Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1805-01-23
CON RESS
U NJ T Ed S r 4 T Els.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
MONDAY. January 7.
DEBATE
Gu recedirs the District q Colxm6ia
(AE. Drnnis's Speech esael'sdea1 |

the gentleman who. proposed ehe rtsoI3.
,lon., aud who by TIE tersn recession and
same kind of magical operation IS TO p.a.
tuce a remuneration st this district TO the
states from which il has been severed,
would inform me- precisely what he under
stands b, the term, ard what IS 10 be'the
result of Tie measure on .be rights of the
people of the district presume, now
ever, he expects, BY the adoption oithese
resolutions 10 reiusia;e them IN al their
former rights. Will this be thereby effect
ed? Having bren cut Off completely by
the constitution, the acts Of eession OH the
part Of the states, and by the acts oil &C.
G p.auce ips17SO, from their parent states,
they will be in the slime Situation as pur.
chased or conquered people, AID snti.l.d
to no-o,her rights and privileges but sach
as their new masters may think proper to
corceele. They were, before you .eparat.
cd taem from their psren, states, part of
tie sovereignty of those s,rtes and their
rights secured to the IA ay their respective
CONSTRUCTIONS. .#-s.+
but it vii, be said, you may annex
condition to the retrocesSion compsiimg
Marylapt a, d Virginia to tetucUfyoia,e
them into their respective Poitical s,ystenss,
with all,he'immunul-s ana privileges they
formerly enjoyed. hv,n tiea the, arg e.
pende MT for their rights, not on the consil-
tuition ct those states respectively, but on
compact and legislative promises. But
YOU have already made one legislative isre-
mise, which you are about TO violate, and
where is the security rhat tao legislative
promises now TO be made will not be VIC.
la,s0 again. especially a. the very act Whtch
makes tie new one, violates a former one,
accompanied wlhgreater solemnity. S!r.
We have had some experience as losthe d.
ference between people who have their
rights secured by/a, constitutions, aud one
who depends for skas security on compact,
in the people Of Louisiana. BY the Hea,y
hey were To be Incorporated into the union
With all theNrichts, immun!ries ard ?s!si'
lspe. of American citisens. Wrkn1w the
"a ,;utle of discretion and tie various con.
suuctions which have prevailed, 10 deprive
hsse people of he rights slipd.A:edby the
'reary. Suppose the states tewno m yoa
propose the re,rccessiun 10 be made should
assume sinilar latitude, TO whom are,
,n.se people To apply for redrssss They
must invoke the aid Of, congress, instead
of apps.:ug as before to the constitutions
of he Gases as the guarantee of their
rights,
nm, Mr. Chairman, are Gle people Of
the territory unworthy nomrnt's consl-
dsration, anti. will thsir demonstrates a.
gaip.t ,he measure b alruge,her disregard,
rda Let US take a retrcspcctivevirw OF
/ .he circumstances under which 0hsy were
9educed from their rsrent states, and the
Manner in which they consented tt,sdissev.
-r the civil and political hoDds by whirn
ne, were Formerly eonnee,ea: what in,
iared them to aiiena,e their native ailegi
nee, and with a generous confidence to
submit themselves 10 .soar aGihayW.-
First, the constitution, HEX. on, the nl- 4 r.
md formed the basis o! the CONTRACT, 10
vol, irg rrom,s. ,thasif TIE people living
~ the dis,rlct of country, which shad!d De
d.ed upen for the seat Of sos ernment,
would give us.-,he rights POSSESSED ussder
the government. of the srates 10 .whic h
they belonged, tASy SHOULD forever tenrlin
|, under the exclusive Jurisdiction vfeon.
gress. By shr aet of congress -acc-rsins
the csSsioh, the territory received is de-
clared to be the place ised ou,for the per-.
maseat sect of the government and the
states c.de forever the jufisdie,ion ce the
persons aud soil within the same IA, eon-
gress, for dse purpose Of exercising there
in exclusive legislation. Finally. you as,
sumo the government. establish your, own
systems, and annul those Of the states.
conEdiug m these promises. they gays up
the controul of their persons, and sorhe df
them divided with you their properly
They consent, and hailed your arrival here
as the most fortunate epoch 10 the Annals
-of their country; aud now, viii vau set
them adrift without eeisning 70 kssen to
their prayerss.
But all this is to be done TO restore them
to tasir lost liberty; to esaaaci2ase them