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

~'SA uoy uoNS oCVU tld ulutlNoo VI 'uV
justitying authority Of Congress, more
than Iwen'y years ago, Cor aPproPri
atlng any pnrtlor Of the public money lc
the relief Of tho Inhabitants Of CaUaccas
it would not establish the priucipIo thai
Congress haya the Constitutional power
to appropriate money foI the relief Of all
human suffering, whether by earthquake
famine, civil var, or Indian ferocity
And the gentleman from Alabama him.
sell, who 60 ardenty urges the adoption
OF this resolution, tells you lha, he should
have voted against that measure of relieI
TO the wretched sufferers in Caracas
Mere commisseration, though one Of the
most amlable impulses Of our nature,
givel US no power to drain the Treasury
OF the People Tor the suffering object.
You must, therefore, seek another, IN ad
dItional source Of pnwer, for authority to
pass THE resOlutioui and xhers will you
"heTO can you, 6ud 1t but in the 1ar POW
Or, and its limitation, no, its enlargement
in that very declaration Of The transcen
dent purpose for which he People of the
United States ordained their Constitution
the common defence and general vel,
fare Step one hair's breadth out OF
the circle boun ding tho true intent and
meaning of these words, and you have no
more authority to pass this resolution,
than you have, by an act Of Congress, 10
saddle Ihe People Of the United States
with the insupportNble burden OF the
whole system Of the poor laws Of Eag-
land.
Sir, ia the authority given 20 Congress
by the Constitution of tho United States
TO declare wGr, all the powers incidental
to war, are by necessary implication,
conferred upon the Government of the U
nited States. Nov the powers incidental
to war, are derived, not from the internal
municipal sJurces, but from the laws and
usages Of nations. In your relations
with the Indian tribes, you nover declare
war though you do make and break trea.
ties with them, whenever either to make
or to break troaties with them, happens
to suit the purpose Of the president and
a majority of both houses of congress.
For, IN this matter, you have SGT aside the
judiciary department Of the Government
as efectually as if there were mono such
in the Constitution.
There are, !hen, Mr.. Chairman, 10 the
authority Of Congress- aud of the Execu'
tive two classes ofpowers, altogether diff
ferent in their nature, and often incompa
tibIe with each other-the war power and
the peace power. The peace power is
limited by regulations, and restricted by
provisions, prescribed within the consti.
tuition itself, The war power is limited
only by the laws and usages of nations.
The power is tremendous it 10 strictly
constitutional, but 1t breaks down every
barrier so anxiousIy erected for the pro.
lection Of liberty, Of property, and life.
This, sir, iS the power which authorizes
you to pass the resolution now before
you, and in my opinion, there Is no 9TH
er.
And this, sir, is the reason which I was
not permitted to give this morning for vo.
ting with only eight associates against
the first resolution reported by the com.
mittee on the aboltIOR petitions; not one
word Of discussion had been permitted
on either Of those resolutions When
called: 10 vote upon the frat Of them, |
asked only five minutes oi the time Of the
House to prove that il was utterly unf1un
ded. 1t was not the pleasure Of the House
to grant me those 6ve minutes. Sir; ]
must say, that 10 all the proceedings Of
the House upon that report, from the pre-.
vious question, moved and infexibIy per
sisted Ia by member Of The committee
itself which reported the resolution, (Mr.
Owens, Of Georgia, to the refusal OF the
Speaker, sustained by the majority Of the
House.. 10 permit the other gentlemen
from Georgia, (Mr GLAsCocK,) to record
upon the journal his reasons for asking
10 be excused from voting on that same
resolution, the freedom of debate has
been st(led IN this House to degree far
beyond any thing that ever has happened
since the existence Of the Constitution OF
The United States; Dor Is 1t consolitary
reflection 10 me how intensely we have
been made to feel, in the process oGthal op
sro.ion, that the Speaker Of this House is
4 stakeholder. And cir, as | was not
hen permitted to assign my reasons for
voting against that resolution before !
gave the vote, rejoice that the REASON
Tor which shall vote for The resolution
now before the committee is ideEticalIy
Ihe same with that for which | voted a.
gainsl that,
tMr. ADAMS at this, and at many 9th
'r passages Of this speech, was interrupt
ID by calls to order, The Chairman of
he committee, (Mr. A. Il, SHEPARD, Of
North CarolIna, in every instance deci.
led that he was not out Of order, but at
his passage inlimated that be was ap |
,roaching very close upon its borders
Upon which Mr.. ADAMS SAID, Then | am
In undarstand. Sir. that am vet within |