Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1836-07-29

'"S ~PSN0SA "SlNutuCu tMo k1Uuael
not IN the usual fofm oil 10 o'clock TO NOR
row morning, but to 10 o'clock of Wed
nesday morning, that IS, Of this day. l.
It not within the recollection of every one
who hears me, that two gentlemen, bot b
distinguished members otlhe House, ,troul
the State Of Maryland, fron, the hour Of
seven to that Of ten, or little short of that
tune, last evening, entertained and in.
slructed. the committee OF the Whole
l1ouss with a controversial disquisilion
upon the Constitution oftha State Of Ma.
FJ land, and upon the very important ques
tion whether the voice Of the Legislature
OF that State was Or was not an exponent
OF the popular wIIIt ls il not remember
sd that this disqu,sition was held in. the
form Ofa dialogue so animated, that the
re'orE courteaisS, the quip mOdssi, the
counter check quarrelsoms, And almost
tho lie circumstan;ia, passed between
thOse gentlemen, without interruption
from the Chairman, and without call TO
order, tilI at last an honorable member
from Tennessee proposed that the differ.
eRee between the two members should be
settled By arbitration,
And what was the question before the
committee, sir, upon which this spirited
and eloquent conference was heidi Was
It upon an appropriation of seven hun.
dred thousand dollars Tor arming thu fos-
titications Of the U. Safest or upon an
@eHdmens to that proposal, by reduction
al the salaries Of all your principal exeCu
tive officers, aad Of the compensation Of
members OfcOngresSt
Sir, it was one Of these two propositions
so exceedingly relevant to each other, that
the cOlIOquy between the TWO gentiemen
from Maryland, upon the Constitution,
Legislature, and People of that highly re
spectacle State, waI held, for hours, with
out interruption OF call to order. And
now, sir, am TO be Disconnected and 81.
Ienced, or Gdmonlshed by the Chair that ]
am approaching TO irrelevant matter,
which may warrant him to arrsst me 10
my argument, because | say that the rea
son for which shall vote for tho resolu
ton now before the committee ,.leVying q
heavy contribution upon the property Of
my constituents, is identicalIy the same
with the reason for which voted against
the resolution reported by the slavery
committee, that Congress- has no author
iIy to interfere, in any WaS, with slavery
in any Of the States ofthla Unionf Sir,
was not allowed to give my reasons for
that vote, and msjority Of my coasitu.
enls, perhaps Proportionahle as large as
that Of this House, in favor Of that resou
ton, may, ahd probably will, disaPprove
ofmy vote against it, unless my reasons
for so voting should be explained TO thera
| asked but Ave minutes Of the House 10
give those reasons, and WAS refused. !
shall therefore take the liberty to give
them now, as they are strictly applicable
to the measures now before the commit
tee, and are my only justification for yo'
ting in favor Of this resolution.
lreturn, then 10 my first position, that
there are two classes of power vested by
the Constitution of the United States in
their Congress and Executive Govern
ment: the powers to be exercised 10 time
of peace, and the powers incidental to
war, That the powers Of peace are lin
tied BY provisions within the body Of the
Constitution itself; but the powers oil war
are limited and regulated only by the
laws and uSages Of nations. Thore are
indeed powers of peace conferred upon
Congress which also come within the
scope and Jurisdiction OF the laws Of ns.
tions, such as the negotiation OF treaties
of smily and commerce, the interchange
ofPublic ministers and consuls, and all
the personal and social intercourse be.
tween the individual inhabitants Of the
United States and foreign nations, and
the Indian tribes, which require the inter
position of any law. But the powers of
war are all regulated by the laws of ma.
tions, and are 8 bject to no other limita'
tion. 1t is by this power that am iusti
fed in voting the money Of my constitp.
enis for the immediate relief Of their fol-
low citizens suffering with extreme Reces
sity even for subsistence, by the direct
consequence OF an Indlan war. Upon
The same principle, your cOnsuIs in for.
Dign ports are authorized to provide for
Ihe subsistence Ofsesmen in distress, and
even for their passage to their own cOun'
Try.
And il was upon that same princi-
pie that | voted against the resolu-
lion reported by the slavery commit.
lee, "that Congress possess no consti.
IutiOnal authority TO interfere, IN any
,Oay, with the institution Of slavery in
my ofthe States Of this Confederscy,"
10 which resolution most Of those with
whom ] usually concur, and sven my
,wn colleagues in this House, gave
heir assent. ! do not admit that there
IS, even among the peace powers Of
Congress, such authority; but iu tOar
here are many ways by which Con-