Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1826-11-21

| erctse a..
Unfortunately of latter years. as in the tenn
pesiuous days OF '99; and unfortunately under
this administration, still more strongly than under
Its predecessors. the following just resolution oil
Kentucky, penned by Mr.. Jefferson, is s,rikingly
applicable
- ReSolred, That the construction applied by
the General Government, Gas is evinced by sundry
OF their proceedings,) to those parts of the Con-
s'itutiou OF the United States which delegates to
Congress power to lay and collect taxes, duties.
imposts, and excuses, to pay the debts, and pro-
vide Tor the common defence and general welfare
oil the United ates; and to make all laws which
shall be necessary and proper for carrying into ex
ecution the powers vested by the Cons tuition in
me Government OF the United States, or any de-
partment thereof, goes TO the destruction of all the
limits prescribed to their power by the Constitution
-that words meant by that instrument to be sub
sidcry oniyito the execution OF the limited powers
ought not TO ue SO construed themselves to give
Unlimited powers, nor part so to be taken as to
destroy the whole residue of the instrument: That
the proceedings OF the General Government under
colour oil these articles, will be tit and necessa
~ SUBJECT tor revisal and correction at time of
greater tranquility, while those specified in the pre-
cedins resolutions call Tor immediate redress,
WIN these powers, then, conferred by the Con-
stituton, lew as they are, but erte1sipc in their
character, and IN the means, which are ,,eccssary
to their Development, how is il possible for vo,
10 complain that our principles s'would dives, the
Goyernmeet OF all its benefcence"o On wha,
| authority do you assert that our rule of cons,ruc
ton would strip Congress of the power 10 an
propriate money to he regulation of commerce 2
rave we rontroveited The right of appropriation to
'hat OBJECT within the necessary and proper
restrictions! the erection OF light houses. beacons
buoys and public piers, FOE the security of navi.
CATION! or the organization of a corps of engineers
| to be stationed at West Point and 10 constitute
miiiary academy. or the acquisition of Louisiana;
the appropriation to the illusrious Lafay ette az
debt due TO him for d" the services and sacrifices
referred 10 IN the Preamble to the law or the ar,
granting the Revolutionary Pensions, when even
you said 1--WE years ago that .s it is tphOiiu nuue
eFssaIy to discuss the right Of Congress 10 grant
donations, in order TO justify this measure;'' as
" II only provided the payment Of a lust deJf,'3-
! We would not paralize the arm oil the Gener.l
GOV ernmen', when necessarily exer,ed in The ac-
compiishment OF constitutional objects; we have
even complained OF the want of energy ia Congress-
In not extending the power Of the government,
over the militia, and making it apply directly to
| the privates OF the corps. We trust that the
| Board, now sitting in Washington, will notice
this defect. But we have protested against the
usurpations which we lamented; TO the institution
| OF great National Bank; and TO the splen :
did scheme OF Internal improv ement, which is
now projected 10 dazzle the people The verv
powers which you specify, of establishing Post
hodds, is not 80 inefficient you would repre-
sent t. Though stript of the vast appropriations
ot money, which you attribute TO il II CONVEYS =
large sphere OF jurisdiction. a reference 10 the
provisions OF the Post-Otfce Law of Both April
leiO, shows distinctly what is meant by establish
ing or disseminating a post road, and the MANY
necessary and incidental pow ers which us estab-
| lshment creates.
Such are the doctrines we maintain -doc,rines
which are al war with your own doctrines. which
do not admit that the government may do anv
| thing, which is mot contrary 10 The Cons,uon ,,
| Do you really think, that they would filter the
powers OF the Government 10 nothing aud d.
! vest II OF all lis beneiicence?" No gentlemen
! you have deceived yourselves
we have, indeed, g grown up TO be great
people whose tranquil happiness and prosperity
the admiration Of all the nations OF the earth. -
But we owe this greatness, this elevation of char
acter, not more TO the genius of our free ias,itn
lions and the peculiar advantages of our counlrv:
than to the political vigilance and jealousy OF the
people themselves. l. is the nature OF mosv men
while " drest in authority to augment that au
thorIty; ompildre jurisdicfione; 10 increase their
importance bv enarging The sphere of their pa,ro
| mage. MIR. Madison US of the consequence in
our own beloved country So This dispropor,iona.
Increase OF pierogat,ve and patronage, must evil
IDENTIFY, either enable the Chief Magistrate of the
| from tiae to time, and finally to regulate the sue
cesSon as he might please; or by giving so trans
cendant an importance to the Office would render
the elections to II violent and corrupt that the
pubic voice itself might call for he edtary In
place OF an elective SUCCESSION Impressed with
these truths the American people ought to be ever
alive to the encioachments OF the federal govern
ment They ought to be mindful of the uecess,,v
OF " frequent recurrence 10 fundamental princi-
! Administrations a he
once felt the power OF public northumberland the
government decisvely cec ked in It's m ad career
For succession of years, the confidence of the
nation was Ieposed in its republican rulers men
who had been foremost in achieving the revolution
| OF lSOl BI,b the late tendency of events. the
doctrines which were then overturned have be.,
re-asserisd by the Administration are sus-
tanned by yourselves, and the affiliated presses,
OF the country. Ii we would increase our happi
ness and prosperity, or even maintain what we
now enjoy, the PEOPLE must again assert their
rights, by referring to 90 first principles, and con
fire the operations of the government, 20 the
enumerated powers confided to il by them. If
they do not stay the march OF usurpaion, we may
at last, In the language ST the Able Correa, have
&c monarchy without the title.''
| We pass over your own brief mysification Of
the Panama Mission. and hasten to bring this lei :
ter to close Before we drop the pen, we
must be permitted to notice the contrast YOU draw
between what we said OF you in July 1924, and in
our paper of the 9th ult II is true that in 1924
we said that Z" there is spirit in the remarks of the
National Inielligencer---an independence which
! comports with the freedom of the press, and the
genius Of our free Institutions" II our memory
has failed us, il is surely less at fault than your
discretion. Why did you not inform your readers
that used that language in relation to one of
your pieces IN your memorable controversy with