Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1834-08-28
WAsHINGToN, Aug. II, 1894.

OH DduY -IHptTttStr.
got your letter three days ago, and
am night & lad TO find you understood con-
siderable about the last letter wrote to
you. You say now, that good many
folks IN your parts have got notion that
the Constitution is agin all banks, and
that Congress halnt got no right to make
any bank, and you want TO larn if have
any thing to say on the matter. Well
now, ths is considerable Of job, espe-
ciaIly in such plagy hot weather; and so |
must take off my coat for spell, and give
you my notions. ,
In the first place, then, who and what
is Congress When we git that well
understood, then things will work easy.
Accordln TO my notion, Congress is The
people. Every man IN Congress actin
for abont 40 thousand, just as'you would
bile down barrel Of cider to a gallon,
and jist accordin to the natur Of that bar
rel of cider, will be the natur Of that gal
lon of rale juice.
Whatever Congress chuses to do for
the good and well bein Of the people, it
is jist the same as if the people did it them
selves. Then, if ihe people are sovereign,
Congress actin for them Is sorereign; but
| Congress must act accordin to the Con
stHutIon. Well, what is the constitution? !?
1t is OF the natur Of aA agreement made a
good many years ago, Jist after the old
war, when all the old Continental States
got together, and agreed upon govern
ment lorlhe hull scrape OH EN-. One State
givin up a leetic its powers to another,
and takln somethin in turn; aud arter a
long talk, and dgreein OH all matters,
made Constitution, or set Of rules for the
good Of the hull people.
/ If any man takes up that Constitution
and reads it, man and boy as ] have, if
he don't say it is about as complete Il
! piece of work as was ever put together,
then All agree TO give him my Commits
sion, ,and throw in my regementals and ak
! in The bargain.
H There amt one thing that Congress car
| do accordin to that Constitution, and DO
the people any harm no way +; for the
folks that made it seem'd to look on all
sides Of every line ont. They knew there
was two sides to pewter platter-and
I they turned every article over, and over
and over, and examined both sGes, back
and front, and sideways, so that no pos
! 's!orlty should happen for folks that are
| only acting two years for the people to dc
;hn people any harm. The great starting
poiut was for Congress 10 have the r-v.!
| acting for the reopIe) To do all the gooo
for the people possible, and just as the
l'people would do for themselves; but ther
agln, KNOWN the natur of man, and thai
he might sometimes do harm when he
meant 10 do good, or pretended to dc
good, they put in all kinds Of checks
somethln after this iaShion-Congres:
might git notion to say that it would no
do for some men to have too much pro-
perty, and it would be best to scatter it
So that some should not be too rich anl
others 100 poor; but to prevent tins, the
Constitution says no man shall be depriv
ed of his property without compensation
Then agin, Congress might take no
ton that certain FOLKS better quit th'
country, or be put in prison, and all $50
The public good" but the same Consiltu
tion says no man shall be deprived Of IN
rights or his liberty without regular tri
al by ju;y composed of men jist like him
self, aud so it goes OF from one pint 4
another; and wherever there was pos
sibllity Tor Congress to make some mis-
r take of this natur, tho Constitution pin
EN- right down, and tells them not onl
what they can do, but what they can't do
and this latter pint is by far the most iii
; portant.
The Constitution lets Congress do al
the good it can, but takes plagy goo
care to keep it from doing Too much good
which is often the nature Of our publ
bodies to do, and especially when the
I git heated, jist like these folks
spell ago in your city, who got MOTTO
OF doing 50 much good, they though
. they'd try and see il they couldn't max
- all the black men white, aud white me
black, and this though not sgin law, tha