Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-04-14
Fran, the N9rtt. 4Aaer;caa
MENDING TIE CONSTITUTION.

MENDING TIE CONSTITUTION. i
Among other ridiculous assumptions ID
importance by persons Of interior staton,s
and grovelllng capacity, the editors Of the
Aurora and Intelligencer have scveraNyl
proposed amendments to the constitution.
The sagacious Smith is for establishing u
court to decide controversies between thel
union and the separate states, by way Of
providing for the case of a state resisting
the authority Of the union, in matter al,
ready within the powers granted to the gel
neral government. He has not ia git usI
what the Interior remedy is to be, if the1
militia of Pennsylvania were ordered to adj
opposition to the decision of his new courr,
to that of the present supreme court. Thb3
resembles the geology of the inrss, as ell
ven by a celebrated traveller. According
to their system it is poised on the bach Of
a huge tortoise, but they do not trpubsl
their heads to argue about the support of
tie tortoise. 1t is plain, that states like
Pennsylvania and Virginia, possessing great
physical force, and governed BY untractible|
demagogues, will submit only when they'll
please to the controul of the general govern
ment. The disorder therefore lies in he
men, whom the people entrust with powell
without requiring them to possess the qua
lihcations of good sense and public virtue !
and not in any deficiency OF our political
system. 1t is in vain to multiply regulations
to bind those, who are disposed and able 10
exercise their own caprices.
u the project of the one government
printer is only silly, that Of the other is boa
and turbulent. Duane's amendment goes
the length of abolishing the state sovereign
ties. 6 We must says he, "have 0ns
general government, but can co without 'ne
state governments" IF both cannot OK,
ist together, We must remove the attsT'
In the develoyement Of his principles nc
plainly discovers his policy to be sucn as
would hang his friends, Snyder, Bright the
democrats If the PENNSYLVANIA legislature
&c. sc. Something OF this kind may sPSs'
Oily take place, without the colonel 5 q.
mendment for it seems that the di'tf".
court has issued process against the persons
who, in military array, Opposed ", ~.
marshall in Olmstead's case, and tha VI
Dallas, the district attorney, has declal.'
that the general government intends 'oS'r
port itself in the present conflict.
The people of Maryland ought TO % .',, al
tcn.ive TO these movements. HE unor'1i,a
spirit OF misrnle, which is beginning
rage in all its fury, in the wealthy anu ?.
pllious state of Pennsylvania has made ass
perate efforts in our own: nor can Nc 'g
it is yet altogether subdued. We hays 1s w.,
lately Witnessed some Of its dangerous p:ag;
pensitics, particularly in the trial. y ,' Of
tary law, for the high crime of MUMMY ,or.
a gentleman, against whofa nothing Mo- .1onI
cauld be made ont, than partial CON-. ..s.
he possesses over one Of the PUBLIC pFe' -
of this city. IN Pennsylvania, beS'oI laws
by the state militia 70 'n ,:.S;na
Of the union. it has succeeded in a5o'lsaias
the law of the land, by making all 'aa a,ty
triable by arbitrators, where eitilsI tbe
desires it, ard if they do not agree up0a he
nomination of arbitrators, they are y ,,Is
chosen by an executive oshcer' wno e n:
his commission during the PleasuFIt % :, and
governor. To this state OF ans'e" MARI th,a
aproar, nothing is more likely to enS'' ab i
a permaneney of that military raw ssi. Han
was attempted upon the person OF o. iii ser
son. here, but of which our psopls -
sonably express tlleiy aohorrsn's'