Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1825-01-20

70 he Editors Of HE .NaGsasl h~gfet.seacsrs
GESrLENESs by publishing the enclosed dc.
fence, you viii obiige a subscriber.
Your humDle servant,
JAMES W. GAZLAy.
Washington, Dec. 81. 1924.

10 me yesterday. It's euitoF has diFal-
ged the part | took on the Lafayette bill;
/ hold it to be my privilege, aud equally
! my duty, 10 reply, not barely for reason
that | am accused, and need a yihdIca-
ton to this moral power, 10 great Re-
pubic, engaged III a great. cause.-the
cause OF mankind.
The bin proposed gives to Gen Lafay-
cite two hundred thousand dollars aud
a township of land containing twenty
four thousand acres. This bin was IN
troduced and read, as bills usually are,
a first and second time, and instead OF
being committed, anil made the order
of the day for to-morrow, or some other
day, the usual course it vas Immediate
" committed to a committee Of the
whole House, and made that days or
der. 1t went through the committee of
| the whole, and then instead OF being pas
sed for its third reading, as is the usual
course OF bills, it was about to be made
a law, as far as the House of Represen-
tatiyes were concerned, in less than five
minutes from its birth. This bill was
accompanied by no report, evidence, or
explanation, either printed or stated, and
it purpogted to be fer serviccs and sdcrl-
fees; and thus the House was caiEednp.
i on, in a matter of deep interest and feel
ing, aud situated as this was, to act with
| out a moments deliberaiion, and that,
too, regardless of lis ordinary rules. |
was opposed to this course, not because
/ was ignorant Of the historical services
Of Gen. Lafayette not because nay pa
| triotism was cold-not because | felt
no gratitude-but because | regarded
my country and its character as much
above Gen. Lafayette, as | myself am
beneath him in services aad estimation;
because | thought, as ] now think, that
every departure by the National Legs
lature from its rules and settled princi-
pies, in this instance, was a humility not
to be redeemed by any services, not
| even the greatest OF any human being
and il such an instance is it not we'll
worth Il consideration, whether we do
not more degrade ouiselves,than we ale-
vate the object of our partially? Is it
not well worthy of deep consideration,
how far the solen n d~eliheration of the
law-making power should he yielded in
any instance to Incorporate haste or
personal respect Goodness of coun-
sci, measured and exact justice. freeness
from personal preference, are principles
which it is humbiy conceived ought ne
| YER to be repudiated from the law ma
king power. Situated as we are, with
ties al best but of feeble tenacity, we
NAV yet be compelled to consult the
safety and integrity of the Union in the
high sense with which the people regard
their legislative body. 1t may not be
enough even at all times to do justice,
and to do it with deliberation, but d sus-
picion of the want Of either may be
dangerous. Ii these be not american
principles, pertaining to an American
Congress, then have | delusiyely ON
templated the system and perverted its
purpose. Did any American soldier
ever come to an American Congress in
a legislative triumph, without statement
or account? Did any one ever receive
a princely fortune without even the de-
cency of deliberations Was it not for
ty years that we suffered the remains of
that noble and gallant band, who won
our freedom, to remain pensioners on
common repulsiye charity-many to
pine and die in want' And, even now,
do they not come to a small p~ittance OF
| bread and water, through the quirks OF
a narrow law, through oaths, statements,
and toe intricate entanglemenfs OF olhces
Many are the names | could give. of
brave and high worth, who have receiy-
ed nothing but cold neglect. The bis
torical records Of the learned Editor
viii call them to his mind. To the
minds Of those of whom survive. is there
no unhappy and cutting contrast presen-
ted by our present ~profusions And
why pain them as well as neglect them'
Do we not make great sacrifices to
acquire the name ofjustice aud magnan-
| unity, but few and small ones to deserve
it?
"WEat could this legislator have read
of our h~istory?n says the Editor OF the
Gazette. And does he indeed refer US
to history for evidence on legislative
subjects? However sober may be the
province ofhistory, it its believed that
neither its v~eracity or its specially has
entitled it to control either courts or le-
gislative bodies.
Butt history is to be the legislators
guide in disposing of the funds of the
nation, it ought certainly to be sufficient
| lyimnartial to give both sides of the ac-