The Litchfield County post., 1826-11-28

ene powers NiAscn couNscatc0 me property OF
cur merchants, were usurpers. especially "a
regard to Naples; and yet the claim for re-
mnneratiOn IS not considered by the mostc
Inent statesmen to be in the least degree at
fected by the change of rulers. What was a
claim upon a natiOn-a people-under one
set of rulers, is also claim upon the same
nation, orpeOple, under an entirely different
set of rulers, however the latter may depre-
cate that conduct of the former upon which
the claim is founded. Whether the same rea-
soning will apply in the case Of the Massa-
chusetts claims we cannot say. If however
the claim is rendered good because the state
has denounced the error of Gov. Strong, and
his councillors, it would have been equally
good had they never denounced it, but had
to this day justified his conduct. The claim
is for military services rendered during the
last war, and the expenses attending said ser
vices paid from the state treasury. Other
states rendered like services, and the troops
were originally paid in the same way; and
the amount was Immediately liquidated by
the General Government. But the services
of these states were performed in pursuance
to the orders of the general Government :;
whereas in Massachusetts the case was par
TALLY, if not entirely, different. Gov. Strong
received like orders with the executives of
the other states, requiring a levy Of men to
protect his own borders from the assaults of
the common enemy; upon his own RESPONSE
bility-or otherwise, upon the entire respon-
sibilty of the state, he refused to obey this or
der; in consequence his territory was inva-
ded, and two important posts for considera-
BILE time, held by the enemy, and that too
without his making single effort to dslodge
them. The occupation of these posts by the
British opened wide door for the violation
of national faith and duty, by enabling I'M
principled smugglers to feed the enemy, and
receive in exchange their manufactures with
out imposts or profit to the general govern
ment. All this the executive of Massachu-
sets saw; and they saw also that it was in
consequences of direct violation of trust on
their part. When however the capital of the
state was threatened with an attack, troops
were called out, and services performed but
mot under the authority and cognizance of the
general government. 1t is for these services
the claim is founded; and if it were not Just
claim when Gov. Brooks filed the executive
chair, It is not a just claim now. If the peo-
pie were then informed they must suffer for
having given authority to unfaithful servants,
the same agreement must now hold, although
they have repented of the error. For our
selves we hope the claim will not be allowed;
the precedent would be highly injurious. If
state entrusts power to men who are will
ling to embroil the union, and weaken the
hands of government, at time as critical as
when Massachusetts set at defiance the ma
tional authority, let her bear the consequent
ces. Let it not be recorded in our national
archives that such an act was done with i'm
pnnity. Such appear to be the feelings of the
Massachusetts, delegation in Congress, who
are generally unwilling to press the subject
upon the national authorities, and who we
believe, would be glad to have the claim who'll
ly forgotten, and with it the errors of mis-
guided state government. We however do
not wish to have it forSotten-we prefer it
should be remembered, not as blot upon
the state. or upon its principal statesmen, who
from high excitement acted thus enormously,
but as a beacon to warn rash politicians a
gainst repetition Of similar offences.
| The second session Of the Nineteenth Con-
gress will commence on the first Monday in
| December. A great mass of unfinished b,i-
siness will occupy the attention Of Congress
among the most important of which is the
Bankrupt Bill. A pretty general conviction
is now felt in the expcdiency Of this bill, and
should it pass at the present session, the nine
teenth Congress will have strong claims upon
the gratitude of all honest, but unfortunate
debtors. a.
THE claims of surviving officers Of thu
Revolutionary Army win, we have no doubt
be again urged on the attention Of Congress
i The claimants are annually daily-almos
hourly, diminishing: like the few last leave
w n "a ~. -