Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1810-05-02
Washington, ApriI 18th, 1910,
TO HIS CONSTITUENTS.

Washington, april 17fh, 1SIo'
TIE session Of Congress now drawing
"a q close. I hasten TO give you as fuu ana
correct view Of the most prominent pro-
- eesdings Of that body, as Inc compass u
: letter will admit. .s
A, ,br CONNIE ncsment of,he session. our
,for.,cn relations wore critical ane a'sI'h,
sen.ct & seemed 10 call tor the un'tea
u,;edom. decision and hrmness OF the 60
.v.rnmrnt: and for the unequivoeal AID OF
g, ss-ry member Of the union. With England
,-snrciaIy, our affairs were represented oy
,.om- Of the leading advocates OF the acm''
nistra,ion, to have arrived to tnat eifsls' a.
Nh;eh there was no alternative leit' cut war
: or submission and however much &C.
Srs,.,e the calamities of war with any ma
lion and more particularly with one who
is struggling TOR her own preserVa''on IN
r,os, TproHal contest with the tyrant OF
. continrntai Europe yet II the ABOVE OPP
r;nn had been correct, / should have frlt
mo difficulty in choosing between those two
alternatives. But upon critical ana I'm,
,,r,ial examination OF the new causes OF
differences that had arisen between the
Crnc,ionaries Of the two governments,
.Gordrd me much consolation to find, that
N my humble opinion the crisis did net call
for an appeal to the last resort OF nations
.ra that il was not incompatible with the
r.,;onsl honor and sovereignty to abstain
frora The rdonsion Of any hostile measure
which might defeat the assurances gwen oy
the PrsSid.n, Of the United States to the
British government, OF HE und'm'n''hed
J..;,c ~ accommodate the causes of mis-.
Mras,,,ondipc ON terms Of mutual friend.
sh;n and interest. Hence It was, IS we'll
=. from other obvious considerations, that
Ei, 40 difficulty In eondemning the poll.
~ Of Introducing into Congress resolution
rsrroba,ing in terms OF abuse The conduct
NJ the British minister. Howtver correct
,hc opinion may be, that our secretary OF
.,s,e received indisnisies from that minis.
o. !, !. no, less rur, that redress for The
;r;n,v WAS instantly sought by the Presi
An, n Diminishing him, and it certainly did
NO, compcr, with the dignity, which ought
- ,haractrrize the representatives at free
ond .nlichtened. people, to become the
champions OF the sseretary>ot state in q
mater partaking Of an affair OF honor be.
,w.en him and the minister OF foreign
GOVT For the part which ! found myself
.r,tI,o,d 70 take upon this occasion, ] have
bree ,baresd with abandoning the govern.
,rs~, Of my country in a contest with a 70.
zion nation. Although it gives me no con-
Germ. nor am surprised that my political
<n.mirs should employ such. engines to
~.;,hdrav the confidence Of my constituents
from me; yet, the pernieiOus tendency Of
,h;s shirt of denunciation i'll a political
no;,, af view, 10 a matter Of deep regret,
md for the honor of my country ought not
% mas, without notice and animadversion.
Is. ooycrnm,n, of The United States is a
GOVERNMENT of checks and balances the
bowers given BY IL are divided between
sbrer. separate and distinct apartments, ex-
ecu,iye, judiciary and legislative. To the
first belongs the power OF executing the
law,s to the second the power Of expound-
ing ;-snd 10 the third the power OF making
che And the President has no more
. the power Of making laws than the lesisla-
turs.kss of sxpounding Or-sxecuting them.
iHeisnS mo:e the government than the o.
tber departmenlB. To the Congress alone
belongs the power Of declaring war, raising
MONEY and providing for the common de-
fence and general welfare andif il be true
that a member oE+hat body, who Shall not
,,n;,. with the President in whatever mea.
sure he may recommend, pr.approve all the
Executive acts he may perform, abandsns
his government, the representatives of the
people are reduced to the humble condition
of Pes;sters OF, his .dicts, aad the whole
powers Of the gossrnnens are concentrated
in b. haads. # .bss b rsPssl!saa ass: