Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-02-17

| then wore us most hi SdttHiUS aspSe'' ~"
England was destitute OF National troops-her
treasures rxhausted-her taxes drawn into the
national Golfers.
The proceedings, and report OF the eonyen'
ton, were IN conformity with this object. The
burden nf that report consisted In recommends
ing IN application to Congress to pernit The
States 10 provide for their own drfrnce, and to
| be indrmnifcd for the expense. by reimburse
mea, in some ape, fronythe National Govern
nenr. of, al least, portion Of their oton money
This con, ention adjourned early in January.
On the 9th Of the same month, an act OF Con-
gress VS. passed, which gave to the State Co.
vernmpnls, the very power which was sought
! by Ma,sachuseus, viz. that Of raising, organ
ling and offering state troops, TO be employ
ed in The State raising the same, OF in an adJoln-
ing S, ate, aud providing for their pay and sub
sistence This, We repeat, was the most Inn
por,ant object aimed al by the institution oil the
Convt ion, and by HE report OF that body
| H ad this act of Congress passed, before the ac'
Of Mas,a huse,ts for organizing the convention,
that convention neuer tDould hare existed. Had
such an act bren anticipated by the convention,
or passed before its adjournment, that assem-
| bly would have considered its commission as
! in grea, measure superseded. For although
| il prepared and Reported sundry amendments
| to the constitution Of the Unned States, 10 be
submitted to all the States, and might even, IT
knowing of his act Of Congress, have persist
ed in doing the same Thing; yet, as this pro-
| posa for amendments could have been accom-.
plishrG in other modes, they could nave had no
special motive for so dong, but what arose
| from their being together; and from the con-
sideration which might be, hoped for, as TO
their proposition from that cir' umstance. IL
is thus matter of absolute demonstration, to all
" no do not usurp the privilege OF the sEARcHER
of hearts that The design Of The Hartford cohven-
non and its doings were not only constitutional
and laudsble, but sancii Toned by an act OF Con
gress passed after the report was published,
not indeed with express reference 10 it, but
with its principal FEATURES, and thus admitting
the ressonableness Of its general tenor, and
principal object. II is indeed grievous 10 per.
ceive Mr.. Adams condescendins 10 intimate
that the Convention was adjourned 10 Boston,
and in strain Of rhetorical pa,hos connecting
his imaginary plot, then at least IN the 'hir-
tenth year of its age, with the catastrophe
which awaited the ultimate proceedings of the
convention. That assembly adjourned Without
day, after making its report 1t was ipso fac'o
dissol, ed, like other committees. One Vt lis
resolutions did indeed purport that If the APP
the United States, Recommended in a foregoing
resoiuiion,J should be unsuccessful, ind
Deace should not be concluded, amt the de-
fence ofthese States should be neglected as
ii has been, since the commencement Of the war,
it viii be, in the opinion OF this Convention,
ex2edien, for the Legislatures Of the several
States, 10 appoint delegates TO another Conren,
ton to NEE, al Boston on the third Tuesday OF
,y,, nd inst
as the exigency OF crisis, so momentous may
require. On this it is 10 be observed,
First, that the Convention contemplated in
the foregoing resolution never was appointed,
and never could have been, according 10 the
terms of that resolution; because, as is shewh
above, the object Of the intended application 10
Congress had been attained. And, Secondly,
if the contingencies mentioned in that resolu>
lion had occ Cured, the question of forming such
"a new Convention, and the appoinmeh; OF the
dele gates, must have gone into ,he hands OF hew
assemblies; brcause all the Legislatures, OF The
New England States would have been dissolved,
aud there would have been new elections, before
The time proposed for the second Convention
And, lastly, il is matter OF public notoriety,
that the report OF This Convention produced the
effect OF assuagng the public sensibllily, and
operated 10 repress the vague and ardent ex-
pee ,ations entertained by many of our citizens,
Of immediate and effectual relief, from the evils
Of their CONDITION.
We pass over the elaborate exposition OF
constitutional law in the Presidents letter, hav-
ing no call, nor. any inclination at this time TO
con,rover, its leading principles. Neither do
we common, upon, though we perceive and
ieeI, the unjust, and We must be excused for
saying, nsidous, mode in which he has group
ed together distant and disconnected occurren-
ces, which happened in his absence from the
country, for the purpose Of producing by their
coilocation, gIarIng and sinister effect upon
the federal party. They were all Of public
nature. The arguments concerning their me-
ri or demerit have been exhausted, and time,
and The good sense Of an intelligent people,
will place them Ultimately iu their true light,
even though Mr.. Adams should continue to
throw obstacles in The way to This harmonious
reaction Of public opinion.
II ha. bern source of wonder and perpleIi-
ty TO many liz our community, TO observe the
immense difference in the standards by which
public opinion has been led to measure the same
Il r. - in