Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-12-27

| Hiit t1 every Unnecessarily iutIVVnt. tSNINOO
Tea ohqtid aleu- eOaceait, c0ncedere cidefur
ef-td sane qno res ipSa eSSe non J,oteSt, a.
Is maxim OF reason as well as law
Ii is said by tie committee, HAT there
g Is no part oi The constitution more un-
." limited, than thai which relates To the
application Of The revenues, Nl,irii are
| " tob e raised under authority. There
are, nevertheless, ! would hope, SOsve H.
mitsAto This power :, To tins irImrilS,, puw e
er OF voting away the money of the peO-
pie. If, witk6l Tie Just limits OF power
granted TO Congress, they have RICH, TO
/ sqGander away, AT pleasure, tie money Of
| their constituents, il would seem that BE-
you'd those limits they ought not 10 90.
Our of the limits 10 this power Wouid
seem 10 he. That as the money Is TO be
conformity raised upon The people, il ought
To be uniformly applied. Another hait
IL, that Congress has no right to apply
The public money 10 objects not stated ~
The constitution, and which ilet have,
| themselves, no power 10 accomplish, bat
which, III effect, depend on the VIII OF
another government As TO the extensive
ness ct the terms IN question, those con
! tanned III the articles OF confederation, are
| fully as much so. They are Cart. 81
y" i hat ak ,hargeS OF war IL other eXpeB-
| " SEES that shall be incurred tor the com
" mon defeHce or general weJare, shall be
" d iiayed," &c. No words can be more
broa' or comprehensive than these aud
| yei IL was never conceived, under that go
vcrnmeRt, that Congress had right 10
appropriate Tie public mt.s.+,iy -ttr opening
roads or canals. 1t was never then ina
gined that this power MAS included as AN
mebicnt 10 the granted power OF making
| peace anal var.
Ii Is said by the committee, as cure
Tor all, tina, this power !. not 10 dcrog2.i-
on OF the rights, or powers OF the states,
| and that therefore Hierct construction
should prevail.-I'hls idea uf liberal
construction ofthe constitutions, is quite
new in our country. There are no ether
powers vested ia Congress than those
expressly granted 10 them, and such as
are essential 10 ihelrdue execution. Th:s
idea of hberalily, would leave TOO much
10 the discretion OF Congress. II they are
TO constue the instrument iibel ally, they
are 10 say mwlIat this liberaliiy consists
and that power would 20 10 Justify every
thing done bv them. Ii leaves every thing
10 the discretion of Congress, and we
might as well burn the parchment of the
constitution. As for lis not being III de
rogaiion from the rights and power Of the
State, If Il cesslon OF territory, TO any ex-
tent, does not work such derogation, do
net understand the meaning of the term.
This territory of the people OF the states
is 10 be granted away, too, by their Ordi-
nary legislatures The people themselves
are NOT TO be consulted Such grants
have already been made of small tracts Il
territory but the tracts are only small,
and are essential 10 the safely OF The uni
on. As 10 purposes resting only on the
ground OF Convenience, the principle is not
10 be admitted. A system ought not 10
be commenced which would lead 10 The
surrender, OH the mere ground of comreni
eHce, of all the domains OF the states
uchSurrenders should only be made fol
the vital purposes OF the ent-es.
pecially if made by the ordinary legisla-
lures of tile states.
The committee have also relied upor
many expenditures of public money BY
Congress, which are said 10 be as litilt
justified by that instrument, as the one
new in question. 1t is not my Office, mol
is il my intention, 10 justify all the mea
Sures Of that body. Many of these APP
preparations, however, relate only tp ertey
nat matters, and do not conflict with tn,
rights or powers of the states. Others o
them are of TOO trivial an amount and cha
racter, TO have challenged the public at
tention.
These are, Mr. Editor, ri SOME.E4 o
the views which occur TO me OH his mo
mentous subject. have neither time no
talents to discuss, at large, this great an,
awful question. | hope that some able
pen will take il up and expose The tenden
cy Of the measure, in all its aspects an6
bearings. | hope my country men vii
have more sense (as well as virtue) than Il
barter for passing good, the nobest in
hcritance of frecmen. There is, besides
no necessity for it, as every salutary pow
er may be obtained by other and lawful
means. | hope my countrymen wal
spurn to hold every thing that is dear tt
freemen, by the single tenure of the Vrtu
Gus conduct Ofther representatives. TIL,
committee have laid great stress, upon thu
virtue Of these rulers. On The contrary,
would keep them well -bIttcd, and hole
them up by short rein. Confidence is
not plant of republican growth. car
never forget that Aaron BUR- had nearly
been our president, aud than Daytoa anC
Gunn WERE senators. l'iiis tenure of on
rights and liberties, is loo frail for an,
h0 deserve to be free.
But if,-whlclI HeGUen forbid this no
veliy should succeed lfCongress, feel
ing power and forgetting right, -shoulC
launch themselves intoa boundless ocean
without any landmark TO guide them,
do trust there is redeelniug spirit in lin
people, which will now, aS heretofore, say,
our liberties from perdltion. ierventl,
invoke the American spirit 10 shield II
from This last and greatest calamity.
JOHN HAMPDEN.
DECEMBER %, 1917.
(a) Federast, 81, 80. On MadisOns Report
p.4j. (c) lib. A ID In his rejection of tile q
bank bill. (e) Coust. U Start. 1, 9. Of III
10. (rl a II q 4 (hINirnimia hilI nf rirl,fs