Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-05-03

n their mag nations It rot Only assumes e'e-
" bidrous and irightiul form, tut It possesses
evc:s. poisoIious, deieterious ai'c des'rucu'es
on,ii;y. Shall We, sir, Ifer or iRisS il'a-
,.nos !, be .i.rined, ard our judgments To DC
influenced by such miserable stun o.'a'i - :
,aoeIy act under tie l-sh OF this tyranny CT
the press No m N complains OF VIC DISCUS
sion in the newspapers OK any SUBJECT Wn-c IN
comes before the Legislature OF me nhioh'
But | most soieEiniy protest aSsll'' ti.S
course which has been pursued By these e'l,
,ors in relation to this question. Instead vi
reasoning, to prove the uncu!'sti'utlohlli'v u
~, law. they charge members OF congress
with being bribed or corrupted: Ana this IS
,rb.,t they call the liberty OF the press. 20
,rr,uny, ur.der wh tevcr torn 1t may DC eHei
c;s.d, ! declare open and nterm'naoie S;.f'
Tone il IS perfectly Indifferent whether 'nc
,,r,r, ;s an irresponsible editor or despotlc
monarch =.
Mr.. President, II the construction "h'e' HAD
been given to Tic constitution Is entitled 10 DO
weight with the members who now compose
the Senate, will il also be contended Ink liit
different acts Of successive democratic Con-
crosses. fv which they have sanctioned the
Validity Of the construction under whcn this
t,-,. ;ss created. are entitled TO no weiget or
consideration Perhaps it wo,:ld be aiitair
TO lay any stress upon the simple acluiescence
OF cur democratic predecessors IN tais niea-
sure. | shall therefore shew, that the acts TO
which I aIiude, were positive affirmative acts,
and not simply. C III any degree, acts OF &C
o,,i.scc,cc. BY the Charter, the corporation
was authors ed to establish otiices OF discount
sud deposit wheresoeter 1t should th'hh ht'
within lie United States. in the year 1885,
m. Tr;,e,; STATES oot.iiled Louisiana BY pur-
chase. Under tie authority given IN tie Char
ter. the corijoratiG.i could rot extend It's
branchcs into Louisiana. liz the year 1904,
democratic Congress passed i law 10 authorize
this deygr7irg monster to lay It's orsffhe''Ve
fanrs upon the !sfaffunate fecfIe OF these
newly acquired territories. IL has been Said
that TIE state governments were competent 20
resist The execution OF this Law. how unSe-
ne-ous then was Z IN osr democratic. Prede-
cessors To authorize this institution, with Its
he.tier,iul Errs.. 10 seize upon these hstffess
and u;f5r.ura.e ;tcoihte, wt.o mad no stcte 60
7ey.uuryts rozyhrtcnt ~ resisf the e-Escu!.orl r
fhis hz-, aid shield them from the dsadlv foi-
~, of this 7.ene0ous yEer ? 1t WIS unhind :
it was cruel. Permit me, sir, to make one or
two Oh .crvations upon this competency OF the
state governments to resist the authority or
the execution OF law OF Congress. What
kind Of resistance can they MAKE which IS
constitutional. | know Of but one kind and
that is by elections. The people and The
states have right to change the members Of
the national legislature, and III that Way, and
IL that alone, Can they effect change OF the
measures OF this government.
1t is true there is another kind OF resistance
which NAV be made, but it is unknown 70 the
constitution. This resistance depends upon
physical force il is an appeal to the sword {;
and bv the sword mast that appeal be decided,
and not BY the provisions Of the constitution.
We are informed, however, that the states
thought it mos, prudent to acquiesce in this
law, and wave the right Of resisting 1t, to which
they were so entirely competent.
Does the positive sanction of this measure !
bv our democratic Congresses rest alone upon
this act Of 1905. !? No, sir The act by which |
the bank was Incorporated made no provision
for the punishment Of those who might coun- !
terfeit its bills and checks. In the year 1893,
a law for he punishment of such offences was
passed. II the year 1907, democratic Con-
gress composed OF m;ny OF the same members
who are now called upon to act again upon
the subject Of the bank, passed a law also for
the punishment OF the same offences against
the bank. This is not ali, Sir; so great WAS
the unani,nity Of both houses upou this quessi-
on, that the bill passed through both houses
without producing call for tie yeas * nays
upon its ilai passage, or in a..y OF its inkerme-
date sta:.as. The constitution Saws, Congress
shall make laws " To provide for the punish
lnent Q. coun,erfrising the securities and cur
rent COIN of the L. States" l have shewn
that Tic powerto punish counterfei6ng the cur
relt coin WAS fairly incidental tc the power Of
coming money. But the power to punish
counterfeiting the securities is an original
grant @! power, and not incidental to ANY oba
of the delegated powers. As the constitution
has given the power to punish counterfeiting
the securities. and the current eoin, expressly,
according to the doctrine commended for bv the
enemies Of the bank, the power to punish anv
other species offorgery is withheld. But let
us pursue this idea little further. The law