Berkeley and Jefferson intelligencer. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va.) 1802-1810, 1808-05-20

Cancellation OF the interests OF all-ot the
whole nation. 1.-THE appeal from the re.
gular, legitimate measures of the body
where the whole nation is represented
be proper to one state le9isla ture, j,
must be so to another. If tho CONNER.
cial states are called to interPose on one
hand, will not the agricultural states be
with equal propriety summoned to inter
pose on the other! 1.-THE east is stimu.
lated against the west, and the northern
and southern sections are urged into col.
lision with each other, by appeals from
the acts Of congress to the respective
states-in 1ohdt are these appeals to end ?
1t is undoubtedly the right, and may
often become the duty OF state legisla.
ture, to address that Of the nation, with
the. expression of its wishes, in regard
to interests peculiarly concering the state
itself. Nor shall | question the right Of
every member of the great federativs
compact to declare its own sense Of mea.
sures interesting to the nation at large.
But whenever the case occurs that this
sense should be " clearly aud emphati.
callv" expressed, it ought surely to be
predicared upon full and impartial con-
sideration of the whole subj ees--uot uu.
der the stimulus of a one-sided represen-
tatiou-far less upon the impulse Of con-
lectures aud suspicious. 1t is not thro'
the medium Of personal occupations, nor
of geographical position, that the whole
truth can be discerened, ofquestions in
volving the rights and interests of this
extensive union. Whent their discussion
is urged upon state legislature, the
first call upon its members should be to
cast all their feelings and interests as the
citizens OF a single state into the COM
mon stock of the national concern.
Should the occurrence upon which an
appeal is made from the councils Of the
nation, to these Of single state, be one
upon which the representation of the
state bad been divided, and the member
who found himeelf in The minority, felt
impelled by sense of duty to invoke
the interposition of his constituents, it
would see m that both in justice to them,
and in candor to his colleague, some no.
tice of such intention should be given to
him, that he too might be prepared to
exhibit his views OF the subject upon
which his diaerepce of opinion had Ia
ken place; or at least that the resort
should be had, at such period of time
as would leave It within the reach of
possibility for his repre- sensations to be
received by the Common constituents,
before they would be compelled to de-
eide on the merits Of the case. -.
The fairness and proPriety Of this
course OF proceeding must be so obvi-
oIs that it is difficult to conceive Of the
proprietv of any other. Yeti4 presents
another inconvenience which must ne
cessarily result from this practice Of ap-
prllate legislat:on.-When one Of the
senators from state proclaims to his
constituents that a particular measure,
or system of measures, which has re-
ceived the vote and support of his COL
league, are psrnicions and destructive
to those interests which both are bound
with the most sacred Of ties, with zeal
and fidelity to promote the denuncia-
ton Of the measures amounts to little
less than a denunciation of the man.
The advocate Of policy thus reproba-
ted must feel himself challenged by eve
ny motive Of self defence TO yindicate his
conduc.-and if his general sense Of his
of6cialduties would bind him to the in
dustrious devotion of his whole time to
the public business of the session. the
hours which he might be forced to EN-.
ploy for his own Justification, would of
course be deducted from the discharge
ofhis more regular and appropriate func,.
tons. Should these occasions frequent
lv recur, they could not fail to interfere
with the due performance of the public
business. Nor can forbear to remark
the tendency of such agonizing- appeals
to distract the councils Of the state in its
own legislature, to destroy its influence,
aud expose it to derision, in the presence