Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1826-04-25
RICHMOND, APR1E as.

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RTCuMoMD, APRIL as.
The Trenton True American Zone of the papers
" by authority') is liberal enough 10 utter the fol-
lowing sentiments:
The coalesced power OF the opposition, rot
up with so much skill and care against the admins
tration, Is 20 men, not to measures. Adams and
Clay are at all events, whether right wrong, TO
be put down by IL, and measures that would have
been commended, If Recommended by other persons,
are TO be condemned, merely because they were
considered proper by the president and secretary.
WIN the people tolerate such opposition, or
will they Judge of-the tree by its fruit, and censure
and approve accordingly
We pass over the Hberality OF these sentiments,
to speak OF their truth. Is it true, that all the
Jru'f oil this administration has been soodly 10 the
taste. tina, its measures such, as to call for
nothing but unqualified enconiuins? Are freemen
TO see such appointments, as that of Rufus King
such recommendations, are found in the Presi-
dents message, TO usurp unboundcd powers in the
very face of the Constitution such measures as
the Panama mission, with the incon sislent reasons
on which it has been urged, the documents which
have been withheld, the after-,hough,s and gloss
to which have been eabarately hit out-and we,
are ireemen TO suppress their Misrepresentation?
Must every thing be sci down to a desperate and
determined opposition? Must Adams and Clay
" at all events" be supported, " whether right or
wrons!" The people are not slaves. Depend upon
ii, they tuiu think for themselves speak for them
selves, act for themselves.
We have read with great pleasure, the sensible
and spirited speech OF MIR. Riyes in the II. of r.
on the proposed qualification 10 the Panama an
preparation. He shews by the cleares, references
to Documentary evidence, that the "a Two pyon,;-
ar nh srfc (ac
Congress at Panama, TO find the means of re
Sisting the interference OF any third power in the
war between Spain and the Southern Re,Nlblic.s
and TO ascertain the mode OF opposing colonial
ton on either continent of America; that the EY
ecutive of the u. S. has already committed itself
on these points; and hence She expediencv of
qualifying the appropriation by expressing Che sent
ments OF the Representatives OF the Peon,e =
majority entertained the same opinion; for the re
solution 10 that effect was adopted by a ,naior;,
OF 4 votes. This vote should stand as the sense
OF the IL. OF x. upon the question; and bu, from
the course which The President has actually nursu-
ed, such an expression would never have bee,
made, or deemed necessary. 1t is no wonder here.
lore, that the particular friends of the adnini.tr
ION were SO anxious 10 stop 1t, conveying some
sort OF censure upon them. Several of The a,
votes were also by gentlemen, who; howeve,
much they disapprnved of the mission itself
or the course OF the President as TO its two
prominent Objects; voted against the qualification
because they deemed 1t 10 be an Unconstitutional
interference with the powers of The Executive
1t Is true, that the resolution of the Comm;,tee
thus amended, was lost by I43, to 81 votes. for
many gentlemen voted against it because they were
opposed TO The RESOLUTION itself (that is, to the
Mission in any shape;) and many also iainad tbem
who were opposed to the qualification itself, on
constitutional grounds With this UNDERSTANDING
therefore, OF the sentiments OF Congress the Presi
dent will take warning he will scarcely venture
70 commit his country, OF 10 piedgs The Mowers of
the government, on the TWO prominent subjects TO
which we have been inUited to attend, at Panama
The Baltimore Federal Gazette holds the folIo,y
ing language:
" The idea that the President Of the Senate ONLY
possesses an appellate power, is perfectly ridicu
ious. So the politicians of the Virginia school
tell Us that Congress can do nothing except wha, il
expressly set down in the Constitution, so that hu,
for the Sth section of the first article congress conld
neither have declared war, nor made peace, nor
laid taxes, nor coined money, nor paid debts. nor
borrowed money, nor exercised any of the other
essential and inherent powers Of gov ernment OF
the contrary, apprehend tina: if the Consti,u
ton had been silent upon these subjects Conpr e,s
would have possessed the same power that il does
They are he essential attributes of soyereiro-
" possessed by every independent government
unless expressly taken from il By the Constitution
Such is the species Of errors which the President
OF the U. . has set ahoat. "They are the essen
tial attributes of sovereignty possessed bv eyery
Independent government, unless erpyessIy taken
from ii by the Constitution So also, Mr.. A.
dams claims the power of lettering the condition o.
the people, involvedin The very nature of govern
ment-These errors are gross in theory, as well
as dangerous in practice. They will not stand
examination, and yet they threaten the most alarm
ing consequences. The People in the States w ere
the fountain OF power. They had right TO e.,ab
lish such form Of government as they pleased: TO
give such powers only they choose 10 confer
and 10 withhold all others This they hare done
by the Federal Constitution. 1t is specified grant
OF limited powers: SO says its very theory so saws
its whole bIstory-so say all its contemporary
Expositors-the Debates in the State Conventions;
the writings of the Federalist Nav, so saws ilselI
in an amendment tOtiden uerbis, adopted for the
purpose OF preventing such beresies as the Presi-
dent and the Editor Of the b. +. Gazette have fl
len into: ''The powers not delegated 10 the u. S.
by the Constitution, nor prohibited bv IL TO the
States, are TeSerUed by the States respectively. or
to the people" The Constitution then does not
specify what 1t takes atc0y, but what it gives. 49,
We thought this plain principle was understood by
every American politician; surely not by the Vir-
ginin School alone. The power of DECLARING
mar, OF coming money, &c would not therefore
exist in The Federal Government if they had not
been conferred. Any metaphysical abstraction
about the essential attributes Of soUereigntyis
consequently as Customary as it i. pcrnicious. He
who gives way to it., only proves himself an enc
my TO the very Constitution under which we have
lived.
II is said that motion las been made in the
Legislature of Louisiana to loan Mr.. Jefferson
$4,000 during his life without interest,"; and that
il is expected TO pass.