Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-01-13


the question. being Of incalculsble impor
lance, and being set aHost in public
ought to be put to rest without delay
and have precedence 20 every other mat
ter.
The motion to Law tie resolutions on
tie taole was therefore negatived- and
| the discussion on the resolutions, or in g.
Their words On the power to punish con
tempts and offences against itself, vas
resumed, and lasted til 4 o'clack. when
the house adjourned to Monday, al which
time it will be again resumed, and, l dare
saw, carried on with undated zeal
fos will observe that the point now in
question is not the innocence or crimi-
nali,y of cslOnei AndersOr-but the much
more important, | may say awful one,
whether congress has the power e"nsti-
| tu:ionaIiy to repress and punish any en-
croachments aud offences. or as they call
it, contempts against It's own body
which these resolutions would deny. Ii
the advocates CT tbs principle succeed
in their attempts, tie iufeien nece.sa-
riiy arising from il will be. that congress
has never had a RIGHT 70 puri-li-that
when it has done su-and So il la, done
in several instances, 10 its best days--it
has been guilty OF usurpation and that
it has escaped from violation more by
good luck and its impotence not being
known, than BY any power it has possess
ell to defend itself or punish asgressions.
For If the doctrine bruached within the
tive last days were true q trust in God it
is noD, 50 entireiy unprovldsd would
congress have been with means Of self.
protection, that Ito borrow an Illustration
from Mr.. holmes) if ruffian had enter.
ed the gallery and thrown a rotten egg
in tbs speakers face, the house had no
power to get at or punish him Tor the out
rage, provided the fellow vas nimbe e.
nough to ger without side the walls o.
the house before The SERGEANT at arms
could lay had on him, and thus the dig.
nifty Of the house and the good order If
its proceedings would depend, not upon
the basis Of any process Of reason, but
upen race between the offending ruff
fan and the SERGEANT at arms.
1t IS no s'igni proof OF the absurdity
Of Z principle, that, when reduced by
the imagination TO practice, the result
is perfectly ridiculous. Can such have
been the intention Of the framSrs OF
the constitution :-Impo; sibIe.---A
great body OF la~gIvers, vested by &C.
nerai suffrage with the very highest le
gislative powers oyes eight millions Of
fire. reo2le, and vet left at the me- cy al!
caprice Of any one vile rufian IN that
eight millions, who nigh. deliberately
chuse TO assault and insult it, would be
such an anomaly, prodigy, uonsrrous
mora. 0es0rmlly, a., one would think,
cOuId ONLY exist in the sLan.asms OF a
mad poet. laJoring under fever Of the
brair, or the domiripn of the night mare.
Monday or ruesdav vii! decide whether
we ave to be cor sdcred as having Tor
wears been awed by such spectre. Yet
surely il Cannot be that tie Inta.uatiyn Of
a few ct is members can infect so wise,
50 uad bvd,. ] will not believe it.
Oh. thou iIastriouE auiirr &C the renow n
ed Lemuel CULVER. how dGlI, how phleg-
matte was thy brain-how laDguid AMI
lame thy Imagination, when compared
with tie flights ol modern metaphysical
politicians !!
Observe what ! say applies only 20
the principle attempted to be established
by the reso.utions-not 4 word of it or
even thous ht gIances at cpioneI ander-
son, who, notwithstanding thi$ unsuard-
ed act, is said TO be thy and beGe
violent man and very meritorious useful
citizen.