Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1825-12-15
i, tend to exalt and adorn his and heir

90, tend TO exalt and adorn his and heir
THE Constitution under which you
o-a assembled is a charter of limited
nowers; after full and solemn delioer-
alton upon all or any of the objects,
which. urged by an irresistible sense
of nv own duty, | have recommended
to your attention, should you come to
the conclusion, that, however desirable
ia themselves, the enactment oflaws Tor
efFectino them, would transcend the
movers committed to you by that yene-
rable,instrumeu which we are all bound
10 support; let no consideration induce
YOU to assume the exercise of powers
not granted to you BY the People. But,
iftbe mower to exercise exclusive legis-
Iat;op in all cases whatsoever over the
District of Colombia; if the power to
Law and collect taxes, duties, imposts,
aud excuses, to pay the debts, and pro-
vide for the common defence and gener-
al welfare Of the United States; if the
power to regulate commerce with for
eign nations and among the several
States, and with the Indian tribes, to tix
the standard of weights ard measures;
to establish post Offices and post roads;
to declare war; to raise and support ar
mics; to provide and maintain a navy;
10 dispose of and make all needful rules
and regulations respecting the territory
or other property belonging TO the Uni
ted States; and to make all laws which
shall be necessary and proper tor car,
rying these powers into execution: II
these powers, and others enumerated
in the Constitution, may be sfiectually
brought into action by laws promoting
the Improvement of Agriculture, Com
merce, and Manufactures, the cuit'ya-
ton and encouragement OF the Me-
chanic and Of the elegant Arts the ad-
vancement of Literature, and the pro-
gress of the Sciences, ornamental aud
profound,-t refrain from exercising
the III for thesbenefit of the People them
selves. would be to hide in the earth tue
talent committed to our charge would
be treachery to the most sacred oil trusts.
The spirit of improvement is abroad
upon the earth. 1t stimulates the heart,
and sharpens the faculties, not OF our
fellow citizens alone, 5nt Of the nations
OF Europe, and of their rulers. While
dwelling. with pleasing satisfaction upon
the superior excellence of our political
institutions, let US not be unmindtul that
Liberty is Power; that the nation bles-
sed with the largest portion OF liberty,
must, in proportionto its numbers, be
the most powerful nation upon earth;
and that the tenure of power by man,
is, in the moral purposes of his Creator,
upon condition that it shall be exercised
to ends of bene ficence, to improve the
condition of himself and his fellow-men.
While foreign nations, less blessed with
that freedom which is power, than our
selves, are advancing with gigantic
strides in the career of public improve
ment; were we to slumber in Incidence,
or fold up our arms and proclaim to the
world that we are palsied, by The will
of our con.tituents, would il not be to
cast away the bounties of Providence,
and doom ourselves to perpetual interi'
ority? In the course of the year now
drawing to its close. we have beheld,
under the auspices, and at the expense
of one state of this Union a new uni
versity unfolding its portals to the sons
Of Science, and holding up the torch OF
human improvement to eyes that seek
the light. We have seen, under the pee
severing and enlightened enterprise of
another state, the waters of our Wes-
tern Lakes mingled with those of the
Ocean. II undertakings like these have
been accomplished in the compass of
few years, by the authority of single
me mbers of our Confederation, can we,
the Representative Authorities of the
whole Union, fall behind our fellow
servants in the exercise of the trust COM
mitted to us for the benefit of our COM
mon Sovereign, by the accomplishment
of works important to the whole, and to
which neither the authority nor the re-
sources Of any one state can be ade-
quate?
Finally, fellow citizens, I shall await
with cheering hope, and faithful CO.
operation, the result Of your delibera-
tons; assured that, without encroach-
ing upon the powers reserved to the au-
thori ties of the respective States, or to
the People, you will, with due sense
OF your obligations to your country, aud
of the high responsibilities weighing up
on yourselves. give efficacy to the
means committed to you for common
good. And may He who searches the