The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1836-03-25

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! had been able 10 take Of the subject. /
end il absolutely impossible 20 obey the
instruction nov given 10 me. | cannot
obey IL. without committing an act which.
IN my judgment and conscience. would
be plain violation OF The constitution OF |
the Uaised States. ! cannot obey II.
without descending 10 degree uf siavish |
baseness that would render me justly des- |
piesble. and expose me 70 the senrn even
Of those who have commanded the deed. |
| cannot obey IL. without fOheiling my
own self respect forever.
The constitution Of the United States
contains q provision lsuch a. is 10 be
found in few, AZ any. of The State eonsii.
tions. Ghs. " each House" Cof Congress-
/" shall keep journal Of its proceedings,
and from time 10 time publish the same.
excepting such paris as may in their
Judgment require secrecy: and the yeas
and nays Of the members OF either House
on sny question. shall. at the desire Of
one-6lIh of those present. be catered on
the Journal" The purpose Of the prnvi.
sion 10 most obvious. II requires each
House To record fIslranssctlonAlo record
them all. truly, exactly. and fully-l0 re.
cord them for the iniormsIion of present
and future generations: To furnish evidence
Ia which the constituent NAV refer 10 the
examination Of The sonduci Of the repre-
srn'alIse. ar the representative resort for
as Justification: aud 10 hand down to our
pnslerily. q certain knowledge Of al the
acts Of their ancestors. which nav often
serve as q guide to direct them. and some
times beacon TO warn. And unless the
provision csn be- complied with by keep
ing partial. false aud garfield record Of
The proceedings Of the two Houses--un.
less this duty ~ record the truth. can be
fulfilled without recording the whole truth
or unless the injunction 10 keep The
journal. can be understood as not CON.
handing 10 TO preserve IL; IL 10 impossl.
bic. l should think. 20 maintain. that the
record of any resolution or proceeding Of
the Senate can be srpunged from Us
journal. in the literal sense aud true nc
ceplalion OF that word; that IL. wholly
blo,led out or erased. Indeed. IL would
| BE- difficult, 80 10 expunge any part Of the
journal. without impslrIIg the record Of
something else. which all would wish IN
preserve truly aud fairly recorded.
The General Assembly itself. sensible
las | humbly venture 10 suppnse) that
The resolution Of the Senate IN question
cannot be actually expunged from the
journal without violation OF The cons,itu
ZION. proposes that il shall be expunged
"by Causing black lines 10 be drawn
sround the said resolution. as 10 stands on
the original manuscript journal. and these
words plainly written across the face o
the said resolution and entry Expung
ed by order Of the Senate In othel
words. if | mistake nm the meaning ant
principle Of the instruction. the Genera
Assembly. admitting that the resolution
Of The Senate cannot. consistently viii
the constitution, be expunged from IN,
! journal literally. We, thinks that II may
be expungrd fgpaiisely, ! pray th'
! General Assembly to consider the DANCE
and The mischief that must flow from +;
precedent Of this kind-which would, il
effect, eIude positive injunction Of tn
constitution by a me.aphorIcal use o
words. and what - mnre. typical DOM
of deeds. doubt whether there ls
single provision of the constitution, whicI
nav not be elnded. and set al nOught. b,
! a similar process; and | must add, tina
this typical method OF expunction is NOR
abhorrent from NV feelings Of consIitu
tional duty aud propriely, than the literal
Undoubtedly, the precedent admits Of
broader aud easier, and therefore NOR
mischiesous, application. pray III
General Assembly to consider, too, III
hardship Of imposing upon the conscien
ces of men acting under the sanction I
an official oath. the duty Of conformin
, their official conduct with the rhetoric {
. their constituents. Ia the framing ,
J laws, and in Legislative proceedings Of a
kinds. il has ALWAYS been found Wis
and necessary TO discard all figures ,
3 speech, and tn adopt the PLANES, lar
E guage in its plainest literal sccep,atlo'
{ II | rightly understand the meaning ~
purpose Of the instruction given me, u
q General Assembly would have me PR
pose and vote for an expunction Of u
{ obnoxious resolution Of the Senate fro
! It's journal, IN such manner. that il sha
: not be expunged after all, in whole or
i part. Now, IN the first place. | dou
| very much whether this could he don
r even in the method prescribed; and,
i The next place, if, entertaining the OPT
q ions do on the subject, should vote {
}. any such process Of expunging. shou
y be guilty Of mental equIvncation in d
. discharge Of my "fhrial duty. hunb
+. hope iur the pardon Of the Gener
y. Assembly aud OF all good mea, il came
!. al its command, ex.inguish the knowled