Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1826-01-05
FRELIMINARY RENIARKS

Ing casket, stripped oil their absirac ions
and ingenious metaphysical deductions, lie propo-
ses TO make some preliminary remarks, which he
thinks, will tend 10 elucidate the subject and ena-
bic the mind to judge more correctly of its real
bearings and effects Whilst the writer is not de-
srous, that the following dsQusiiions should be
considered anonymous, he will continue this form
OF making his communications First because il
| Is probable that these dispositions may hereafter
appear In different form of publication in which
case, he would prefer uniformity throushout the
whole and secondly, because il j. more agreeable
TO speak OF himself, In the third than in the first
person singular-He will speak of Mr. Adams in
relation to his Presidential acts under the appella-
ion OF :" the President in relation TO his other
acts, whether official. indiv idua under the an
pellation of {" Mr.. Adams The writer had mos,
sincerely hoped, but more in fear than in hope
that the President in his Message " ould have OBJ
served the path OF wisdom, :. the middle path:''
OF which he was reminded in No. 3--and that up-
ON ITS appearance, the writer would be relieved
rom the task OF further demonstrating; that :" the
practical gov ernment of " this Union was far A.
head OF the fundamental laws of /" this .Uaion''-
but his iile remnant of hope, has been more than
disappointed, whilst his great antcp fears have
been more than realized. Yes, the Presidents
message according to the writer's understanding of
It, has lar exceeded his most fearful anticipatons
II contains, as the writer thinks, the most awful
declaration OF great civil revolution in the go
vernments of - this Union;'' and can only be view
ed as solemn official proclamation of that here
'oore deprecated fact IL substantially proclairns
as the writer thinks, revolution, not only in the
| iederaive principle of the governments of this
Unon," by its effecual oblteration but in the new
| substituted consolidated form of government, by
the utter humiliation of all constitutional Iimta
| lions upon its powers.--All American governments
were heretofore thought to he governments of liui
ted powers. The state governments are now in
eject obi erated, and the consolidated government
oil - this Union" in effect, as the writer thinks. pro-
claimed TO be unmii ed III its powers |; is true
there is some abstraction in the terms used, and
studied ingenuity OF metaphysical deductions en-
ployed in making this proclamation; but. in the
opinion OF The writer, the facts proclaimed of only
one eiicient government and that one of unlimited
powers, are The necessary results of the plainest
| tenor and application of these terms The term
liberty Is power is all abstraction Its direct
appreciation Is mot attempted Ii will be introduced
INTO these preliminary remarks at this time merel
Tor Illustration. Let then the enquiry be now m ode
Whose liberty! and what liberty? Whose power
ana what power Whose liberty? and what Ii
| Derty! Is whose power? and what power? The
real and practical meaning OF that term as used in
the message, Is, that the liberty of the 90. eminent
Is the power oil the government. 1t cannot be pre-
sumed 10 have been u>el in any other sense. in re-
ference TO the POper ofthe government: because
IN any other sense, II would not be true The H.
oery oil the people is not the power of the govern
ment so Tar from it THAT it consists IN, Limitations
upon the powers of the government, The Inert
OF the people when arnaIgamated NAV in one sense
oe considered the power of the nation, but not the
power OF The practical government which is NOT
'y'he OF HE nationa nation of fieemen has more
power than a nation of slaves and that s,,rpIus
power may justly be said, TO consist of the liberty
VI ue people. but vast proportion of that IL
oer'y winch constitutes the power of the nation il
no' granted 10 The practical government. 1t is re-
tanned to the people, TO be exercised by them in
| Their individual capacities. This portion of the
power OF The nation, constitutes the retained rioh
oil the people, consisting of the Main ,iD hts nj
man. derived from nature, and from nature;s
uou' ana IL Is TINS portion of power as the writer
'hinks, winch is now proclaim ed to hav been usurn
ea by the practical government. The aphorism Of
me message then, ought have been the liberty of
me government is the slavery OF the people--The
liberty oil the people is the power of the nation.
The liberty of the government, so far from being
,ne power OF The nation, is the degradation and de-
ollty OF the nation, and the slavery of the peope
Nhat government has more liberty than Egvpt
what nation more degraded and debilitated than
Egypt! What people more enslaved and oppress
co! "hat government has more liberty than that
" SPAIN MAJ nation more degraded and deb-
tated than Spain ? What people more opnressed &,
ensiaVed! The Pacha of Egypt has recentIy car
Tleo INTO effect, Raymond's political doctrine that
! he government has right to every piece of pro-
pety IN the nation, and can dispose of il AT bea
sure Tor the public good. The Pacha eyerted the
liberty OF his government in first setting his :eope
10 making cotton, shipped and sold i; on his nr,
vate account, doubtessly, he would tell Won for
'he public good, for lettering the condition of bis
people lie now thinks his people can make
MN more money by making indigo for the public
good; and has accordingly exered the liberty of
MS government In setting his people TO making
indigo Tor the public good, and for betteriny the
condition oil his people. So Messrs Clov ard
jackson thought, they would exert the ne,yis ac-
CURED liberty oil the practical government of tins
Onlon,' IN converting farmers into nanufscfn,e,s
Tor the general welfare" and Tor bet,ering Tho
condition OF the people. The only difference in
me TWO cases consists in this-tbe Pacbs exert.d
'he iOerty OF his government through posi.ive
command Messrs. Clay and Jack.on exert.d the
liberty OF the government OF F" this Union tbro,ob
worse inedium--tbe oppression of The cIas. IF
farmers through iayorilism to the class Of manu-
iac'urers. so the President would exert the newly
"O''S'meu HDery OF lbs government over tile
minds and bodies and things Of his people for the
purpose OF bettering their condition. and this good
ness, on his part, he think the peopIe could
be so " neifabiy stupid" as to resist lorge.t;o,,s
Wolfe Forgetting that the liberty that ran
better, can also worst, snd will worst the con,B-
"on OF The people Tor It's own qualifications
bohaparte's Imperial government of France ,vss
a government OF unbounded liberty and bo,v r.,
the liberty OF his government bet,ered ,be condi,,o
OF the French people; bleeding, Impoverished. b,.
INFLATED France ran most feelingly tell.-Bul the
OBJECT OF the writer now is, to bring 10 the mini
oil The American people, the manner in which Roo.
pare exerted the liberty Of his Imperial GOV ernr,e
IN the execution of his Ramboullet Decree. lie
ordered The proceeds of the sales OF American We.
e.s anu cafgoes The writer thinks under that de-
n sfs.l-. =.