Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1836-06-30

IerntorleS, and you are under obligations
Of protection comprehensive to its inhabit.
ants than those which bind you to the Peo-
pie of the States. These receive and are
entitled to the protection Of their State Gov
eminent, and you are bound to extend that
species ofprotection to the Inhabitants Of
the Territories, besides the protection which
the inhabitants Of the several States are en-
titled to, as members of the great confeder-
alton. The precedent, therefore, of the res
olutlon of relief to the inhabitants of Florida,
does not cover the case. We are reminded,
however, that some twenty years or more
ago, the people Of Caracas were visited at
once with a tremendous earthquake, with
famine, and with the still more heavy mis-
fortune Of civil war. The commissions of
nature by earthquakes, the ravages OF fam
Inc, and the raging passions Of man in the
desolations of cifn war, are as destructive
to human life, and as calamitous to multi
tudes whom they do not absolutely destroy
as the tomahawk and the scalping knife
But whatever may have been the motives
or the justifying authority Of Congress,
more than twenty years ago, for appropriate
ing any portion of the public moneys to
the relief of the inhabitants of Caracas, it
could not establish the principle that Con-
gress have the constitutional power to ap-
propriate money for the relief of all human
suffering, whether by earthquake, famine,
civil war, or Indian ferocity. And the gen
tleman from Alabama himself, who so ar
IDENTIFY urges the adoption Of this resolution,
tells you that he should have voted against
that measure Of relief to the wretched suf-'
ferers in Caracas. Mere commiseration,
though one Of the most amiable impulses of
our nature, gives US no power TO drain the
Treasury Of the People for the relief of the
suffering object. You mast, therefore, seek
another, an additional source Of power, for
authority to pass this resolution; and where
will you, where can you, find it but in the
lrdr pOHer, and its limitation, not its en-
largement, in that very declaration of the
transcendent purposes for which the Peo-
pie of the United States ordained their Con-
stitution-the common defence and gener-
al toeifare. Step one hairs breadth out of
the circle bounding the true intent & mean
ing Of these words, and you have no more
authority to pass this resolution, than you
have, by an act Of Congress, to saddle the
People Of the United States with the insup-
portable burden OF the whole system Of the
poor laws of England.
Sir, in the authority given TO Congress by
the Constitution Of the United States to
declare rdr, all the powers incidental to
war are, by necessary implication, conferred
upon the Government of the United States.
Now, the powers incidental to udr, are de-
rived, not from the internal municipal sourc-
es, but from the laws and usages of nations.
In your relations with the Indian tribes, you
never declare war, though you do make and
break treaties with them, whenever either
to make or to break treaties with them. hap
pens to suit the purposes of the President
and a ma ority Of both Houses Of Congress
For in this matter, you have set aside the
judiciary department Of the Government as
effectually as if there were none such in the
Constitution.
There are then, Mr. Chairman, in the au
thority Of Congress and Of the Executive
two classes of powers, altogether different
each other-the war power and the peace
power. The peace power is limited by reg
ulations, and restricted by provisions, pre-
scrbed within the Constitution itself. The
war power is limited only by the laws anc
usages of nations. The power is tremen
dous: it is strictly constitutional, but it break
down every barrier so anxiously erected 70
the protection Of liberty, of property, and o
! L
ICES you to pass the resolution now betor
you and, in my opinion, there is no other.
And this, sir, is the reason which wa
not permitted to give this morning for vot
ing with only eight associates against tn
on the abolition petitions; not one word {
those resolutions When called to vote W
: L. IF bad GUo
utes of the time Of the House to prove tina
: pleasure of the House to grant me those fiv
minutes. Sir, | must say that, in all tn
proceedings Of the House upon that repor
from the previous question, moved and II II
flexibly persisted in by a member of tt
: committee itself which reported the resolr
tons, (Mr Owens, of Georgia, to the refu
: al of the Speaker, sustained by the majorlt
/ of the House, to permit the other gentlema
from Geotgia, (Mr Glascock,) to record U
Y ON the journal his reasons for asking to
= excused from voting on that same resolutlo
= the freedom of debate has been stif1ed
b this House to a degree far beyond anythir
l, that ever has happened since the existen
> Of the Constitution of the United States;
5, nor is it consolatory reflection to me nc
IS intensely we have been made TO feel, in t
% process of that operation, that the Speak
.e O. this House is a STAKEHOLDER. And, S
II as was not then permitted to assign 4
N reasons for voting against that resolution
E. fore gave the vote, rejoice that the r!
IS son for which shall vote Tor the resolutl
s. now before the committee is identically
Dr. same with that for which voted agall
r that.
,e [Mr Adams at this, and at many oti
~ passages of this speech, was interrupted
~ calls 10 order. The Chairman OF the co
10 mittee, (Mr A. H. shepperd, Of North Ca
~ lina,) in every instance decided that he
I'M not out oforder, but at this passage, lntlm
OFT ed that he was approaching very close W
-. its borders; upon which Mr. Adams 50
he Then am to understand, sir, that ann
70, within the bounds of order, but that n