Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1813-12-23

| of this government, and lay ii down as a no.
sition, which expect to establish, that the
House OF Representatives form federal
| feature in the government, as well as the
\ Senate because the contrary position has
been asserted in the course of the debate.
1t has been affirmed that the federal pro-
perry does not attach to the Hense of Re
representatives. and from this position has
been deduced the doctrine that the dele>
cations If Representatives from each state
| are as well the representatives of the peo-
| pie of every other state, as they are the
| representatives of the people of their own
| particular state.
In order to form more correct idea of
the nature of this government than per>
haps, might otherwise be attained, will
| take review of the political situation of
| the people of the United States at the time
when they adopted this constitution. At that
| time they were members of distinct individu-
al states, free, sovereign and independent of
each other--the people within the geograph.
| ical limits of each state forming body of
people separate and distinct from those
within the limits OF the other states A
| common danger and the absolute necessity
OF union to ensure their preservation kept
them togeth during the revolutionary war;
They entered into a confederation for this
purpose. While that danger continued, and
until their independence was completely a
chieved and recognized, the confederation
was competent to the purposes for which
1t was entered into. But when the danger
was over-when the storms of war had sub
sided and given way to the calm and tran
quil scenes OF peace-whcn this new world
rich i'll the abundance of It's internal resour-
ces, had risen from the lowlness of colonial
subsection, and assumed an important rank
amongst the nations of the earth, it was soon
discovered that something ore was rcqu
Site to secure to the people all the advanta>
ges derivable from such a situation. IL was
found that the confederation, which in times
| of danger had been sufficient to carry them
through II, was too loose, too feeble and in.
| efficient for this new Condition-that in or
der to secure permaGen- y to each ember f
he contederaCy H.; TO establish and pcrpe
tuate the independence of each and every
| state, an unien resting on frmer basis was
| necessary. the exp nses, VII c h daccrued
IN support or the ccr0mon cause were to be
adjusted. Conflicting n5crests might gem
crate rIyaishipi and tlisc"rd between differ
ent states, fatal 10 tn ir existence and ma
ny interests, which might be properly
deemed common to all, and i'm which each
state might participate without injury to any
| OF the others, were likely to be in a state OF
| Jeopardy with u, the institution of some gems
erai system competent to their cnntroul * %
| the establishment of general regulations res
pectnS them, which should be obligatory on
| all. From these considerations superadded
| to those, which related to the protection of
| the states from external enemies, it appear
| ed expedieDt to institute such government
| as this /; and hence les origin.
Now The important Question presents itself
| what is The true character and description of
this government 1t has been said as | be-
| fore observed that one branch only Of the lie
gislstt,re is fcderal--that the Senate. "a renrs
| scntatlves OF the sovereignty OF the states, form
| the only body, winch sustains that character;
and that the House Of Representatives is not, in
| It's nature, of that description. This opinion is
| drawn from the source of it's creaiiom-from the
Circumstance OF it's members being elected b..
! the peope. II the source, from whence pub
\ lac body derives it's appointment, and no the
! end, tor which It'll appointed, were to etermine
| it's character, then possibly there might appear
| some plaus'bility in the distinction, which has
| been taken between the Senate and the House
OF Representatives, to their political chsrac.
\ ter but even then the distinction here taken
would be but plausible one. Fl critically ex
| amined, 1t would not, selieye, merely of Itself
( determine that the House of REPRESENTATIVES ~
| not federal body, or that tho Senate is such.
| The cctions Of Senator'S being made by the
| Legislatures do not necessarily determin. that
! they constitute federal body nor does IL ne.
! cessaTily follow that the House of Representa-,
! tives do not constitute such body, because the
! members OF II are elected by the people and
| not " tie Legislatures. We must, then, resort
! 20 other erifeTfd in order to ascertain the true
! political character both ofthe Senate and of tire
/ House OF Representatives. The end for which
| they receive their appointment, and not merely
| the source from which they receive it, certainly
I must be one OF those eyiteria and an important
| one too. The Senate constitute one branch uT
| the federal Legislature, and the House OF Re
| representatives. constitute the other branch of IL
! Here the end, for which both arc appointed. il
the same and on this ground alone, If there
were no other, principles Of sound reasoning
would, think, justify one in contending that
| the House OF Representatives is as much fe
! dersl body as the Senate, on the other ground.
~hieh has been taken to show that the Senate
do form federal body, because the Senators
! from each state represent the body polite, or
! sovereignty OF that state the House of Repre-
| seRtativcs must also form such BODY because
the delegation from each state represent the 80
vereign people of that state. Tie state lcgis-
! latures, who derive their own political exis-
\ tcnce from the people Of the states, confer the
! appointments ON the Senator'S but tile people
] OF the states themselves confer the aupoint-
! ments on the members Of the House Of Repre-
| gcntative4 The authority Of the former is de.
/ rived merely from the representatives of So.
yereignty-ihe authority OF the latter is derived
! from the actual possessors Of the sovereignty.
Surely, then, the later cannot be less the repre-
sentauves OF sovereignty than the former. The
| fountain cannot be less pure than the stream
that issues from it, ACCORDING To the very prin.