Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1832-06-05
ALEXANDRIA, I'd. CO.
rrgsDlY MORNING. JUNE S. 1882,

mi :.
-, The reasons for this are very obvioas, and
.,.l MI be repeated. Perhaps long preface
-, 0sce,sary to recent letter Of his. which
:. n,bli,5ed in the last Richmond Enquirer. The
..,,,,y Of thi. letter is given. Some time in the
# the wear 1880. Mr.. Stevenson, the
,ksr Of the House Of Representatives, being
,,i,i, to Mr.. Madison, some conversation took
.l,,e m the general phrases in the Constitution,
,bs common defence aud general welfare. -
II. n she'd so much light, and produced so
.,,o, new facts, upon the subject, that Mr. 5.
-,..o,sotIy determined to write him. and to
,,-io his views, for the purpose Of laying them
fare the Public. Mr.. Madison complied. The
'.,., !, dated November %, 1880 Being ap-
,j,J 10 for permission to publish it, Mr. Steven
,oa a,sented
vr Madison states, that the terms "common
,.r,uee and general welfare" first appear in the
,.,syal propositions offered in the Convention
"a, formed the Constitution as basis TOR the in-
.;,isOt deliberations; the first of which " Re-
,o,ysd that the articles Of the Confederation
oobt to be so corrected and enlarged as to &C
.,np.h the objects proposed by their institution,
,,u,Iv: common defence, security of liberty aud
GENERAL welfare" On the day following, the
rODo,i,iOn was exchanged for "Resolved that
an union Of the States merely federal will not
accomplish the objects proposed by the articles
Of confederation, namely: common defence, Sc
surty Of liberty aud general welfare"
H. then goes on TO state, that the proper infe-
renee from the use here made of the terms, and
from the proceedings on the subsequent PROPOSE
ton, is, although common defence and general
welfare were objects Of the Confederation, they
were limited objects, which ought to be enlarged
.y an enlargement of the particular powers to
which they we're limited, and accomplished by a
cbange in the structure Of the Union. from
om merely federal to one partly national; anu
s,hese terms, are pre6xed in the like relation TO
he several legislative powers in the new charter
they aere in the old, they must be understood
b be under like limitations in the new as in the
Old
lie thinks there is sufficient reason to suppose,
nat the terms in question would not have been
Introduced into the Constitution but for the In
.,Odqction of the old debts, with which they hap
eGed to stand in a familiar though imperative
'.ltiou Thus introduced, however, they pass
II uodis,urbed through the subsequent stages OF
tie Constitution.
II be asked. he adds, why the terms "com-
roa defence and general welfare" it not meant
NcOuvey the comprehensive power which, taken
''raly, they express, were not qualified and
AP4asd by some reference to the particular
power subjOlned, the answer is at hand, that al
nolshit might easily have been done, and expe-
'snce shews it might be well if it had been done,
a The omission is accounted for by an inatten-
Ion to the Phraseology, occasioned, doubtless, by
hldenhty with the harmless character attached
Il in the instrument from which it was bor'
owed
lhe conclusion to which he is brought is, that
ae'e terms copied from the articles Of Confede-
alOO' "ere regarded in the new, as in the old
instrument, merely as general terms, explained
AID limited BY the subjoned specifications, and
therefore requiring no critical attention or studi-
dFecautiou.
Mr. Madison then enters into an argumen. to
''0"' that the extended sense given to the terms
's not taken by the States at the time Of the
'u0PuOn OF the Constitution, nor We're they
"ened susceptible of any such construction as
~ since been applied to them. And that the
'a' 'hOdId have passed, altogether unnoticed
ue many eyes which saw danger in terms and
masses employed in some of the most minute
~ united OF the enumerated powers, must be
'shOed as demonstration, that 1t was taken for
'~'eu' that the terms were harmless, because
oPained and limited. as in the "artll Is of
s,'4''deratiOn," BY the enumerated powers which
"iOsed them.
D " concludes BY referring to two letters from
u Lee, IN both which it is seen that the terms
"Na9ted his notice, and were apprchended
n ''~ " TO submit to Congress every object
1u'uAl ieo,Slation - d.