Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1820-01-17

freedom OF its deliberations, as we'll as all
the officers of government, on the laws OF
one of the states" That is, the paramount
authority would owe ITS safety and freedom
to the will and pleasure of one OF the subor-
dinate members of the nation an idea
wholly inconsistent with national sovereign
ty.
Does the possession of the District of CO.
lumbia make the United States independent
of the states or II the District was annihi-
lated, would that destroy the government?
But without the District, the United States
would be no where perfectly sovereign =
and where is the necessity that they should
be /?
The disapprobaters OF innovation will say
" the Congress of the United States under
the old confederation, venerated as it was,
and deserved to be throughout America, was
in the orderly city Of Philadelphia, beseig-
ed by mutnous military force, and an at
tempt made TO dictate to them their measures
at the point of the bayonet." The autho'
rites of the stale did not interfere to7 their
protection 1t was not then wonderful,
that the present constitution of the United
States contained an express provision on this
important point" A provision necessary
for the safety of the national government"
Does this government exercise It's powers
as leeblyas ddthe old confederation?-a 60
vernlnent dependant upon the states tor the
efficient exercise of its powers-a warrior
without swerd-a banker without money
Ii seems il is in no better state-has no more
energy. and its greater safety and power have
arisen from its happy entrenchment IN the
midst OF the valorous men of the ten miles
square," The people Of the District will be
more willing to defend the government as
Columbians, than if they were Marylanders
and Virgnians and that they will like the
government better, Gin the administration
of which they have not the slightest influenced
than the people of the states whose govern
ment it is, and who are every thing in the ad-
ministration Thatis,a peopIewil be the more
enamored ofrheir government in proportion
to the abjectness of their slavery, and more
resolutely determined in its defence, be-
cause they are completely excluded from
all its profits and its honors. do not mean
to say that the government of Congress is
either very tyranical OF oppressive. but
merely to shew how falacious and utterly mis-
taken is the notion above quoted. I should
rather think the government would become
an object of hatred and adherence to peo-
pie which, by necessary law of It's exis-
tence keeps them in qualified slavery ; and
that il will be more likely to need protection
against the hatred of such people, than 10
receive it iron them, unless we can be per-
suaded that the people Of Columbia will not
be operated upon by the ordinary motions
of human action. But suppose it should
turn out contrary to whatever is now known
ofthe means whereby the hearts OF men are
Inspired with courage to defend and attach
ed to their institutions that the people OF
the District should be willing at all hazards
to protect Congress against all conspiracies
and rebellions will any one attemp 10 o.
verthrow this government with force which
a country capable Of mastering only 2ooo
men, will be able to put down. II seems az
surd.
To give permanancy to the seat ofgovern-
meRt, we ought to bestow every attraction
upon it. Genius, industry and patriotism
should surround it. We ought not to make
il necessary, for any one. who aspires to a
distinguished station under the government
to fly from the capital. Ii is true that the
genius ct our constitution does not make
It's powers to be more distinctly felt near the
centre of dominion than at its remotest eX-
tremties. In most governments now exist
ing, the reins of authority are slackened in
exact proportion to the distance OF the sub
iect- from the capital. 1t is IN this per-
haps, that one great superiority Of our sys-
tenn is to be found 1t is consequence OF
our peculiar organization to which ann far
from objecting: may it not be asked
with great reason, how complete disfran-
chisement Of the District of Columbia tends
to the production of this favorable distinction
of our government from all others-and why
the territory must be rendered the caput NOR
tuum of this great political BODY. think no