Massachusetts spy and Worcester advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1823-1825, 1824-04-07

"cc" PlonluISdIeu dho lis PROVISION
understood in Massachusetts at that
lime, it would have superseded the ne
cessity of the application to the Nations
al Government. And had it been in
existence prior to the institution of the
Convention, it would in all probability
have foreclosed that project Thus
The reason, ableness. and constitution
atty of the main object of the Hart
lord Convention are in fact ratified by
solemn act of the United States. The
title Of this Act is '' An act to author
'se the President of the United States
10 accept the services of State Troops
and volunteers" Add in imagination,
ne words I" and to ratify the proposal
OF the Hartford Convention" and there
upon read the act and compare it with
The report of the Convention and you
will find nothing incongruous in the
amended title. Compare also the in
Strnctions~ to the Commissioners with
the Phraseology of the act. By the
former they are instructed
TO make earnest and respectful applica4
8.
requesting their consent to some arrangement
whereby the State of Massachusetts, separate
ly or in concert with the neighbouring States
may be enabled to assume the. defence of
their territories against the enemy, and that
to this end reasonable portion of the taxes
collected within said States may be paid in
TO the respective treasures thereof, and APP
Proprlated TO the payment of the balance
due to the Said States and 10 the future de-
fence of the same.''
Now what says the act That the
President of the United States be
" Authorised and required to receive into
the service of the U. States any corps of
troops which may have been, or may be rails
ed, organized and officered under the author
lty OF any of the States, whose term of ser
wee shall not be less than twelve months,
which corps when received into the service
OF the United States, shall be subject to the
rules and articles of war, and employed in
the State raising the same, or in an adjoining
state, and not elsewhere, except with the
consent OF the Executive OF the State so rails
ing the same"
Here then, with the exception of
the reimbursement of the debt already
accrued and the mode proposed for de-
fraying future expense) was a full and
ample concession of all that Massachu-
sets had asked from the beginning.
Here was an end put TO the whole sub
Ject of controversy between the Presi-
dent and the State Governors, and an
anticipation Of the object of the Com
missioners which would have left them
nothing TO do, even if peace had not
been announced Immediately after their
arrival at ashington. For with re-
gard to the fund for the payment of
the State troops proposed by the in
stFuctlons to be paid into the State
Treasures; it was consideration al
together secondary-a mere suggestion
OF a convenient mode of making the
provision. The State could not be 9TH
erwise than Indifferent as TO the choice
of the channel through which the mo-
ney should be applied to the object.
And as to the balance then due, (that
which constitutes the Massachusetts
cldim) bill had passed the Senate and
lay on the table of the House for the
adjustment of this and similar claims,
when tidings of the treaty were receiy-
ed. Had the war continued, you can
Judge with what consistency Govern
mert could, (or indeed can now reject
the claim, after having virtually ratif-
ed, as already suggested, the principle
on which 1t was founded. Apart there
fore from the proposal of amendments
to the Constitution of the United States
found In the report of the Convention,
which at worst were harmless or mex
Pedient; though originating in, and
designed to obviate the same unequal
operation ofthe existing system, which
was felt by all the opponents of the
Missouri question: it may be truly af-
tlrmed that Government had become
proselytes to the belief that reliance
for the most efficient defence, in the
event OF protracted hostiIities, must be
placed on State troops, under their own
othcers. And tits true without rhetori-
cal OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES the
prejudlces Of the cFedulous, the pride of
the oPlnionatiVe, and the fury of the VIC
lent-though language has been mould
ed into every shape of obloquy and rib
aldry by citizens of Massachusetts to
bring shame upon the Convention. Is
it yet true, that the very system recon-
mended by that Convention, became by
act OF Congress the law of the land. So
Tar then as the proceedings of that as
sembly involved measures to which the
consent of Congress is necessary, TO give
them a constitutional stamp, they had
that consent. Forthwith upon the ad-
journment of the Convention without
day, their report was published. In
nineteen days after that adjournment,
the act of Congress in question was pas