Elizabeth-Town gazette. [volume] (Elizabeth-Town, N.J.) 1818-1821, 1820-02-29

We hear daily approximations express
ed 10 our public papers, Of dissolution OF
the union, resulting from the decided stand
made on the floor Of Congress, on The Mis-
souri, question. The example Of the le
gisIature OF Virginia, has been cited TO
prove that ii is little short of downright
madness, TO persist 10 an attempt TO enforce
restrictions. So long as the sun wheels
bis diurnal spiendor through the blue oser-
arching armament, so long will truth, hon
or aud justice, maintain amongst mortals
the pre-eminence Of their heavenly birth.
So long did we say. We beg pardon for
our narrow and shorlsighted comprehen.
sion. These eternal principles constitute
part, and an essential part of the Deity
himself, and they shall survive the disso-
Iation of nature, The extingiiishment Of the
sun, the death ofthis magnificent universe.
These are 10 poetic visions; the attributes
of the Deity partake, and must partake OF
his own Immortality, and We can no more
conceive of their dissolution than We can
OF the annihilation of God. This transit
tory sun.these temporary stars, this Espor
deuominaied earth, may and will be dissol-
we'd by the breath of It's creator, but truth,
faith aod justice only. await that hour to
soar to their native heavens, guided by
The flames of the world in conflagration.
Agitaled by such ideas. We refuse TO listen
for moment TO the miserable argument
devised from the fear OF what may result
from rendering homage to justice. There
is no fear TO be put in competition with the
fear Of Offending The Deity. The misera-
Bile, mean. short sighted policy, which,
through the dread OF offending man, sets
4 Heaven itself at defiance, belongs not Ia
onr creed. Is this too strong a statement
OF this question? Read over The drawing
and ntermiDable debates in Congress on
the Missouri question. which TO their dis
grace. still occupy their time-read, and
Lit will be found that the foes Of restriction
still acknowledge slavery as curse, and
i contend in the same breath. for The still
4 further extension Of this curse in the west
err wiIds. We are told that it is uncon-
4 stituIional to circumscribe this curse; thai
We are bound by the constitution TO 90 IN
4 Justice, and set the thunderbolt at defiance
! What, are We to be told that the coustitu
lion Compels freemen, when bound by thu
! sanctity Of an oath, 10 do injustice, tina
they are compelled by an appeal to God
in the awful character Of Legislators, 10 vi
i olate bis decrees-that they invoke hi
n vengeance if they DO not ACT contrary Il
n his will? If our constitution holds on
S such blssphemous language as this, i
Z should be burnt, aud its ashes scattered tt
F the winds. Yet the name Of the Deity
II has been invoked in congress by the foes
: of restriction-he has been implored TO ex
!: teud the curse still wider-he has been
Z represented the protecting and guardian
7 Deity of injustice. Such blasphemy j:
| dispersed through the columns OF our Ga'
zeties, borne by the gales and waited by
: the waves, 10 every corner of the civIli
n zed world; translated in all languages, anc
/ babbIsd 10 every dialect. Such is thu
q spectacle which America in the nineteenth
i century presents TO the universe. These
: all follow as a necessary inference from
a the fact, that our legislators demand Z
curse as constitutional right, as if thai
instrument was framed TO entail and en-.
? large maledictions, instead of blessings on
= America. Almost the whole session ol
$ conx ress has been occupied by discus
! sion OF the question, whether the immuta
BILE principles of justice, TO which both
men aud angels are bound to submit, are
) binding on them. On such points We feal
not the vaporings Of Missouri, nor of Vir,
ginia, not the threats Of the one, nor the
frowns of the other; but we do lear, We
we have serious apprehensions Of a nation
al dissolution, when congress forget then
own dignity, their responsibility to the
present and to the future ages, aud regard
/ the frowns Of state with more dread thar
) they do those of the Greater of the Uni
verse. And shall Virginia be pusillani
mously obeyed, because she contends tina
The curse with which she is inflicted is no
] already extensive enough No. the ad
vocates of alarm will indeed carry theil
points, when they intimidate the govern
meut into base dereliction Of moral du
| ty. We are then told that it is unconsti
I tutional, that il is criminal to be just
Before congress submit to language of thi.
kind; before they declare by solemn le
gisIative resolution, that they dare not dc
their duty, we hope they will embrace the
pillars of the constitution, and if they
must fall, bury themselves in the ruins o
the republic. Talk of dissolution o
the union, the union is dissolved the very
moment that congress neglect to do their
duty.
The union is 10 danger Of being dissol-
we'd, whenever the hall of congress is con
verted into an academy for defamation
when transitory admiration Of petty, subor-