihs ) =
Element was uE just, which is thr only
" ground taken in ia> our of The lr N,tn-
guishment, an apr { he nsre thn ,hss
is5onlN to Or i stepping stone t" a m &c
Ia> ourite O q. | mean tbs txl.n-
ditor states on the ,s,ttIcmtn l"r a.
though III, Sc J. l.nCes have been ftun-
ded b> tbs United States. it j. " i
known that rhe evi,ten, IS OF the drht a
the p65ss, S>inn of the creditor states re
not uAn>l, rA2le, so lhu CorArs>< vii
have notFrrs to do to fleet th.< part E
the business, out to order paw IN, NJ 10