Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1824-06-18


where the great mass of the people read little
or none, he has in comparison with the other
candidates, but very small number of supper
tiers. 1t is the grosscst, the most unwarranted
assertion that ever was made.
Says the lntelligencer-ss MIR, Crawford is
moreover, the candidate who has been unani-
mously nominated at a meeting regularity con-
Uened though not fully attended, ofthe republican
members of Congress, who have the best posi-
bic opportunity of judging OF the qualifications
and popularity of the several candidates." We
had really supposed, that we should have heard
no more Ofthe caucus, at least from that quarter.
We thought Gales and Seaton were as sick of it,
as some of their brethren elsewhere. twas so
silly, ana so Idle farce--so iInprudent in IFS
conception--so imprudent and ridiculous in its
execution that we did think it had given more
modification and disgust to its friends, than Of
fence to its ene'nics-soit did for time-but its
votaries arc beginning to their confusion.
John Quincy .4Ytnn;' opinions on the po,oci,s IF
CDayrcss TO promote Iateymat Improvements.
! ". III. C,ur/0rd.
We have never considered John Quincy Adj
ans politician altogether orthodox. Ia
king Mr.. Madison's Report Of 1913, as the stand
ard of the true faith, and applying. the princi-
! pies of Constitutional construction there dcfued
AMI triump!iantly demonstrated, to the opinions
which Mr.. Adams is aledged to entertain on the
SOuSTcSS TOlllS anu canals,
or to execute any system of Internal Improve
| meut, it would be extremely uncandid to deny a
non-consorinity. If it be proved that he holds
| such doctrines-as we do not think that il vet is
we will agree with the Editors of the Enqu-
rer that he does not properly belong To the school
of Virginia Politicians school out of whose
pale, there IS ''no true knowledge Salvation.n
Let us examine the extract from the &c National
Crisis, new paper started at Cincinnati, which
contains all that is known, upon the subject of
| these opinions. The piece is in the following:
words: Bat there is neither head OF tail to it.
to inform us whence it was obtained, TO whom
it was addressed, on what occasion II was ut
| tered.
! esT The question Of the power of Congress TO
authorize the making of Internal improvements
is, in other words, a question whether the peo-
pie of this Union, i'll forming their common soc-
al'conpact as avowedly for the purpose of pro-
noting their general welfare, have performed
their work in Il manner SO ineffaby stupid, as TO
deny themselves the means of bcttering their own
condition. have too much respect for the in
| tellect of my country to believe it. The first
! object ofhu:nan association, is the improvement
| of the condition of the associated. Roads and
Canals are among the most essential means of
improving the condition of nations and q people
which should deliberately, by the organization of
its auth Dried power, deprive itself Of the faculty
of multiplying its blessings, would be as wise as
human being without heart"
After deliberate and impartial examination
| of these sentiments, we find in them, no proof
of the deduction of the Enquirer, that Mr.. A
dams comedies the proposition that Congress
alreadypossess the power of making Internal I'm
provements. We willingly grant that his opin-
ion is very clearly expressed, that the people haze
not deprived themselves ofMe po,ocr to multiply
the 60 blessings" of roads and canals-not be-
cause should be ever willing to see Congress
gifted with that vast and dangerous POWERFUL
because We believe it to have been the true opin-
ion which he intended to express-AlI that Mr..
Adams contends for is, that the general power
of constructing Roads and Canals, somewhere
cxist-and that it is in the power of the people, |
when they shall will it, to clothe the constitu-
ted authorities with that, which in the first dis
tributon of powers, they reserved to themselves
Whether this power, ought, or ought not to
be granted, is question on which even the Vir-
ginia School Of Politicians, differ among them |
seves-some thinking that it ought to be given
to Congress by an amendment of the Constitu-
tion-whilst others prefer that it should con-
tinue as il was certainly left by the Constitution,
either tc the States respectively, or to the
peoplc.n-Mr Adams asks in his first sentence,
if the people of this country, in forming their
cal compact, avowedly for their own welfare,
s. have reformed their work in 4 manner so in
efably stupid, as to deny themselves the means
| OI OettcTiuS tDetT own 1T Is q
question easy to answcr-they have not denied
themselves the benefit, which the possession of
such means, would Confer-they have retained
the means however, TO themsclyes-thcy have
, not given them to Congress. This is the stron-
, gcst sentence in the whole paragrapll-and the
only one, from which Mr.. Adams opinion that
such power already belongs to Congress,
could be inferred. A fair construction of it,
places it at least on very probable ground, that
in asserting such power 10 exist he meant
only that it existed in the people, or the States
and not il Congressman that he intended
TO express the further conviction, that 1t was
power which ought to be given by amend
mcnt to the General Government.
Bat suppose that Mr.. Adams really enter
tains the opinion that the power of constructing
Roads and Canals resides in Congress, and that
he intended in the letter published in the Ohio
paper, TO avow it He has never been held up
by his friends Statesman of tho right Vir-
4 ginia, limited School. All that those friends
have said, is, that he approached nearer to con-
formity than any other of the Presidential Can
ddates. He has been selected from the crowd
| of candidates not because Inc was as perfect as
Jefferson or Madison, but because he was less
imperfect than Crawford, Calhoun, Clay or
Jackson VIII the Editors of the Enquirer un-
1ertake to say, that MI Crawford does not hold
the very doctrines, for which they have exclu-
dcd Mr.. Adams from the School of Virginia
Politiciaus' Whilst they are tying Adams to
the Stake for these hcretcal doctrines, is it inn
partial to screen Crawford from the same fate,
or riyIt to eXalt him as n Deyotee of the doc
trlncs of 1913, and as the very head Of the party
which PROCESSES them3
The truth is that there is not one Of the can