The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1823-05-09

tD damn man iDT tHfSe effof7 "hfeb W
has ahiured and renonneed, when he has
bv biz con.luci aud department fer ~.
ries 81 years, evinetd The sincerity OF his
repentance. Nor will visit the sins oi
the father upon The Children, and obIeet Ia
| him that he is The son If John Adams
But this do object 10 Mr. Adams, that he
wants decision /; and that, nron great con-
stiiuiionsI questions he has no fixed and
! settled opinions. In order 10 substantiate
this charge, it win be only necessary tore
fer To his celebrated reply TO Gen. 'mylh.
Speaking Of his vele upon the bill Ia enable
the president to take possession 0f Louis
lana, he says that his objection was tn The
| 2d section as unconstitutional :. aud, alter
| quoting the obnoxious section, which pro-
,idcs, that all the military, civil and judi
cil powers, as exercised by the officers oi
thu existing government, sbogld be vested
in such persons, aud exercised IN such
manner rs the president shall direct, he
goes on To say Let me ask you, before
yon proceed further, To stop here to re-
I" fleet well upon the consequences OF The
" power conferred in this section by the
" congress upon the president of the United
" States and then 10 open the e0nstitn-
" tiUn Of the Uaited States, and point out
" To- me the article section and paragraph
" of that instrument which auth0rlses The
/" congress 10 confer upon the president OF
g" the Unitcd States this tremendous pow
J" err " They, The says, meaning the ma
" aud could not. They could find II only
u in construction" That he did not con
ceive IT could be found among the consruc-
iisepomrrs Of congress, he loaees MS no
room TO doubt, for he goes on to remark j.
F." That some oftllese powers mus be con
+" struciive, never doubted but that this
e" construction must il,rlfhase same limits,
E" was equally ronsiaced and | could
/" not reconcile it to my judgment that the
+" authority exercised IN this section was
F." within the legitimate powers OF congress,
3" cunlormablr Ia the constitution" In Il
subsequent part of the reply, he says -
q The union Of the two people required the
+" express and formal consent of both. Aud
q until the consent OF both people should be
" obta,nrd, every act Of legislation by the
=" congress Of the United States over the
" people OF Louisiana, distinct from those
g % taking possession Of the territory, was
" In my view unconstitutional, and an aci
" Of usurpcd authority" Here we behold
Mr.. ADAMS the yigilant guardian and yea
lons supporter Of the constitution /; viewing
with keen aud jealous eye the usurpa-
lions of the general government opposing,
upon great and noble principles, the bill for
the occupation of Louisiana. To such n
man we would extend our warmcst sup
port. The principles which he ad, coated,
constitute thr political creed Of Virginia +;
aud such a man, we doubt not, is the per-
san of MI others wiiom she will wish TO SEE
elevated 10 the presidency. But what is
our surprise and disappointment, on look
ing over the reply, To meet with the follow
ing remark =" Observe, that do not now
dc.y the existence ef this authority in the
constitution One uuaequaintcd with the
constitution would inemedlatcly conclude
that this authority had been conferred by a
subsequent amendment, But, how would
he be astonishcd, on referring TO the con
sttniion, to discover that il had undergone
not the least alteration in that particular
hut that il is the same now as il MAS 1T the
time that Mr.. Adams stood forth as its able
champion and defender Would he not
conclude, thai this constitution, which,
Proteus like, thus assumes so many differ
ent forms aud Appearances, is mere
mockery, and nothns but piece of waste
paper Or that Mr.. Adains's notions upon
the subject are of very vague and
indefinite nature, and that he holds th,
ia tt,l la Ia Of
being informed that the constitution is Tia,
supreme law OF the land, to maintain ant
support which every officer of government
takes the most solemn oath and that il j.
considered SO sacred and in, iuiate that i
cannot be altered one title, bat by the con
sent OF the legislatures Of, or convention,
III, thrcetourths of the states and that a.
amendment cannot he proposed except by
the consent OF two-thirds OF both houses %
congress, or upon the application of III,
legislatures of two-thirds of the states
sill his surprise he diminished, or his rcl
ance upon Mr.. Adams's consistency, ,iudg,
ment and attachment ;othe constitution, b,
trengthcned, on hearing him assigning a c
elslatlve constructionofthec onstitutioo as
reason for his change ofopinion, 81 saying tina
those principles, ofthe dangerous tendcnc,
of which he was SO firmly convinced, as /,
be compelled to oppose through ever,
stage the passage of a bill by which ".
were to obtain possession of d valuable anC
extens's. traotof country, fare no Iongei
conference.-the ~ Aud what will he think o
that gentleman's consistency, when he !,
appraised ofthe fact that he presided Over
the department of state, when bill, trans
ierilng the same " tremendous peicer" on
the presidcnl, in all respects similar to tn,
Louisiana bill, was passed by congress I,
enable the president TO take possession o
the Floridas and that this same tremcn
dous power was delegated Ivy the president
one OF whose advisers he is, to one indvi-
dual--to General Jackson Is such MAJ,
ut to preside ever this great nation !? Shall
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