Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-02-26

our choice. We dcmaud of them the
p"wer-the true genuine coin, and no
counterfeit. They preseui US six pieces,
nv. ot Witch are unqnestionablv base.
aud tell us they all look so murh alike
That they cannot distinguish. and we mus,
seiec! for ourselves. What should We an.
swrr. Precisely what We do-wewill take
neither, Tor we believe them all connter-
tct. This is not The whole. The meno-
ridiisis, and others abroad, have mrnish-
Ell some ten or tiozrn more sources of
this power.
lawyer once attempted 10 apologize 30
The conit for The absence of Juror
He SAID lie had fifteen reasons. and the
hrsi was lha, the man was dead. Az tie
ilrSt was sufficient, the court dispensed
with HE ether foarieen. These gentlemen
are not SO fortunate. They have ih.
fifteen reasons, but one of them ouly can
he good, and the misfortune is, they don'i
know which that is. The truth is. these
gentlemen have commenced their bmsi-
ness at lhc.Wr0ag ead. Instead of ascer-
laia'ng their power, and then proceeding
10 execute IL, they begin ibe work. an,i
are forced to leave ~, 30 In search of
the power, with total nnce, !ainiy. wheu
they have found II, whether they shall
know il or not.
Tue mnsl ex'ravagant of ail CLANS, is
mat made by the hon. member tom
Ono, (AIr. Brusb,) under The clause in
the constitution, which empowers Com
gress ''io lay and collect taxes, duties,
inppsts and excuses; TO pay the debt and
provide Tor the common defence aud
general welfare ofthe United States but
al lmiieS, iWposls and excuses shall be
~ A / L ~
From this single clause, the gentleman
derives three distinct powers oflaXeS,
OF providing for the common dcience
ana general welfare Sir, The last upon
his construction swallows up all the
rest, aud with that, III the same section,
TO make all laws necessary and proper 10
carry This power INTO execniion." /, viii
noi only absorb all other powers. hui
break down, destroy and ovcrwhelni all
prohibitions and restraints. Give Con
gress this, and ii is enough. Their powers
are greater than those oil any despot IN
the world. Despols hold their power by
precarlous tenure, but we hold oars bI
an Unlimited and absolute grant frum Tie
people. With This commission in our
bands we go forth aud preach dcIiyerance
TO the capiIVeS, or slavery 10 The iree-
we can pass DEGREES of universal enamel
patton, or universal slavery. All power
l. committed 10 our hands we can buId
ana pull down we can create, and we
can destroy.
Mdu, cioIhed with little and very
brlei authority, Is very apt Ia imagine he
is very poten'--and 10 iluuk II nee, ssary,
that, often, ms powers should be extend
ed tor Tie good OF the people. His zeal
10 90 good VIII not unfreqnrniIy induce
him 10 break down constitutional barriers
and thereby enable others to do evil
The trainers OF the constitution were
aware OF This, ami took care TO establish
The boundaries of power by such marked,
distinct and palpabe lines, that no one
could mistake them. And they had ZOO.
reason 10 b lleve that no one couid mis-
understand this clause" To Law and
collect taxes" &c. Tins is the power-"to
pay the debts and provide Cor The COM
mon defence aud general welfare. this
IS the object" Bar all duties. e.. $"
g" shall he unIiorm"-ihls is The reslrlc-
lion. AS II they had said" Congress
shall have power 10 lay aud COLLECT faxes,
Tor HE purposes OF paying the de..,s.
providing Tor the common defence aad
general welfare, taking care thai These
taxes shall be uniform" am dIsposcd
TO treat every part of this discussion vii,
becoming gravity; but, really, sir, when
an attempt Is made 10 deprive a state ot
political power under This clause i'm the
constitution, II psovOkcs smile which II
Is difficult 10 suppress
The gentleman from Ohio, moi satisfied
with his general welfare" a;templs 10
derive this power from that 10 "reUu-
late commerce" He assumes that. under
The power To regulate commerce between
The several states, Congress can prohlb.
u transfer oi slaves from one Stale to
another, and concludes, by what pro-
cess don't know, that therefore Con
gress have night To abolish slavery in
NJ lssouri.
How comes il that Coue~rSs can pro.
hlbIl transfer OF \ slave IRON one slate
10 another, and under This power 10 rcgii-
laie commerce, when l,,gv are cxpres.lv
forbidden In compel a vessel bound from
one state To enter, clear, or paw duties
I'm Thar OF another II C0ngress has this
power under iils clause in the cpns.iln
non, then slaves are 10 be prohibited as
commerce. Aud, sir, where il Tie an
tboniy TO prohibit lie transfer of ~ ar
iicle of commerce from state ~ STATE ,
man leaves state IN 20 into another
with his family, slaves, cattle aud inylc-
ments OF husbandry. 10 clear up and cuI
ilvaie farm or plantation. Ills object
is exclusively agricultural. he is mel AZ
the line by z law OF Congress, and ms
slaves are stopped under The anlhcrity
TO regulate commerce And this is moi
all. When, under This power, YOU shall
have succeeded IN proving the exiraya-
CANT and uuienable position that Con-.
gross can prohibit illis transfer, bow do
you arrive at ihe conclusion, that you
can pass this act Of abolition which the
amendment proposes lyon can prohi
bil the removal of an article of property.