Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1829-02-26
[Whole No. 1917

4
the duties. Of Citizens OF the United States. IL
| appeared 10 me had MOT been delegated to
Congress by the people Of the Union. and could
Mt have been delegated by them. without The
consent ofthe people Of Louisiana themse 1srs.
| thought they required an amendment of the
constitution. and vote ~ the people OF LOU
'siane; ard offered to the senate resolutions
for carrying both measures into effect. waish
| were rejected.
] lthas beer recently sscer,sined, by q letter
from Me- Jetferson TO Mr.. Dunbar, written in
July, 1903 alter he had received the uea,,es
\ and convened Congress 10 consider them. thar.
( 40 his upin,on the treaties could no, be- earned
into effect without an amendment to the con-
s',.at'ons and the prornssl Cor such amend
nent would be the FRS, measure adopted ~
them, at their meeting. Yet Mr.. Jeffr,son.
President &C the United States, did approve he
acts OF Congress-, assuming the power which h..
40 recently thought no, delegated 10 hem. and.
as the Executive Of the Union carried them
into execution.
Thus us Jefferson. President Of the United
States, the t'dersl members Of Congress, @hs
| opposed aud voted against the ratthcst.on Of
the treaties, and m,seE. all coacusrtd II he
opinion, that the Louisiana ccssion srts,iss
transcribed The cons tutIonsl powers oftbe GOV.
ernmens ~ the U. ). Bu, sitter sll. cues.
tion ofconsrucsive power. The power OF making
the treaty was expressly given without huiss.
,inn. The sweeping clause. BY which I'll
powers, necessary and rrorsr for carrying into
effect those expressly delegated, may be an.
ders,ood 10 unlimited II 10 10 be presumed.
that ~her Mr. jefferson approved and cxec..
ted the acts ofCongress, assuming the don~,.
fa' power. he had breasl,t his mind to scqui, zee
~ this some what iattud,nsrisn CONSTRUCTION -
opposed 4 as long aud as far ~ my oppos.
ton could assil. scque seed init, after Il Il. d
received he ssncton OF vi the orgsnirrd su-
thnri,y OF the Union, and The tsct &C ans scsnso
Of the people ~ The United S,s,ea cad 81 i.pa,
isiana Since which time, so far ~ this precc-
dent gees and no farther, 1 hare considered
the question as irrcvoesbis settled.
But in reveriing to the fundamental prlnciple
OF all our constitutions, that obed ence Is nss
due 10 an UNCONSTITUTIONAL law. and that its eve.
cntIon may be lawfully res,sted, you must admit
that had the laws IL Congress for annes,ns
Louisiana TO the Caon b.en resisted. b, lie
authority ofone or more States OF the then ex-
sting contederacy. as unconstitutional, that tc.
sisiancc nigh, have b. en- carried 10 the esfebt
OF dtssoiving the Ualon. and OF forming new
consedeSsc, and thsi IL tire consequenc noes oftbe
cess'on had been so oppressive upon New Eng.
land and the North, sswss app che nded b, lie
federal isaders, TO whose conduct ct that tine
all these observations refes. the project which
they did then form Of severing the Union, aid
establishing Northern Contedcracy would ia
their Application ofthe abstract principle to,he
existing state OF things have been jusiitiabIe -
In their views, therefore, isppuse 10 them no.
thing which il Gould be necessary for them 10
disasow; snd, accordingly. these PRINCIPLES
were distinctly and expressly avowed eight
years afterwards, by my excellent friend.
MIR. Quincy IN his speech upon the sdmis.
SION OF LOUISIANA, as State into the Union.
Whether he hnd any knowledge Of the practical
project OF 1903 and 4, know mot; but the sr-
gument OF lis speech, in which he refersd to
my recorded opinions upon the cons i,a,,ousi
power, WAS an eloquent exposition OF the jussi-
tying causes of thar project. Is I had heard
them detailed AZ the time.
That project, | repeat. had gone 70 he
length ofhxing upon military Ieatles for its
execniiopi and although the circumstances AZ
the times never admitted fits execution. NOR
even OF its fuii development, 1 had vet no
doubt, in 1903 and 9, aud have ma doubt at this
time, thar il 70 the key 20 ell the great movc.
men's OF these leaders Of The federal party in
New EaglaDd. from That time forward. till its
final catastrophe in the Hartford Convention.
Gen,ltmen, ! observe among the sgn~rs "a
Jour letter. tie names Of two msnbers Of HAT
Convention, together wi b thai OF The sen OF is
president. You will not understand me a.
affirming that either Of you was privy 20 III.
plan OF military execution. in 1864 That ray
be known to yourselves and not 10 me. A lei.
ter OF your hrst sgner, recently published, has
disclosed the fact, that he although tie puts-
tive. waspot the real father Of the Hartford
Convention. As he. who has hitherto enjoyed
uDr,vailed. the honors, 10 nov Disposed 10 ht.
| stow upon others the shame Of its paternity.
maj not be os,ensibe aud he real chsractet "
other accidents attending Il, be alike d,vsrslfie5,
so thai the main and ultimate object Of that s.s
sembly, though beamng in spiendous from 10
scts, Was yet in din eclipse 10 the vision Of rs
mos, distinguished membersl
However this rpsy be, il was this project II
| 1903 and 4, which, from the time when 1 kesf
| took my seat in b. Senate OF the United ssssc.,
| aliena,ed me from the secret councils OF IN ,se
| leaders oftbe federal party. ! was never ,ai-
tistrd IN them approved and suppovted the
acquisition Of Louissns; and rem he fret
| moment that be project OF Sc para.ion was maeie
known TO me, opposed to IL determined and
infiexible resistance.
lis well known 10 some OF you geniiemer,
that the cession Of Louisiana was rot the frss
occasion upoa which my duty 70 my courssv
| prescribed to me course Of conducf diiferent
from that when would have been dictated 10
me b, The leaders and spirit Of party. eiare
than one Of you was present ct a meeting &c
| members et the Massachusetts, Legislature IN
the 9th OF NAV, 1902, the day after 6rst toek
| my seat AZ member Of thai legislature.
| Aproposaf then made by me, 10 admit 20 tie
| council Of the commonwealth, proportional
representation ofthe minority a. IL existed inthe
two houses, has, ftruss, moi heen forgotten. Il
was the first act ofmy legislative life, and i
! marked the nrinc niles by which my uhaas