Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1830-03-16
RIC,Y.MO.N.D, I'UESD4Y. .MaRCH l6.
MORE ATTACKS UPON TIE CONSTITUTION

Inc following paragraphs appear in, the proceedings
of the Senate Ser OF the U. States on Wednesday tst
"The bill for the benefit of tho New York Institution for The
obstruction Of the Deaf and Dumb read taken Up
.Sa apply 70 SS a % "',,o'o for tho Of
II School for the Deaf and Dumb, Whence the
power Let any man read the Constitution through and
through. aid see II there be any thing like it IN anu
clause Of that instrument We defy any one 10 produce
the shadow Of such powerful Congress can do this
what may il not do! II it can educate the Deaf and
Dumb, there no limit to its power of appropriation
IL Is, IN other words endowed with general and
limited Jurisdcton-Thcre only two WAYS of usti-
fyng such grants-The is; that under some general
phrase, such general welfare'' Congress NAV do
any thing-The other is that few precedtnts III "
be produced, OF acts passed by Congress perhaps in d.
vertently, certainly without due considerations Tor an
propra ing funds TO purposes, duly recognized by
the Constitution. But is either OF these good jusi.
hcation! Are they not rather calculated to al arm us
sill more about the encroachmeuls Of the
For, LIST, IL Any reliance be laid on certain phrases
then, these phrases may b. made cover any thing
contrary to the whole theory Of the Governme n and
to the explicit and coDte eclsaons of the
authors OF the Instruinent.Or IL you rely on other
precedents; IL you urge that because, the lawyers
say, thing has been done il may be done again;
and not that thing but all other things, whether like
or not like IL, then again the whole structure of The
government will be chauged.-It /. only TO
commit any abuse, TO sanction any eneroschment-a
thus we are completely at sea- il Congress- not the
Conventions Of 49, which frame and mould the form
OF Government-and instead OF looking to The Clauses
OF the Constitutions must look to the 4cfs of Con.
Sress for the construction Of the instrument-All f-
ture Congresses may pa's an Alien and Sedon Law
and there |. no freak Of party, ebuon of feel.
ing, act OF indscreton, which may not be received
as the Legitimate expo'ition Of "the law and the pro.
phrts. Because relief has been extended to School
OF the Deaf and Dumb in Connect, cut and in Ken
tucy il he ike wise claimed for i nilar ins,itu-
ton In New York Pennsylvania. II funds nav be
given to this species OF School il may in like manner
be given to every species Of School, through all the
grades OF Education, from Elementary Sch lol, up
TO an Universy IL Congress can thus extend its iu-
risdiccn to Education, why canno, they on the same
principle, Tor rather, ,odn' IF principie,) embrace
within their sphere, all Internal Improve IN .n,s all "the
arts and sciences, ornamental or profound"-In a wer
what cannot they do? Who shall then saw "Thus far
and no tarherHere shall thy proud waves be stad?"
Now, then, is the time, II ever, when the encroach-
ments oil the government are to be arrested-and il
may be brought back, 10 its first principles. II il be
rot done under the present Ajminstr aton, Teucro
duce; under the auspices Of President who has avow-
ed so anxious regard to the strict limitations of the
Constitution, from whom can we expect that strong,
moral courage, that unbending energy OF character
which fearless Of all personal conssg uenccs will dis
dan all little calculations of popularity when The Con-
sttu'ion OF his country is in danger! IL is not Deaf
and Dumb School-it is not College in Ohio, alone
which threatens its PROFESSIONALLY swarm
OF claims is now before Congress, which, like the
School and the College, are in direct collision with the
fundamental law Of the land. We look to the Presi-
dent for relie-We look the Repre- of the
lief of the Heirs OF Robert Fulton which wa. thrown
out of the Senate Friday, il good augury-and we
hail il with sincere satisacon-It was rejected en-
urely on constitution al ground-Tbe Constitution gave
no such power. This is true enough-but what power
does II confer over Schools and Colleges? Monochrome!