The central gazette. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1820-1827, 1825-01-22

governments ,tneS Dear Cieariythe features and
physios nomy OF federalism. whoever be The
f, proposer, or whatever may he his possessions
The mt Fe9eraiiSt, Republican, Demo
crat. Radical. CIuocunque nomine gaudes) is
| of opinion, that as history clearly shews the
tendency OF all power to exceed its proper
| limits. no more power should in any case be
delegated. than the circumstances impciio uslv
| rc1nire, to produce the good intended. That
! the holders of all power should be responsible
| for the use of it. to those who gave it That
| If any excess be eXcusab'e on either SIDE, it is
| better to concedc rather too little than too
much. as Il is much more easy TO add than di
mnish They are Of opinion. that the people
and the state governments OF this country ne
| yer meant to institute magnificent, impos-
| ing, expensive, nutiOnal government, with en-
tensivc powers. and high preroSatives, calcu-
| lated to control or PROSTATE the quiet, UMPIRE
| tending, cheap and salutary governments of
| the separate statcs-but government with so
| much power and no more, as might be neces
sary to manage the political q ansactions Of
common and general interest, i'm which each
| and every state had the same common concern;
| interfe, ing with state authorities as little as
possible That the more simple the apparatus,
| the fewer the officers OF government, and the
| less thew required state rights to he conceded,
| the better That If power sufficiently great
be not conceded, it Dug Int not to be boldly sciz
| cdby direct usurpation or clandestinely obtain
ed by taking advantage OF verbal ambiguity
| by implica alton and construction, but applied
| for bv submitting the case under the constitu-
| tional 'orm Of an AMENDMENT, to the legisla-
| lures OF the 'cspectivr states; this being the
mode of proceeding specially designated by the
! trainers Of our constitution TO meet the case
They are Of opinion, that altho' parsimony be
one thing and fruaa!ity another, the cheapest
government Is the hest ovrrrrncnu, If IL answer
the purpose in other respects. They particu-
larly object TO expensive standing armies, and
even to great extent OF naval power in time
of peace not That these institutions should he
reduced Ia insigniGcance. Int kept under con
troll They hold, that The public characte
and conduct, of all public men and public bo-
dies, from the President TO Tide Waiter, is
fair subject for temperate remark; that moth
ing brings a government so surely into con
tempt as its dread of discussion and examina
ton and that i'm all such cases the verdict on
trial, ought to be with the jurv, on the lazy
and on the fact, uncontrolled bv the court -
They adhere to the principles of public liber-
tv, set forth in the Declaration of !ndepen
dcnce, and in the Federal Constitution, par
ticularly claiming q free press, untrammelled
| by any previous restriction, and extending to
every subject oil human investigation, as the
dearest and most valuable characteristic of a
| truly republican government
For my own part. 90 farther, and review
ing the events OF The last thirty wears. ] am de
| cIdediv Of opinion. that the republican party
has Tor gotten III great pait, the principles that
| originally Characterized il and they have per-
mittcd and acqniesced in one enrroachment
after another. III the power o.the i; esident Of
| the United States, the power of the Congress
of the United States, and more than all, the
power OF the Supreme Court Of the United
L he Ia tor 4 .y I'M 4
| HAS INCREASED. Is INCREASING,
AND OUGHT TO BE DIMINISHED.
! But on the present occasion, must abstain
from the detailed investigation that would es-
| tabfsh my opinion; an opinion, however,
! whlch no man. who has observed the progress
Of our government as long and as anxiously as
! have done. will be inclined to deny
The former opposc,s OF tcdcI al and adj
vocatcs Of ndiionai government, row seized
upon the name by which the series Of ESSAYS
| was designated, containing a defence Of the
constitution of 1881. and exposition of The
principles on which ii was founded An expo
stion, not likely To be.in all respects accurate
and authentic. when made bv gentlemen, who
had opposed its leading features and princi
| pies; and who induced to defend it from
the truly honorable and disinteresed motive
OF promoting obedience and acquiescencc IT.
! what had Keen settled upon the best and mos,
! deliberate views that could be taken of a very
d .hc MI and complicated subject. MIR. Madi
son, believe, gradually changed his views o.
| nationa! government, and came round to the
sentiments of the majority OF the republican
| leaders OF his own state Colonel Hamilton
and Mr.. John Jaw, continued OF the " naiien
| dParty,' who, to 1888 10 1890. gradually
assumed their modem appcllaion of FEDE-
RALlSTS In al Col Hamiton's papers in
the g Federa!ist,' the expression mdHonaI
government is seduously preserved and he
| expressly declares, in number thirtv-threc
that the principal aim OF that series Of papers
was To inculcate the danger which threatens
| our political welfare from the cncroachments
OF the state governments. 10 which he
might have added, the lahored Justification o
the extended powers given to the national
government, in the formation Of treaties, the
taxes, and the maintenance OF a standing arm v
and navy. 10 the equality oil power among
the states, he was strcnuoUsiy opposed
| Mr.. Madison. in numbers is and 46, is oil
| the same opinion as Col. Hamilton as to the
power and influence Of the state governments
These were wise and honest men, hut | think
experience has shewn that they were bad
prophets. The publication called the Fede
raIist. Is of a complexion truly federal. in the
modern sense Of that word; but it did much
| good at the time, and strongly tended TO recon
Gle the people TO a constitution which con
tains. after all, but one capital defect. viz. the
want Of clause appointing periodical Icvi-
forty nine and fiTtvoi the 's Fcd,raiist =" Tie
| PcnnsvlvaIa Connect of Censor, had an ad.
mirabc effect. and think, should never have