Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-02-26


To the committee, were some pathetic eiacu.
iatons on the subject of the sufferings of our
brethren in the West. Sir, our brethren Of
) the west have suffered, as our brethren thro'
out me U. States, from the same cause. nj.
though with them the cause exists in an an
gravated degree-from the acts of those n
whom they have confded the power of legis-
iation ny departnre--and NE have all snf-
Tered from IT. hope no gentleman will I'm
oers'and me as wishing To make any in,idious
comparisons betweem different quarters of our
couniry-by departure from the industry the
simplicity, the economy, and the frugalily, of
our ancestors. They have suffered from a
greediness Of gain that has grasped at the sha-
DOW while II has lost the substance-fr ha-
ms OF lndolence, Of profusion, of extrava-
ganee--ison an apery of foreign manners and
ottoreign fashions---from "A miserable attrmpt
al The shabby genteel, which only serves TO
make our poverty mnre conspicuous. The
way to remedy this state of suffering. is Ia re-
Iurn TO those habits of labor and industry
rom which ne have thus departed.
| But, said MIR. X. we have been asked, &c. by
some convulsion of nature, this Government
should he suddenly DESTROYED. and should
pass away, like the baseess fabric ola vision.
ana ieavenot wreck behind" what monum ent
wonId remain of the benefits derived from it
IN the West-n other words, what have we
done for the West ? Sir, let me reverse the
question. What have we not done for the
west Do gentlemen want monuments p
Unless the art of printing Should be lost, pos
terity may find them in ynur statute bt oks.
and 10 the Journals of this House. They NAV
hnd them IN the Indian treaties for the extin-
su'snment oi title To lands-in grants of land,
Tue euec's oil whlchbegin now 10 be- felt in Ohio
kentucky and Tennessee, as they have long
been severely tell in Maryland, Carolina and
virginia they will find them in laws granting
every facility foI the nominal payment-and.
ne might almost say, for the spungpg, of the
uebts due this government, ny purchasers of
the public iands-in the grants, which cannot
be found. in the older states, for the establish
ment of schools, and for other great objects
ot public concernment for which nrthng has
neen gwen to the states of the East Ira a word.
'hey would lind them in the millions which
inns paroD has dishnrsed aud is now disburs.
ing, Tor the acquisition OF the navigation of the
Mississippi, and for The purchase of I,ouisa-
ma Ii these be nothing. said MIR. II. tbrn in
deed we have done nothing for the West. II
Is true, SIT, that these things were done when
the names ct more than one who now figure
on ms floor, had not been heard OF out of
tneir own parish. In wOrd-without sneak
ing this in any inyidious spirit without The
reinotrst intention Of twitting our Western
breahren with what we have done for ,h.m.
/ nave stated some of the benefits conferred
on Tie West, for the purpose Of depressing the
sp'r't OF discomfort, which, beginning at home,
never iaiis 10 lay hold upon any external oh
Ject Win which II meets, as an excuse for
complaining; will not add, Mr.. Chairman
from Washington to hlillrdgerillp- This
part oil The country, what has been done
lth these few remarks, continued MIR. r.
Permit me now To recall the attention of the
committee To the original design of this Co
vtrnment. Ii grew ont Of the necessity, in
dispensatle and unay oidabIe, in the circum-
stances oil this country, of some general pow
err capable OF regulating foreign commerce.
Or, am OLD enough To remember the origin
OF ms Government and though was too
young 10 participate in the transactions of that
DAY, have perfect recollection of what ~ as
public sentiment on the subject And re-
peat without fear of contradiction, that the
proxImate, as well as the remote cause of
the existence of the Federal Government.
was, The regulation of foreign commprce.-
Not to partcuariZe all the difficulties which
grew out of the conflicting laws of the States.
Mr.: H. referred to but one, arising from Vir.
g'nIa taxing an article, which MARYLAND then
haue duty -irer-and to that very policy, sai
me- may be attributed, in great degree, the
RAPID growth and prosperity Of the town of
ba'umore. Ii the old Congress had possessed
'ns power oi laying duty of 10 per cent ad
rdtorem on imports, this Constitution wonld
never have been called into existence.
But, we are told, that, along with the repu-
'atlon OF foreign commerce, the states have
yielded, to The General Government. in az
broad terms, the regulation of domestic COM
merce-l mean, said Mr.. X. the commerce
among the several States-and that the same
power is possessed by Congress over the one
as over the other. II is rather uuEort,,
nate tor tins argument, that, lift applies 10 The
extent 10 which the power TO regulate foreign
commerce has been carried by Congress, they
may prohibit altogether this domestic COM
"'e'ce, as 'hey have heretofore, under the
o'ner power, prohibited foreign commerce.
but why put extreme cases? This govern
ment cannot go on one day without nutuaI
understanding and Difference between the
state and General Governments. This 60
ef'nment IS the breath OF the nostrils Of the
STATES Gentlemen may say what they please
oI 'he preamble to the Constitution /: but this
constitution is not the work of the amalea-
mated population Of the then existing con-
iedeTacy, bot the offspring ofthe States: and
however high we may carry our heads, and
strut and fret our hour, dressed in little
or'ei authority" II Is in the power the States
10 exUDgush this government at blow. They
nave only to refuse 10 send members tn the
otner branch OF The Legislature, or to appoint
Electors of President and Vice President, and
me Thing IS done. hope gentlemen will not
understand me as seeking for reflections Of this
KsIlnd-Out, like FaIstaf's rebellioD-I mean
| found them.
buf, we are asked, what IL little Delaware
should erect her back, or New Jersey. and
should undertake iO stop the transportation of
me United States tnail II would be some