Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1836-03-17

'a'p uhS hhstfuCuohe, we may surely ex-
Pect to see all the mighty influence Of
presidential power and patronage brought
TO bear upon the State legislatures, and
upon the elections TO thcm--to delude and
demoralize the people--to tamper with,
corrupt aud seduce, the State Assemblies,
whose Senators in Congress it may be
deemed most important, or most feasible,
TO remove. Fit instruments and agents
for the work will always abound, and vo-
iunteer in the service-the venal panders
of power, the whole tribe of parasites and
sycophants jealous to conciliate favor, the
vain aspiraDts after political Importance,
honor and notoriety-all will crowd into
| the Presidents train, and vie with each
other in doing his biddings. am speak
| ing OF The probable. natural, inevitable ef
fects Of political causes put into action. !
do not believe, and therefore ! am not in
| sinuating, t;.at the General Assembly in
tends TO open the field for these abomina.
tons. speak with freedom, but no. with
out sincere respect. II is the firm conyic.
ton of my mind, that there never was,
and cannot be, a process invented, better
calculated than that which am now cal
led upon to take an active part 10 esta
bllshiog, to place the Federal Executive
under the strongest temptation to employ
ais Influence, power, and patronage, 10 the
purchase oil subservient Senators; and to
place the State Assemblies under teinpta
ton to provide the commodity for market
Ito destroy the purity Of the people, upon
which all depends at last /; to destroy the
purity Of the State Assemblies, and TO
PROSTATE their dignity, authority, and in
iiuenca IN the dust. As to the Senate,
that VIII soon be. TO all purposes Of useful
service which it was intended TO answsr in
the system of the Federal Government,
absolutely annhlIated
And if this doctrine shall, 10 practice.
be confined TO Virginia, as perhaps it may
be, and, Judging fiom present appearan.
ces. probably will be, then these abomi
nations will be confined 10 her alone her
| people alone will he exposed to the pro
cess Oh decentralization her Assembly to
the arts of corruption aud seduction and
her ancient dignity and pristine glory will
only be remembered to point the tauntings
oil scoin al her fallen condition.
Many there are, know, many good and
thinking men, especially in Virginia, who
differ With me on this subject; who ap
prove the doctrine have been controveft
ing, IN principle. and hope the most ben
eiicial results from it. In practice who
are as finn in the conviction, that il is ne
cessary TO the maintenance Of the State
soyeresnties, as | am in the belief. that
Its probable and indeed unavoidable effect
viii be TO impair. degrade and PROSTATE
| Them and whose minds are, therefore
pred'sposed TO condemn my opinions. anc
my conduct, on this occasion. do no
presume to ccnsuro them; and must pa
hently abide the -cehsure they will pro
nounee on me. Ii. with the sentiments
entertain concerning this doctrine. and tle
peFnicious consequences tbat are likely tt
How from il, should consent 10 become
an active instrument in establishing il, by
setting an example Of conforming with il,
could not ask'he forgiveness OF my coun
try' aud should hardly hope for mercy
from Heaven.
see, with no little surprise, that it is
declared, in the preamble TO the resolu
tons OF the General Assembly, which you
have Transmitted 10 me. that the Gene
ra! Assembly deem it their duty again 10
re assert, IN behalf of themselves and the
people of Virginia. the right of the consti
tnent to instruct. and the duty of the 70
pres, native TO obey or resign;" from which
infer, that the General Assembly suppo
ses that this same doctrine has been as
| serted more than once before. can only
say. that If this peculiar doctrine ever was
asserted before, do not know when.
where, or on what occasion, it was assert
| ed. 1t certainly is not asserted, nor was
At intended TO be asserted. in the preamble
ana resolutions. adopted by the General
Assembly IN February. 1912, on the sub,
Ject OF the tight Of instruction. That pa
per was the work Of my own hands, with,
ont assistance from any other person
whatever, and drawn up (as but too well
'emember) with haste. which in my own
Apprehension al the time, materially i'm
pared ITS value yet. upon "a recent and
careful review Of It, | do not find mysel
Inclined TO retrac', or TO modify. in any
essential point. the propositions there as
serted aud maintained and, therefore,
am Wiling, and even desirous, that my
present opinions and conduct shall be test.
Ell by them. | was then young states
man, but not very young man and il
mad been fixed in my mind, by reflection
and by the lessons Of history. as ruli.
ment IN ethics and in politics, that no pro.
position can be stated in either, however
just and true, when properly understood
and applied, that may not. if abused ,mis.
applied, or pushed to extremes, result in
vice or folly. Sensible that the right OF
instruction, and the correlatiye duty OF
obedience might be abused TO the purpose
OF commanding violations of the constitu-
ton, and even acts Of moral turpitude
abused, under the influence Of excitemen,
and passion. 10 which the constituent DO.
dy. as well as the representative, like all
other men, might sometimes be subject
took the utmost pains 10 guard the doc
,rine against such abuses Let US see
how ! accomplished the object. The very
claim which understand The General As
sembiy now 10 assert, 10 power in itself
| ana 10 obedience from me -ahsolute