Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-07-09

/ cannot, however, pass over, IA like
manner. his idea that the ligament which
binds the states together, is "an alliance,
or league"
This is the point to which all his argu.
nents tend. To establish this fundamen7
tai principle. an unnatural or restricted
construction of the constitution is pressed
upon US, and fair exercise of the powers
it confers, is reviled as an i"fraction OF
state rights. We need no longer be sur
priced at finding principles supported
which would reduce the constitution to
dead letter, at the irritation excited by a
course of reasoning which puts down
those principles, at the effort to render the
terms .american people and nat'o"ai go
pertinent, odious; athearing that the SUI
pre,nacy the whole within its sphere OF
action, over the parts is 'Jargon"; or at
the exaggerated description Of the power
Of the states to make amendments. All
this is the necessary consequence OF the
doctrine that the constitution is not ma
tional government, but league, OF con-
tract OF alliance between the states, sove-
reign and Independent.
But our constitution is not league. II
TO- government and has all the consti-
tuent parts o. a government. 1t has estab-
lished legislative, executive, and judicial
departments, all (which act directly on
the people, not through the medium OF the
state governments.
The confederation was, essentially, a
league; and congress was corps OF am.
bassadors, to be recalled st the will OF
their masters. This corps could do nothing
but declare war or make peace. They
could neither carry on a war nor execute
the articles of peace. They had right to
propose certain things to their sovereignS.
and to require compliance with their re-
solution but they coulc, by their own
power, execute nothing. A government,
ON the contrary, carries its resolu ions into
execution By its own means, and ours is
government. Who ever heard OF sove-
reigns in league with each other, whose
agents assembled in congress, were autho-
rized to levy or collect taxes ON their peo-
pie, to shut up and open ports at will, OF
to make any laws and carry them into exes
cution? Who ever heard of sovereisns Ia
king the oath OF fidelity 10 their agents ?
Who ever heard OF sesereigns in league
with each other, stripping themselves OF
all the important attributes OF sovereignty.
and transferring those attributes TO their
ambassadors I?
The people Of the United States have
certainly right, if they choose to exercise
it, 10 reduce theirgovernment to league.
But let them act understanding!y. LIE,
them not be impelled to destroy the con-
stitulion, under the pretext OF defending
state rights from invasion. Let them, be-
fore they proceed too far in the course they
are invited 10 take, look back to that aw-
ful and instructive period Of our history
which preceded the adoption OF our con-
sli,uiiop. These states were then truly
sovereign, and were bound together only
by league. Examine with attention, tor
the subject describes all your attention, the
cons, auences Of such system. They are
truly depicted in the Federalist, especial.
ly in the l5th No. of that work. The au-
thor thus commences his catalogue OF the
ills it had brought upon us,--"We may in
deei, with proprety. be Said to have
reached ALMOST the last stage OF national
humiliation. here is scarcely any thing
tina, can wound the pride. or degrade the
character, OF an independentpeo wbiq
we do not experience. And he concludes
his long and dark detail OF those Ills with
saying, ITO shorten all enumeration OF
particulars which can afford neither plea
sure nor instruction, 1t may IN general ue ,
demanded. what Indication Is there oi ma
tional disorder, poverty, and inslgnih-
canoe, that could betai a community sope-
cul,ariy blessed with natural advantages
80 r.
as we are, which does not form part OF
the dark catalogue Of our public misior- (;
tunes.
Such was the situation TO which these
states were brought, in lou. years OF peace,
by their league. To change il INTO an IL
fectlve government, OF to tail 20 pieces
from the weight OF its constituent parts, y
the weakness of lis cement, was the alter