Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1824-02-27

7
nave always understood, said Mr.. r.. that inter
drmd silent teSes-and that man might as well
bring an action against the hero of ". Orleans
yes Sir, the hero ofN. Orleans-if may call him so
by an action of trespass, of qla,e ciausunr fre-
get, when he marched down to the beach, & gave
the enemy foretaste of what he gave them
thereafter man might as well do that as in
time ofpeace, sustain the power of the same he
ro-not sir, that impute the assumption of it to
him-of doing all the things which he might
| rightfully do, in time Of war. When, MIR. II.
said, he considered this war-nalSing power and
the money-paying power, and suffered himself
to reflect on the length to which they 20, he felt
ready to acknowledge that, in yielding these,
the States have yielded every thing. The last
words of Patrick Henry on this subject, though
uttered five and twenty years ago, were now
ringing in his ears. Hgentlemen will come fair
| ly out, said Mr.. r. and tell US, You have giyep
us the power of the purse and of the sword, and
these two enable us to take whatever else we
] may want, we shall understand them, Thank
PGod, however, that has not ye. become the con-
stitLtion.
| am sorry to say-becanse Ishould be the last
man inthe world to disturb the repose ola yener-
able man, to whom wish a quiet end of his ho-
norabe life-that all the difficulties under which
we have labored, and now Labor, OH this subject,
have grown out of a fatal admission; by one of
|
mission which runs counter to the tenor of his
whole political life, and is expressly contradict
ed by one of the most luminous and able state
papers that ever was written-an admission
| winch gave sanction to the principle, that this
Government had the power to charter the pre-
sent colossal Bank of the United States. Sir.
said Mr.. r. that act, and one other which will
not name, bring forcibly home to my mind
train of melancholy reflections on the miserable
| state of our moral being.
In lifes last scenes, what prodigies surpries !
"Fears ofthe brave, and follies oi the wise.
| From Marlborough's eyes, the streams of do
tage flow,
| "And Swift expires drv1er and show"
Such is the state of the case, Sir. 1t is mise
rable to think of it-and we have nothn- left
10 us but to weep over it.
We have been tsld, sir, by my friend from
New jersey, over the way, that the trainers of
the constitution foresaw the raising up of some
new sects, which were to construc the powers
o. the government differently from their inten-
ton; and, therefore, the clause granting ge-
neral power to make all laws that might be ne
cessary and proper to carry the granted powers
INTO effect, was inserted III that Constitution
Yes, said Mr. r. such sect did arise some
tWenty-odd years ago-and unfortunately, |
| mad the honor to be member of that church
From the commencement of the government f.,
this day, differences have arisen between the
| two great parties IN this nation-one CONSISTING
OF the disciples OF MIR. HAMILTON, the Secreta-
ry OF the Treasury, and another party who be-
heved that, in their construction of the consti
tuition, those whom they opposed exceeded the
Just limit OF its legitimate authrority-and Mr..
X. prayed gentlemen to take into their most
serious consideration the fact, that, on this very
| question of construction, this sect, which the
| IfyfIp .z-l1
did arise in their might, and put down the con-
structlon of the constitution according to the
Hamltonian version. But did we at that d.
dream, said Mr.. X. that ncw sect would arts
after them, which would as far transcend Alex
ander Hamilton and his disciples as they trans
ccnded Thomas Jefferson, James Madison. and
John Taylor, Of Caroline, This is the deplora
BILE fact; such is now the actual state of things
In this land; and it is not a subject SO much of
demonstration as it is self-evident-it speaks to
the senses, so that every one may understand if.
On the occasion of that great strife, ar. JErFER-
SON, then Vice President of the United States.
drew and sent to Kentucky, to be moved by the
eminent and worthy mau who was afterwards his
| Attorney General, those celebrated resolutions,
generally called the Kentucky Resolutions.
These were followed by another set of resout-
ems, which were called John 7aylor's Rcsolu
tons, but which we now, by the public declara-
ton of MT. TAYLOR, under his own hand, know
were drawn up by Mr.. MADISON. These gave
rise to that very able and mastery Report Of
| the Massachusetts General Court, sustaining
the constitutionality of the Alien and Sedition
| Laws. Yes, sir, it was very able report-and
here permit me to say have not heard a sha-
dow of an argument on this floor-and do not
expect to hear it, because 1t is unsusCeptble of
it-as forcible, as strong, in support of the pow
| er now claimed for this House, as is the arru-
ment OF the Legislature of Massachusetts in sun
port, of the Alien and Sediton Laws-and saw
that if you can enact this BILL you can re-ennct
the Alien and Sedition Laws-not sir, that
am at all afraid of their re-enactncnt now
they who burnt their fingers with the Sedition
Law have learnt lessons from experience, and
| SO have those who have had their example be-
fore their eyes. For, We learn from high au-
| thority here that, notwithstanding the represen-
tations of ''venal and hireling presses" to the
contrary, the country is in great distress-bv
which we are to understand, that means have
been taken to use the press here, like the b.vo-
net beyond the water, for the support of lie it,
D,nte authority. No sir, ] am not afraid of the
enactment of Sedition Law; there is now no
occasion to defend ourselves by such measure,
against the IDLE bark of every unnecessary cur
| in the Republic. But, MIR. X. said he rccol-
lected when this vagrant power was first detect
ed by this new sect, like an insect seeking for
the soft and pulpy parts of the body polite, &c.
| ] remember to have heard it said, elsewhere,
said Mr.. X. that, E'whcn gentlemen talked of
precedent, they forgot they were not in West
minister Hail." Whatever trespass, said he,
may be guilty Of upon the attention of the com
mittee, one thing will promise them, and will
faithfully perform my promisc-I will dole out
to them no political metaphysics. Sir unlearn-
l,1 Ill