Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1826-12-14


commercial relations with France, the Neither
lands. Denmark. Sweden, Spain and Portugal,
are severally referred to; ard declared to be
upon friendly footing And our commercial
intercourse with Great Britsia, more especial.
ly the late orders in council affecting the en-.
trance of our vessels into the colonial ports of
that government, is made subject of special
consideration. Upon the whole, we coAs.der
the Message good one--it will certainly give
the Jackson men some trouble'to find, place
to apply The match, by which they are to blow
John q. "sky high"
The Legislature of Virginia met on Mo=day
the 4th inst The old officers have been re
elected--Gov Tyler transmitted the annual
communication to the two Houses. Its great
length pi events US laying it entire before our
readers to-day; we must conteat ourselves, tor
the present, with the following brief extracts:
"Governed by those wise and benifi-
cent motives, which have heretofore rul-
ed the legislation of the State, | will
not doubt but that ready aid will
be given to such improvements on a
large scale as heretofore have, or may
hereafter suggest themselves to the wis
dem of the General Assembly. The
resources Of the State are undeniably
abundant for the accomplishment of
these great objects; and the wisdom of
SO applying them is not only obvious to
the immediate and wide spread benefi
(which will certainly be produced, but
also, id the permanency which will there
by be gwen to the Constitution of the
United States, by restraining within the
letter aud true meaning of theis powers,
the administrators Of the General
Government. 1t may be considered,
Chat more danger'isfs be apprehended
to the State authorities by the exertion
of the assumed power over roads and
canals by the General Government,
than from almost any other source. 1t
holds out the tender of fbe strongest
bribe which can be offered to Peo-
pie inhabiting country vet in its infer-
cy, and which invites the .exer tons of
man to its improvement in almost every
direction. 1t is a temptation thrown in
the way of the politician, and in the
great body Of the People, to mislead
them from true construction of the
Constitution the name Of patriot
ism it sketches out to the dazzled under
standing unfa6;nS beauties-a country,
now wild, reduced by its influence TO
order and regularity--a People united
by their devotion to liberty, but separa-
ted by immense chains of mountains,
which it proposes TO level, or otherwise
to subdue. II promises TO render navi-
gable, rivers aud streams on whose bo-
SONS no boat, laden with the products of
industry, has yet aoated, and to bind
the States together with indissoiuble
bonds. Thus it attempts to veil and
conceal from observation its usurPation.
If usurration did not dress itself IN
smiles. how could it Eope for success
The People of this State, however,
have net been shaken in their allegiance
to the Constitution, by the offer OF thus
splendid inducem ent. They have look
ed to the instrument, to ascertain Dy
what authority the General Government
has thus ventured to interfere with the
police and soil of the States; aid they
have found nothing in that grant of pow
er jushfying such interference. They
have, then, detected the usurpatlon:
for, if the power be not there, it is no
where They regard it in the odious,
but deserving light of the forerunner
of other and greater usurpation.-
Where, in fact, shall be fixed the limits
of Federal power, if the mere right ''toI
establish post roads" shall give the power
now to turnpike road which has been
established a post road from the foanda-
ton of the Government These words,
introduced into the Constitution foTao
other purpose than to protect the mail
from interruption, either by an edict
of the State Government or hindrance
from any other quarter, have from the
very organization of the Government,
received their Interpretation. Post Roads
have been established by acts of Con-
gress, without number, through every
portion of the Union; and no one ever
dreamed that by the phraseoogy of those
acts 1.-THE same ia substance with that
sused in the Constitution,) Congress ever
intended to do more than to authorize the
Postmaster General to transmit the mail
along the roads thus particularly desig-
mated. Yet, il in opposition TO the uniform
exposition of the meaning of this grant,
and to the ordinary acception OF its very
terms, the Government can exercise the
power of constructing roads through e.
very county and town in State, where