Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-02-05

spring is raised % equality ~iih,he parent.
The y"urg.r With the elder sister Ken
incky and Virginia, Alabama ant Gror-
gia. Louisiana amt all her sister states are
made Ia speak With thr same voice owe
The people Of The United States" acknow-
iedsing HE same 0utirs, and CLAIM inc the
same rights.
Let us see, now, what is iliis strange
discretion, which Is claimed fnr CONGRESS.
u assumes the ri.Li 10 prescribe The con.
Unions "i admissmD.-Shalli The right be
unlimited! Shall not The coz .li,ions al
least, b.' consistent with the grant OF adj
mission, hnd VIII, The legitimate exercise
OF The powers Ui Congress
ln relation 10 .lrc admission Of aliens
10 The rights of citizens, The power of
Congress Ia Impos, oondiiiors are. With
out question, more extensive than i'm
relation la the admission of The Territories
ihio The Union as states. ], NAV pre-
scribe conditions OF residence, rood con-
dnct and attachment 10 our government:
hul can ~. even IN Tie case al an alien
attach 10 the grant al lie rights of ciii-
zensi,ip, Incompatible conditions "a
condition that he shall be bondsman all
The days OF his lie Certainly not.
When maluralized. he must he so 10 ali
inirRis and purposes, with all The rights
OF citizen, AMI those only. So IN the
case OF admission of new states when
once admitted. they are states according
10 The principles OF the constitution viii
all The rights OF states, and no more
ana every condition, which shall crciim-
scribe or extend these rights, is incoma
pailble with The ac, OF admission itself.
ana therefore lnadmisSibe
Bui let the discretion y! Congress he
In, l,ol,
admission, becomes a matter OF arrange
ntDl, between the contracting parties
Ii Congres may require sacrifices OF right
on he part OF The state, the state may
require SACRIFICES on the part ofCungress
10 Tie rights OF The state may be tiin,i-
nlSheu, there Is no reason why they NAV
not be increased III the essentials of
HE state governments may be changed,
The principles oi The Federal government
may also be Transformed. Consequences
would Hen follow, which no Wise man
can Coniem piale without deprecaiing.
WHICH no intelligent mind can examine
without regarding as monstrous and abb
surd ;-Consress, by a law for admission
INTO HE Union, dispensing with, or
changing. se much OF the constitution, as
'b'y pleased, = might admit, not only a
state, IN the constitutional sense, but "A
King colony, territory might
admIt stale with more or less influence
in the Federal councils, than is provided
Tor 10y The constitution, with more of IFS
rights reserved, or with more Of Them
surrendered TO Congress, o. abandoned
might surrender the independence of the
Federal Judiciary might substitute for
The house OF representatives the Sc
nate and The President, a house Of COM
mons, house OF Lords and an hereditary
Monarch Let IL NOT be said, that this
Is an extravagant representation, an obi
Gus caricaiure of the discretion "a lirh is
claimed in The eye OF sober reason. il
will be found, thai The alb urdest of all
these consequences Is as much within
The limit OF that discretion, as HE slight
est dlspaTagrmeni of sovereignty in one
member of the Union, as tie proposed
provision for the inhibition of slavery ia
Missouri.
What, then, IS the characterOf the right,
which claims The exercise oi Tins dlsCre-
lion ! Ii is, III trHih, a right to alter or az
mend lie constitution, not in The mode
prescribed by The constitution itself, but
by compact between Congress and a
state or territory applying Tor admission
into The Union. Does moi ever, one see.
even IN the hnisbl garb, in which the
proposed condition Is clothed, 10 what
gigantic ra e OF innovations IL hrIDpss
and 10 viiat fearful extent, through
ihelr ald, Congress may, win Tho utmost
iacIiliy, extend lis infiuence, over The
relative rights and powers OF the diff rent
mem bcrs % The uniou,-how an existing
malorliy'ln Congress, with concurrlng
President, may, through The instruuen-
lalliy oi new states, prrpeiuaie their pre.
ponderance, by the Rosi inlailible meaps2
Is u not. Indeed one o! Tie avowed OBJ
Iecis oi HE measure under consideration.
To correct what Is considered the iniuri.
Gus operation OF one Of ilIrp rin iplrs o, The
constitution And tan any one, for a
moment, believe, that after the almost
inSnp"Table dIthcuIiics, which The authors
Of ne constitution llad encountered in
adjusting tie principles Of the cOnfedera-
cy, and alter ihey had provides for fhc
amendment thereof, by the most cautions
and vel guarded means, that they meant
to deliver up these principles, 10 the
discretion OF Congress and dependent
territory
II all, or any of the consequences.
winch have been pointed out, will flow from
the exercise OF the power IN question.
that power cannot be legitimate, unless
II can be dedueed from some part of the
constitution, mol yet considered.
The general grant Of power, 10 make
all laws necessary and proper 10 carry
delegated powers into effect, has been
rcsoried to, for the purpose of sustaining
The right III question. The subject has
been already placed in light, which
shows, that the power TO admit a stale
into the Union, can be carried into full
effect, without the aid OF any incidental
power whatever. Such incidental power
therefore cannot be necessary and
whether It's proper or not, is left to infer