Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1825-03-10

yernment, Instituted by il, should be in-I
variably aud sacredly devoted:-to form
a more perfect union, establish justice,
ensure domestic tranquility, provide for
the common defence, promote the gem
eral welfare, and secure the blessings
of liberty to the people Of this Union.
in their successive generations. Since
the adoption Of this social compact, one
Of these generations has passed away.
It's the work of our fore-iathers. Ad-
ministered by some of those of tue most
eminent men who contributed to its for
NATION, through a moat eyentiul period
ia the annals Of the world, and through
all the yicissitudes Of peace and war, in
cidentol to the condition OF associated
man, il has not disappointed the hopes
and aspirationso of those illustri0us ben
efactors of their age and nation. ithas
, promoted the lasting welfare of that
country so dear to us all; it has, to an
extent, far beyond the ordinary lot of
humanity, secured the freedom and hap
piness OF this people. We now receive
It as a precious inheritance from those
to whom we are indebted for this estab-
lishment, doubiy bound By the exam
| pies which they have left US, and by the
blessings which we have enjoyed, as the
| fruits of their LAHORE, to transmit the
same, unimpared, TO the Succeeding gen
Grafton.
In the compass of thirty-six years
since this great national covenant was
| instituted, a BODY of laws, enacted I'M
der its authority, and in conformity 18th
its provisions, has uufolded its powers,
and carried into practical operation its
effective energies. Subordinate depart
nents have distributed the Executive
functions in their various relations to
foreign affairs, to the revenue aud ex-
penditures, and 10 the military force OF
the Union, by land and ses. A co-or-
dinate department Of the Judiciary has
expounded the Constitution asd tbs
laws; settling, in harmonious c%oinci-
dencs with the Legislative will, numer-
Gus weishty questions of construction,
which the imperfection OF human Ian
guage had rendered unavoidable. The
year of Jublle, since the first formation
of u Union, has just elapsed; that Of
the Declaration {. our Independence, is
at hand. The consummation of both
Wal effected by this Constitution.
Since that period, population bffour
million, has multiplied to twelve; a tar
ritory bounded by the Mississippi, has
been extended from sea to sea; treaties
Of peace, amity, and commerce, have
been concluded with the principal do
minions of the earth; the people of o.
Their nations, inhabitants Of regions ac-
quried, not by conquest, but by CON-
pact, have been united with VI in the
participation of our rights end duties, Of
our burdens and blessings; the forests
has fallen by the K of our woodsmen;
the soil is made to TEEN by the tillage of
our farmers; u commerce has whiten-
ed every ocean; the dominion Of man
over physical nature has been extended
by the invention of our erticles; Liber-
ty and Law have marched hand in hand;
all the purposes Of human association
have been accomplished as effectively,
as under any other Government on the
end at a cost little exceeding, in
a whole generation, the expenditure of
other nations in a single year.
Suchis the unexaggerated picture of
our condition, under a constitution foun-
ded upon the republican principle of e
quail rights. To admit that this picture
has it's shades, is but TO say that it is
still the condition Of men upon earth.
From evil, physical, moral, and politi-
cal, it is not our claim 10 be exempt.
We have suffered, sometimes by the vi
station of Heaven, through disease; Of
ten, by the wrongs and injustice of other
nations, even to the extremities of war;
and, lastly, di~sssensions among ourselves
-dissensions, perhaps, inseparable from
the enjoyment Of freedom, but which
have, more than once, appeared to threa-
ten the dissolution of the Union, and,
with it, the overthrow Of all the enjoy
ments of our present lot, and all our
earthly hopes of the future. The cau-
SEES of these discussions have been vari-
ou. founded upon differences of spe-
culation in the theory of the Republican
Government; upon conflicting views of
policy, in our relations with foreign ma
tons; .upon jealousies of partial anu sec
tional interests, aggravated by prepos-
sessions which strangers to each other
are ever apt to entertain.
1t is a source of qualification and of
encouragement to me, to observe that
the great result ofthis experiment, upon
the theory of human rights, has, at the