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

Cd, IN MT. CdING IWe5'S account OF IneiT pro-
cecdings. and the notes taken and published
by Mr.. Luther Mar an, OF Baltimore, which
are the only authentic documents Of the pro-
cecdinss Of that assembly now extant Major
idckson's, and Mr. Madi:on notes will pro
bubIy be published alter their 6eceaSe. Many
accounts and anecdotes might be obtained
from %, ivate recollect ions. but they do not ex.
ist to the public Lioyd's Congressional Re.
aister embraces an early period of Congress
sional debates after the constitution was adopt.
cd. Indeed, SO fearful were the members OF
that federal dc!eg ation ofthcir proceedings and
designs alarming the people, who were at first
the majority, particularly the Consolidation
party, that sthe members were prohibited even
from taking copies of resolutions on which the
convention were celebrating, or extracts Of
any kind from the journals, without formally
moving for. and obtaining vote Of permission
for that purpose Dfartin's Secye. Proceed
ings of Tie Convention, p. II
The three parties were these:
I. One whose object was, to abolish and an
initiate all state governments, and to bring for
ward one general government over this extern
sive continent. Of monarchical nature, under
certain restrictions and limitations The cha
racteristic expression and countersisn of this
party was, sNATIoNAL' The leaders Of this
party were Col Hamilton. whose plan of gov
er.ment to this purpose, was read and proPos-
ed by him, in Convention. on the 18th June.
1t was too coercive, and did not succeed. Mr..
Randolph. Mr. Piece Butler, Mr.. Governeur
Morris, Mr.. Char les Pinckney, Mr.. Madison,
were in favor Of establishing a NATIONAL
government in lieu of federal union; OF Civ
ing to this government supreme power; and OF
annullng every state law that interfered with
the acts of the supreme and paramount geEe.
raj government: not much differing from Col
Hamilton's proposal, which converted the sew
eral states into provinces. The leading oppo
nents Of this plan, and the defenders of state
rights, were MIR. John Dickinson, author of
the Farmers Letters, and Mr.. Patterson
The consolidation members were at first, six
out of eight. Mr.. Dickinson'S plan of jede-
raj government was rejected the day aftcrC
Hamilton's project was read, viz. June 18th
His party was characterised by the word
.FEDERAL.'
By this time eleven states had appeared, and
the federal, or state party, had encreased to
five: the consolidation, or national party, re
naming six. The deputies from New Hamp.
shire came in on June 23d. The great gues
ton came to issue on June 25th, when it was
proposed and seconded, to erase the term MA
TIONAL, and tc substitute the words UNI
TED STATES, which passed in the affirma
tive: this ended the struggle between the par
tv OF Co! Hamilton, Of Messrs Randolph,
Bntcr. Morris, Pincknev and Madison, and
that Of Mr.. John Dickinson and his adherents
who were in favor Of the preservation of state
independence. state sovereignty, and state
rights, in every case not specifically and clear
ly conceded in the instrument then under de.
bate, called the Constitution.
The second party did not advocate the aho
lition of state sovereignty, or state rights; but
they wished TO establish such system as
would give their own states some preponder-
ance. This party and the first coalesced for
the most part.
The third party consisted Of the real friends
OF a federal, aot national consolidatcd gov
eminent; to be instituted as the creature Of
the several states. acting in their sovereign
and independent characters; and concedng so
much power, and no more, as was necessary
to promote the general welfare of this union OF
states: expressing, limiting, and defining the
specific powers so conceded. as cautiously as
the occasi on seemed TO require.
We have seen that this party until about the
year 1870, called the federal pa,ty,) succeeded
on the 25th of June. The term national, the
watchword OF the party in favor of consolida
ton; was therefore renquished, in all the
subsequent pro, ceilings of the convention
On the 18th August it was proposed to EN-
power the legislature OF the United States, to
grant charters ofincorpofstion III cases wrere
the public good may require them, and the su-
thorty Of single state may be incompetent;
and TO establish an unIv ersity. ihcSe, Win
some other similar propositions, made by the
consolidation party, were referred to com
mittec which had been raised on 23d June.
The two propositions above mentioned, were
debated, and finally negatived OH the j th Sep
tember. Affording full and decisive proof,
| that the powers conceded to Congress are spc-
cihc, limited, enumerated powers; that do not
emanate as OF course from any abstract prin
ciple OF what thepublic good may require; but
from the deliberate concessions and absolute
will Of the sovereign and independent states,
who then met i'm convention 10 define and de
clare how many, and what powers were re.
quirea by the public good Ii Congress acts
| upon this vague and comprehensive principle
| Of the general welfare, it assumes power not
| delegated; and it usurps the authority OF the
convention, by whose will i: WAS created. The
object Of the convention was to ascertain what
| kind and degree OF authority the public good
actually required to be delegated TO Congress.
| The members of that convention met fo' that
| purpose, and fer that purpose only; they de-
| liberated, they settled, they enacted whatever
| they thought necessary for that purpose, and
| they committed to congress no part OF Their
own peculiar power. II congress do exercise
| the authority of convention, it is exercised
| by usurpation and whether it be done by the
| ingenious subterTuge OF implication and con
/ ST. uction-by management and confluence
in any covctt and indirect way-or openly,
boldly and directly, it is in either case iraud
/ on the community Congress was created and
| appointed, not as a supreme, bnt subordinate
authority; to put in force the powers commit
| ted to its chatge bv the constitution mot to
I DELEGATE at its own will and pleasure new DOW