Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1828-12-04

ea"@Sc 20 $40 W 'As one aho 70 The ofhe,
The case of conflict between ,ha."
two powers has net been supposed. ~.
has any provision been made for Il in or.
institutions; as virtuous Nation ~ e.
cient times existed more than fva -.
turtles withouts law for the puni,hmo..
of parricids.
More than once, however, in the p,o-
gress of eur history, have the PsonI.
and the Legislatures of one or me-
States, in moments of excitement bsss
instigated TO this conflict; and the mesn.
of etfectins this impulse have been ais.
cation that the acts of Congress to \.
resisted were unconstitutional. The Pc
pie of no one State have ever deleoa,oa
TO their Legislature the power of nro-
nouncing an act of Congress unconsiitu.
tional; but they have delegated 10 tbsn
powers, by the exercise Of which N.
execution of the laws Of Congress with.
in the State may be resisted. If W.
suppose the case of such conhictins Ia
gslation sustained by the correspopdn.
Executive and Judicial authorities pa'
trioiism and Philanthropy turn their ewes
from the condition in which the parias
would be placed. and from tba, OF tbo
people both. which must be its victims
The Reports from the Secretary Of
War, and from the various subordinate
Offices Of the resort of that Depa rment.
present an exposition OF the public adj
ministration Of affairs connected with
them, through the course oil the curren,
year. The present state Of the army, and
the distribution of the force of which i'll
is composed, will be seen from the Re.
port Of the Majer General. Several al. /
terations in the disposals of the troop,
have been found expedient in the course
of the year, and discipline Of the army,
though not entirely free from exceptions
has been generally COED.
The attention of Congress is particu.
larly invited TO that part of the Report
Of the Secretary of War which conee,ns
the existing system OF our relations with
the Iudian tribes. At the establishment
of the Federal Government, under the
present Constitution Of the United States,
the principle was adopted of considering
them as foreign aud independent powers;
and also as proprietors Of lands. They
were, moreover, considered as savage.,
whom it was our policy and our duty to
use our influence in converting TO Chris
tiasity, and in bringing within the paA
Of civilization.
As independent Powers, we negociat. /
ed with them by treaties; as proprietors,
we purchased of them oil the lands
which we could pfevail upon them to sell;
as brethren of the human race, rude and
ignorant, we endeayored to bring them
20 the knowledge ofreligon and ofletters.
The ultimate design was 10 incorporate
in our own institutions that portion Of
them which could be converted to the
state of civilization. In the practice Of
European States, before our Revolution,
they had been considered as children to
be converted; as tenants at discretion,
to be disp~ssessed as occasion might re.
quire; as hunters to be indeUnified By
trifiing concessions for removal from the
grounds upon which their game was eI.
terpated. In changing the system,
would seem as If q full contemplation Of
the consequences of the change had mol T
been taken. We have been far mor
successful in the acquisition oftheir lands
than in imparting TO them the principles
or inspiring them with the spirit OF civil
ization. But in sppropriatingto ourselves
their hunting grounds, we have brought
upon ourselves the obligation Of proyid'
ing them with subsistence; aud when
we have had the rare good fortune oil
teaching them the arts of civilization,
and the doctrines of Christianity, We
have Unexpectedly found them forming |
in the midst Of ourselves, communities
claiming to be independent OF ours. ana
rivals o! sovereignty within the territories
of the members of our Union- Iha
state of things requires that remedy
should be provided. A remedy Which,
while it shall do justice to those un'ortu'
nate children of nature, may secure 70
the members Of cur confederation the"
rights of sovereignty and OF soil. a. .ne
outline of a project TO that effect ,ao
views presented In the Report of the oe'
cretary of War are recommended 10 'n'
consideration of Congress.
The Report from the Engineer De
rartment pre- sents comprehensive view