Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1805-05-10
From the Heymsnt journal
Mr.. ELLIOT,
10, HIS CONSTITUENTS
LETTER w.

the CONSTITUTION was CarTlcu through Ootil
Houses of Congress was not less extraor-
jdinarv than the measure itself. 1t affords
ian Instructive and even an awful lesson /;
/ and the future preservation OF the consti-
tuition demands that this gloomy scene
should be committed to the conte mplatlen
/ of posterity. To@record the proceedings
upon thar occasion, consider sacred du-
.ty which owe to my country and IN co
ing it shall betray no trust, shall not
act the part OF an informer. | disdain all
come xion with the little band OF rePubli-
Eecan aristocrats and demagogues; to me
Ethey have never disclosed the arcana OF
their political system; they have treated
tsme as they treat all the northern members
of Congress, with neglect if not contempt;
and all the important facts contained In this
letter have long been the subject OF general
conversation az the seat of government.
Mr.. Butler "a republican. Senator from
South Carolina who warmly opposed the
amendment, in-a letter TO the legislature OF
that state. observed, that he.had not beer,
long in Senate since his last election 6efore
he perceived continuation among certatn
large states, unfair in Itself and dangerous
IN ITS Consequences to the rigAts q other
,statss--isto Notwithstanding Aase dra7Us
some of the small statrs---they hold evenlng
meetings to decide zOhat shall brevailm Sc
nate, and no proposition can succeed which
does,not come from one Of their party, ,sSc.
Notwithstanding the responsibility OF Mr..
Buffers character. and his long tried pa.
triotism, let US hope for the honor of our
country and the cause of liberty, that the
warmth of his feelings, inrelation TO par
sicular measure, led him to give too deep
colouring to this melancholy picture. 49,
Would to God were not under the neces-
sity Of confirming his statement, SO far as
relates TO the amendment; but that con-
armation is inseparably connectedwish the
justification OF nv own conduct. ahe re.
solution which was sent from the House to
the Senate, contemplated no alteration of
the constitution other than the mere dis
elimination OF the votes. 1t was soon
found that the private sentiments of seve-
raj of the Oldest and most respectable re.
publican members of the Senate were hos.
tile to the measure. Some of them, how
ever, were instructed 10 vote in its.tavor,
and it was hoped that the Others would
yield to the popular sentiment IN the states I
ahey represented. The minority con-
stantly called for the consideration of |
the resolution from the House, but the
majority, for several weeks refused 10 SUI
fer il to be considered. The business was
not yet sufficiently matured in "eyeaing
meetings. OF the final caucus on the /
subject was informed. A letter from
one of those members-whoar b. some cali
ed leading ones to another member of the
Senate, notifying an evening meeting Of
the friends of the amendment. to devise
ways and means for CARVING it into effect
at all events, in some form or other, was
put into my hands by the gentleman to !
whom it was directed, Atthis caucus the
business was concluded by adding to the
amendments that provision which afIer-
wards opposed, and it was also determined
to take the question the next day befors
the senate should rise. Here let it be re-
marked, that there had not been any regu-
lar debate upon the main question in Sc
nate, and that the additional proposition,
in substance. had already been rejected,
when proposed by federal member. Two
or three republican members dictated in
caucus as theSst'ss qua non Of their voting
for the amendment, this important addi.
tion, and one of them afterwards observed
publicly in my presence, that he had not
only dictated it in caucus, but had given
the leading republicans in the house to un4
derstand that the fate of the amendment
depended on its adoption, in that very
form, as his Sete should be put upon it
should i, be sent back to the senate. Thus
it was virtually determined, in one of these
eOening meetings., that the, representatives
of the people, the state legislature, and
the people themselves. should sanction an
alteration of the constitution In the precise