Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-06-19

the State SOvereignties.
The Hero musing.-That Cd letter 10
Governor Rabun.
Premier.-Let not that incident of by-gocne
DAYS disturb your Excellency. Inc thinS mas
been entirely forgotten, or absorbed IN the pre-
vailing topics of the times. The South as l was
saving. must be hunored. by concedlng every
thinp to State RIGHTS. Hear what have said
in the veto. .When an honest observance OF
8. constitutional contacts cannot be obtained
! .sfrom communities like ours, it need not be an
$. ticipated elsewhere, and the cause IN when
.sthere has been SO much martyrdom and from
:. which so much was expected by the trends OF
liberty may be abandoned. and the degrading
:. truth, that man is unfit for seif-soVernment,
- admitted. Again - 1t would seem to me that
8. an honest application OF the conceded powers OF
8. the general government to the advancement OF
IS the common veal, presents a sufficient scope
8. TO satisfy a reasonable ambition.
..The preservation and success of the republican
- p~rilcipLe rests with us. TO elevate its charac-
8. ter, and extend its influence, rank among our
:: most important duties.' Your Excellency
will perceive the advantage of using language
like this. IN the South the republican prmctpie
is only considered secure by a rigid construction
of the Constitution; whilst in other portions OF the
Union, it is thought to be best preserved oy a
more liberal Interpretation. All Will be sausned
however. because all are willing to preserve the
repub ican principle i'll their own way.
Hsro.-You have furnished the North and
West l presume. with some additional proofs OF
the coincidence of my views with theirs.
Premier.-I have asserted the power to appro-
pirate money for Internal Improvements on the
ground of precedent and long usage, end have
shewn the a~bsurdity of departing from the set
| .Io1 ,,oo@,oo &c no,o want -Hppr mo m fhlS
head: ..The symmetry and purity OF the gov
- eminent would doubtless have been better pre-
Sc served, ifthis restriction Of The power Of oppro-
- priafion could have been maintained without
..weakeniug its ability to fulfil the general OBJ
8. iects of its institution: an effect so likely to at
sstend its admission, Notwithstanding its appa-
.. rent fitness. that every subsequent admlnistra-
g ton of the Government, embracing a period OF
- so out of 40 years of its existence, has adopted
ssa more enlarged construction of the power."-
And again.. For although it is the duty of all
:. to look to that sacred instrument (the COnstltu-
.. ton instead of the Statute Bouk-to repudi-
:. ate at all times, encroachments upon its spirit
(which are too apt to be effected by the con-
:. ~juncture of peculiar and facilitating circumstan-
..ces: it is not less true that the pubic good and
.. the nature of our political institutions require
:. that individual differences should yield, to a
.swell settled acquiescence of the people and
$. confederated authorities. in particular con-
:. structions of the Constitution OH doubtful
points"
Hero.-Well said.-I understand then that
you assert for me the right of appropriatlng mo-
mev to internal Improvements?
Premier.-I debut with these express quail
i6,ations: 1st. | admit that the power is doubtful,
and that it is better for the harmony and purity
of the government that it should not be exercised.
2dly. The proposed improvement must be ''nd-
iionol, and conducive to the benefit of the Wh0le
Union"-and 5dly. Although the power is adj
mi,ted, vet | contend that it cannot be exercised
without an amendment of the constitution. |
have said. that s'the occasion,--'' the manner, .
and the erfent of the appropriafions.-shoud
be male the sutjec' Of constitutional regulation"
Hero.-Van, YOU are a perfect conjurer.-
| am afraid that this confounded metaphysics OF
yours, will undo me in kentucky,-in Ohio, and
PENNSYLVANIA.
Premier.-Let YOUR Excelcncy dismiss the APP
prehension. | have given these states ample ground
of encouragement in the following passage
g Although many of the States with a laudable
- yea. and under the influence of an enlightened
..policy, are successfully applying their separate
- efforts to works OF this character. the desire to
s.enlist the aid of the General Government III
..the construction of such as from their nature
.:ousht to devolve upon it. and to which the
:. means of the individual States are Inadequate,
sis both rational and patriotic; and if that desire
SIS not graiifeanoro, 1t does not toHOw that 1t
'snever will be-"
Hero.-That is right. In times like these it
is lawful to promise what you never mean to per-
Torn. Although YOU admit the power to appro-
pirate, you deny the direct authority of Congress
to establish Roads and Canals.
Premier.-i have done so expressly. Nothing
short of such a denial will satisfy the exasperated
South. This is the language Of the Veto:-'Al-
Though frequently and streneously attempted,
:: the power to this extent has never been exer-
''ercised by the Government in a single instance.
: IT does not in my opinion possess it, and no
s. bill therefore which admits it, can receive my
9 official sanction"
Hero.-But how will this comport with some
of my own votes in the Senate?-Did not vote
for misunderstanding the road from Memphis in
Tennessee to Lutte Rock in Arkansaw: and
did not that road touch upon a sovereign State.
Did | not also vote for the bill "to provide for