Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-01-31
Congrs|5 Of the United States.
ECySE 0F REPRESENTATIVES,.
NIoNnAy Tnngaru "A.

Debate on me D!V 10 fno9te '"e pe'P'e Wv
trrritary If orleans 70 form csn'hfu-
ton and state ,svrrnmsnt. and TOR the
admission Of such st"te into me Cn''n,
on an equal footing Nth the o''s'nal
states and fat ether purposes
The bill being Oh is final passage.
Iva. QyIScy'S SPEECH CONCLUDED
will add on. word, touching the slIpa
ton OF New Orleans. Tae provision o.
the treaty Of 1908 which ssipulates hat IL
sha,hr " admitted as soon as possible" dors
not therefore imply violation OF tn. con-
s,;tution. There. are ways in whch this
NAV consti,u,ianallY be effected by an
amendment OF ne constitution or bv re-
ference TO conventions Of the people 10 the
states. Asa do suppo'e, that, in relation
to the objects Of the present bill, (ths pro-
pie of New. Orlears) no great difficulty
would arise. Considered as an important
accommodation to the western states. there
woul<! be no violent objection TO the mea.
sure. But this would not answer all the
p. oi~c,s, TO which the principle OF this bill,
when once admitted, leads, and is intended
to be applied. Che whole extent OF LOU
siana is TO be Gu, upinto independent states
70 count,rbalance and to paralize whichever
there is Of uhuence in other quarters Of the
Union. Such power, am well aware,
tina! ,he people OF the states would nersr
grant you. AID therefore, 1t you ges It,
the on!v way is, by the mode adopted III
this biii-bv usurpatlon.
The objection here urged is not new
one. | refer with great de'icscy to the
cou s. pursued bv any member of the o.
,hrr branch tt thu legislature yet have
j, from such authority that have al entire
belief OF the fact, e;sat our present munster
in Russia, thou = member OF that cody,
when the Louisiana treaty was under the
coasidt ration Of .hc Srnate, although he
was in favor oi the treaty, yet EXPRESSED
great doubts on the ground Of constitution.
;.iiiv, ia relation t. our control over TIE
lastni7s 81 that people, and the manner
and the princi p.s ca which they could be
.,mil,rd mo the union. And it does ap.
pear that he made Two several motions ~
tia; body, has ing for their object, as arow-
e., end as ga hered som their nature, an
alteration in th5 constitution to enable Us 20
comply win the st pH!aiions of that conven-
on.
viii add only few words in relation to
the moral and political consequences Of u
surping this power. have said that it
would be a virtual dissolution of the union
and gentlemen express great sensiblitv at
the expression. Bat tie true source OF ter.
ror is not the declaration have made, hu,
the deed you propose. Is there a moral
principle of public law better settled, or
more conformable to the plainest suggcs-
tons If reason, than that the violation uf a
contract BY one of the parties may be con.
sdsred as exemptlng the other from its OBJ.
legations Suppose, in private life, thirteen
form partnership, and ten OF them uuder-
take TO admit new partner without the
concurrence of the other three, would i, not
be at their option to abandon the partner.
ship, after SO pslpabie an infringement Of
their rights How much more, in the puli
,ical partnership, where the admission Of
new associates, without previous authority,
is so pregnant with obvious dangers and t.
Wis Again-it is settIed as principle
If morality, among writer's on public law,
that no person can be obliged, beyond his
intent at the time Of the contract. Now,
who believes, who dare assert, that i, was
tie intention of the people, when they a.
dopted this constitution, to assign, eventu.
ally to Ncw-Orieans and L"uislaua, Dor.
tinn of th,ir political power and to iuvest
all the people those extensive regions mich,
he,raiter contain, with an outhori;y over
themselves aud their descendants? VIII,
yor throw the weight o. Louisiana into the
scale, YOU destroy the political .euipos..
cnrtc nj plated at TIE time ct forming IN.
contract. Can any man venture 10 affirm
that Ii people did intend such compre.
hersicn as YOU now, by construction, Give
it Or can it be concealed, that beyond us
fair and a, knowIcdsed intent, such con
tract has 30 moral forcc' Ii gentlemen
are so alarmed at the bare mention of The
consequences, lc, them abandon a measure
which, so,rer or later. will produce shem.
How long before the seeds IF eiscor..