Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1820-04-27
comsuKIcArIcs.

To Dr.. Peake. as an nulSiuudi,
sob,ect;on--and had he been resident OF
fhe district, should not have expressed a
ny objection to his experimentation mere
appears to me,to be very serlons oojeouons
I 30 the principle on which the appointment
Is founded.
The people of the district OF Columbia
have been ceded by the mother states to ise
Union. so as to give exclusive legislation
over The dist,ict.--This was done because
twas thought the general gpod required IT.
To obtain this good for the whole, the peo-
ole OF this district have been necessarily de-
priyed Of certain political rights which Inc
states still enjoy. This deprivation they
,oust consent to cohtnue 10 submit to; they
are no: situated as other territories OF the ".
States. which may, under certain clrcuini
stances, be admitted into the Union On Inc
footing Of Independent states.
The court OF appeals OF Virginia has oe-
ciaed that persons residing IN the district,
.Iho are frsebolCers in that state, altaough
,hey are ci,izens of the United States, can
not vote 10 Virginia for members OF The stare
legislature who can tax heir property ID Tue
state. nor members oil congresS who may ie-
{ eisl,te about their lives, liberty and proper
~. Under these circumstances, does no.
feeling, the natural rights OF mankind, and q
liberal and just policy require OF the execn-
tive branch fthe government to pursue
,.aere conciliatory policy towards the people
of this district, and not treat them as II they
were either knaYes or fools, by refusing to
bestoy upon them such Offices as are to be
exercised in the district and which belong TO
IL. The course which has been for some
tine pursued, aud of which the recent ap
poinsment is an illustration, is calculated TO
render The government odious in the eyes OF
the people of the district, instead OF attach
ing them to it.
Ii has been said that the reason why dis
trict of country, aot exceeding ten miles
square, was eeded to the general government,
was to enable the government to defend IT.
self against the attacks OF mobs, SC, That
the general government might have power
20 call out the force. necessary tor their de-
fence, without depending upon the states
Is IT reasonable 10 expect that The people OF
this district yill be very promp; to obey an
order of this kind, issued by a government
which considers none among them compe-
tent to 6!l euea the Office of collector bat
thatit is necessary TO appoint stranger as
il were to them.
Tie policy which has been pursued OF
late, will have another bad effect it will
prevent people from the states settling in the
district, they Will very fairly conclude il
they do it, twill be the sure means OF ex-
Gliding them from all chance of receiving
any appointment under the government
worihany mans acceptance.
The practice OF General Washington was
very different, be made it ali inva riable rule
30 make the appointments ofpersons resid-
ing III The place where the Office was located.
When the Office OF collector in this town
was first vacated by the resignation of Dir.
Charles Lee, his successor was Col. John
Fitzgerald. a resident of the town when
Colonel Fitzgerald died, his successor wa:
Colonel Charles Simms, also resident o.
the town.
Such was also the p ractice of presIden
Adams. The three first judges. attorney
and marshal Of this district, appointed by
Mr.. Adams, were all residents in thedisrict
When Mr. Jefferson succeeded Mr.. Adams
in the Office of president, be pursued diff
ferent cours,--for on the resignation of Mr.
johnson, the first chief judge of the district
he went into Maryland for chief Judge
BE refused to let MIR Swami have his com.
mission as district attorney, and appointed
Maryland G entleman in his place, displa
ced gen. Lingham, appointed by MIR Adan
as marshal, who resided in Georgetown
and appointed Mr.. Brent of Virginia, in his
place When Mr. James darshal, who Ii
we'd in Alexandria when he was appointed
assistant judge, resigned, Mr.. Jefferson tool
a gentleman from Virginia to fill his place
When Chief justice Kitty resigned and the
present chief Judge was promoted to his pac,
another gentlemen was taken from MARYLAND
TO fill the vacancy, and when another vacan
cy happened on the bench, gentleman from
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