Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1823-03-22


ton under consideration. The rights Of
you citizens canno. be injuriOusly Affect
ed by it.
II is very naturally asked then, why
Kentucky should be so solicIOus, under
such circumstances, TO refer this question
II is a very difficult matter, sir, to dive ~
TO the motives OF states. II is almost I'm
possible TO discover To. various springs ot
acton, by which legislative bodies in Par-
iicular are moved But can you not Ind m
the precise situation 10 which tins matter
now stands, satisfactory solution OF the
difficulty suggested! Drowning man
will catch at strsws. Kentucky knows
! that this question has been already twice
! argued before the supreme court-that
! That court has made up an opinicD, un!a-
vorsbls TO her viewS-and that N lew
short mo nths 81. iTreversitle decree Will go
forth. TO avoid such result, she Is dis
posed 10 leave no stone unlurned and
she relies OH this eapedient as her last,
though an almost ioriorn hope.
And will you be deferred, Sir, from Tho
accomplishment OF positive good, by the
apprehension Of an evil, that never Can be
realized! Do you imagine Tor moment,
that an unfavorabie decision OF this board
could have an injurious effect an the es-
tablished rights I'll Your citizens 10
you suppose that the judgments OF the SUI
prtme court, deliberately formed Oh the
arguments OF tine ab!est counsel IN the u
bion, could be reversed. or IN any manner
affected by the decisions OF this Or OF any
other tribunal? To opinions, emaualins
from so respectable source, the supreme.
court will doubtless pay all the respect
that is fairly due 10 them. They Will
have all lb. authority that the decisions
of a state court IN relation TO state cons
siItution would have, aud no more. OpI-
mons which have been formed, Will not
be reversed; and rights which nave been
established, cannot be unsettled BY them
have sometimes thought, thai the So
icitude evDced Oh this subject. OF Ken
lucky, may have originated with some VI
her best and most enlightened citizens.
have thought. that perceyIng The excite
nsnt which prevailed, aid knowing tulf
well, that The decision OF The contenpiat-
81 board. could no; te Otherwise, iba" Is
accordance with the d. c,son OF the iets--
raj court, they have been vii ing to re"
sort 10 this eXpe.ilent 10 aliay the feelings
of their state, AMI 10 insure peaCeah'@
sCouIesCence in the decree OF what they
have been taught, AN airId by very
hgh authority } &c Con-id, foreign IN.
bunal. Charity al least, might vrrI or"
. w be inhulged IN such constructions
Blu. 10 us, il Is matter OF very little Con-
sequence. whether the proposed reiei.ncs-
has originated in the desperation OF Ken
lucky, or in the humane feeling, and *
AuI fri. nj Al
prudent citizens il IS enough lor u TO
know. that our acquiesceoce ~ II, is eS-
sentia to insure 10 US an important OBJ
! ject, tina. no mischief can possibly result
from it, and that ii may contribute, IN a
very material degree, 20 the peace and
, hsImocy of line union.
| Th. second .ukjeCt 10 br referred TO the
contemplated board OF commissioners, IS
OF a very different. charsc ei; and needioet
: be recommended TO the consideration Of
! this House. by an attempt 10 tDrow around
il any thing OF fictitious importance, The
simple facts within the knowledge OF US
all, that it embraces unliquidated claims
OF forty years standing, which gre" out
oil The revolutionary war, and at this mo-.
ment constitute, in many instances, the
only property of the revolutionary sol~
der. will be sufficient to insure to i the
k,ndest feelings and sympathies OF the Sc
nate. The only question, am pHrsuad-
&c, which we can allow ourselves TO ask
in rala,iea to il, is, how these claims can
be most speedily and most satisfactorily
adjusted, without too lar compromising
the interests OF the state?
Twill not attempt TO follow the gentle
man from Frederick, through the various
expedients whieh bis ingenuity has sug-
gested for the accomplishment OF ibis de-
sirable object But reject, at once, ss
Incompatible with all the principles we.
have hitherto maintained, his idea of eu-
forcing the rights OF the claimants, by the
exercise on The part ci Virginia, OF pow.
er belonging TO sovereignty alone WIih'H
the limit. OF Kentucky. Little more than
two years have elapsed, SIR, SINCE thIs
legislature, by an almost unanimous vote,
soIemnly protested against the lnlrodue.
ton into The union, OF state dIVested OF
any portion OF its sovereign power-sDd
vet now we are told, that state OF thirty
wears standing, does actually exist smOng
US, subjected to the degrading necessity
not Of having "pIivste hts and interest,
OF lands Within its limits, ceteru lDed by
the laws OF another stale'-ior That ID
fair principle, conceded in The compact
but OF having the remedy Tor those
rights applied hy a pow r foreign 10, and
unconpecte with the sovereign power OF
the state itself. On such 40 anomaly. am
persuaded, that this body can never con-
sent to rest this portion OF its legislative
proceedings.
The jurisdiction Of the federal court
furnishes, in my opinion, much more
plausible and much more accessible re-
medy. know thai its existence, N re-
80 ~ This eubjecf has been opesiioned