The central gazette. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1820-1827, 1825-09-10

lighted ;thcy breathe tin my judgmcnt) the t, ne
sPrit--they place these matters in fair and just
point of view; ard as citizen interested in the
common veal, Ireturn You, for them, nv sincere
and hearty thanks. But cannot stop here YOU
must lear with me While say a few words on each
OF these subjects. 1
With respect TO Commodore Porter, no man
feels more gratitude than do for the scrvic he
has done his country; more pride FOR the glory
he has shed around her IA. but still, we must ne.
yer forget, that ours is Government IF Latp.--
When the law speaks oil must ohcy-ln her forum,
the high and the low, the rich and the poor stand
on the level ground of equality. a breach Of law,
should, indeed, be vigorously inv estsnted and
promptly punished, when committed by high olIi.
Ger, than by an humble individual because the cx-
ample is more striking, and IMMUNITY danger.
Gus. IL there be any class Of our public officers,
who should be held to more strict obedience of
ders, and more rigid responsibility for their
duct, than all others, it is our Naval Officers; be
cause they act ina sphere, too distant from the Gov
ernment, to. be contributed except by previous in
strucons, and have at all times the peace and quiet
of the country in their hands One rash act OF
theirs may Involve ms in war. With such act
was Porter charged--he recalled Fl ON his com.
nanl- demanded tial--it given him-a hoard
Of experienced naval Ulcers constituted his court
was fair. the defence able--Thc court pronounced
sentence OF guilty but awarded punishment sin.
gularl, mili--The President has approved the pro
cecdnss. The bcin,, thus decided and sane
toned by the constituted authorities, we not
bound, in all candour and fairness, to concludcthat
the decision is correct? And do not those few be-
ieve they are) violate the spirit OF institutions,
who are crying ont SO DANGEROUSLY that the gallant
Commodore has aeen oppressed; and hunted down,
by the government--that he ought TO throw his
commits. ion in their faces quit his country, and
ter the Mexican service: trust the Commodore
win listen with caution to such counsel Ills loss
to our navy great his merits are, would be scarce
| ~ fet-it would he but one a. shot madly
from its sphere ~ but it might cast his fair fame
blot which all the waters Of the ocean could not
wash out.
The next subject Of your ,@mark is Of mu CHI high
err importance.-A difference between the y 5
Government and Georgia, or rather her Governor ;
who seems 10 me to have been resolved from the
first, to astcn quarrel on the President; which,
If lie prosccutcs with the same reckless intern
perance, hitherto INDUCED in may produce results
the most serious and deplorablc. In the discussion
OF this question, the editors OF the Enquirer have
acted prominent part, and | fully coincide with
your remarks on their course. Promptly, not say
Prematureiy, they arrayed themselves in opposition
TO the general government, and Instantly " their
war cry State Riyhs) - fed the air. These
their cahalistic words, and Of such woudrous po
tency (thcy seem 10 think only to cal spi.
rits from the vastly deep but to lay them, at will
IN the 80 Red Sea- Like that famed champion Of
reIorm Ia day, VINO promised the good people Of
Fairiax he had dot.ht persuaded hirns ELL tina,
a Contention would their barren hills with
green clover: These editors to think that state
1ipkks ~ i'll cold folly =,
dom, and idle defamation into sound argument
To say truth, these worthy gentlemen, on the sub.
icct OF state rights, seem TO have what physicians
call the fled iCeat is the chord Of heir ins nty
and their Daiady has the effect of converting every
object into the spectre which haunts their imagina
ton. Like the knight OF La Mancha whether they
encounter a flock of sheep, a windmill, they com
mend themselves to their Ducinca couch their
lance, and fall pc NELL in the full belief that CIV
ry blow is dealing dcstru cton to giants and en-
chanters. The general government can take no
step affecting the states in any manner but instant.
ly they are seized with terror, and the y0tv head
ard 6OOdy bones Of state Tighs violated state Iigbts
dcicd Uses III all its horror to their dist.mpcr
ed vision Let no man suppose. Messrs. Editors,
that by these remarks mean TO undcryalue State
Rights. Educated in the good Old republican school,
brough; up, if may say So at the feet Of Gamaliel
the real, legitimate rights Of the states are dear
10 me as my hearts blood, and before | would see
them swallowed up in ConsoIi ia,ion, ! would wei
come the monster Disunon, with all The horrible
evils which she will too surely bring in her train
II is precisely because feel thus that protest a
gainst this eternal cry of state rights th, constan,
introduction of the subject into all questions whc
thcr connected with it not lis din ect tendency is
TO injurc the causeo bring state lights into distc
Pute--to strengthen the hands Of the general gov
crnment Like the boy in the fable VIC shall so Of
ten cry icoJ"' falsely, that when he really attacks
the flock our call for help will pass unheedcd as the
idle wind In the name of common sense, LIT me
ask, what has the difference between Gov. Troup
and the President 10 DO With state rights? if un
derstano THIS phrase, il means those rights which
belong to the states members of the union and in
their relation to the General government rights
which belong . all states equally and in com
mon-which cannot &c trenchcd upon without
rvounding alike, every member Of the federal com
pact The right of Georgia to have the indian title
eStinguished, TO certain lands within her limits is
surely not Of this class it 10 right not common
to the states, bot peculiar 10 Georgia and derived
to her by compact with the general gov erteo,s't
Hnich the other states are parties GGrfhis r;ch.
OF whatever nature, is not at all in jeopardy Is
the demon, which has conjurcd up the plcscn,
he b,,., L.,