Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1811-03-04
MR.. OUINCY'S SPEECH.
(CONCLUDED)

will add only few words in re-
lation TO the moral and political con-
fequenccS of ufurping this power.
| have iaid that it would be virtual
diflolution of the Union and gentle
men exprefs great fenGbility at the
expreilion. But the true lource Of
terror is not the declaration I have
made, but the deed you propofe. Is
there mora principle of public law
better fcttled or more Conformable 70
the planet fuggeltions Of reafon,
than that the violation Of the con-
tract by one of the parties may be
conlidered as exempting the other
from its obligations ? Suppofe, in
private life, I3 from a partneFlhip,
and 10 of them undertake to admit
new partner without the concurrence
of the other three, would it not be
at their option to abandon the part
nerfhip, after 70 palpabe an infringe.
ment of their rights ? How much
more in the political partnerfhip,
where the admifIion of new ahoci-
ates, without previous authority. is
70 pregnant with obvious dangers and
evils ! Again-it is settled as a prin-
ciPle of morality among writers on
publick law, that no perfon can be O.
bliged, beyond his intent at the time
of the contract. Now who believes,
who dare ahcrt, that it was the inten-
ton Of the people when they adop-
ted this contribution TO afIign, even
;ually, TO New-Orleans and Louifa-
ma, portion of their political pow
er; and to inveR all the people thofe
extenfive regions might hereafter
contain with an authority over them
felves and their defendants ? When
you throw the weight of LouiGana
into the lcale, you defroy the polit-
ical equipoife, contemplated at the
time of forming the contract. Can
any man venture to affirm that the
people did intend 1uCh a comprehen-
fiOn as you now, BY contribution give
it q? Or can it be concealed, that be.
yonI its fair and acknowledged in
tent, fuch a compact has no moral
force ? If gentlemen are 70 alarmed
at the bare mention of the COME
quences, let them abandon a meafure
which looner or later, will produce
them. How long before the feeds &C
ditcontent will ripen, 10 man can
foretell. But, it is the part Of wi(4om
not to multiply, or fcatter them. Do
you fupPofe the people Of the Nor
thern and AtIanJick States will, or
ought TO look on with patience and
fee representatives and fenators from
the Red river and MfJuri, pouring
themlelves upon this and the other
floor, managing, ths concerns of
feaboard fifteen hundred miles at
leatt from their reGdence and ha-
wing preponderancy in councils, H.
to which, conititutiJnally, they could
never have been admitted ? have no
heGtation upon this point. They
neither will fee it. nor ought to Zee it,
with content Ii is the part Of a
wife man to forefee danger, and to
hide himCelf. This great uiurpation.
which creeps into this houle, under
the pIauGble appearance If giving
content to thar important point,
New Orleans ltar;s up a gigantick
POI to control the nation Upon
the actual condition Of thi6gs, there
is, there can be no need of conceal
menr. l. is APPARENT to the blindelt
vi6on. BY tie courft Of nature. and
conforraGie 10 the acknowledged
principles q the cor ll,uticn, the
fcentre Of power ia THIS country is
raAiug towards he nauhweE. Sir,
there Is 10 this 10 objection. The
right belongs to that quarter ofths
coun'ry-Enjay id 1t i youEs.