The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1836-04-08

proceedings be thai lhe Senate shall
cause record Of is proceedings 10 be |
made and preserve them. 10 there an i'm
partial man who can doubt or deny fhsI
the resolution offered BY the Senator is .
manifest violation Of the constitutional |
think there is not; for the effect Of that
resolution win not be 10 preserve. but TO
destroy. Does IL make any difference
that only q part Of these proceedings. not
The achOfe Is 10 be blotted. OF obscur
ed or delaeed, Ii makes none. The
injunction is. that you shall keep jour
nal Of your proceedings; and il you de-
face any, the smallest portion OF them.
wha, remains is not a journal Of The pro-
eesiilgs. but Of a part Of them; and this
] contend is not compliance with the
Constitution. Under such construction
Of il, IL You strike nine hundred and nine.
iy nine parts out Of thousand. you nigh,
just as truly say You Uers keeping
Journal offhe proceedings. 4.
II this reasoning be unsound. | trust
gentlemen who follow in the debate will
prose il To be so. am sure there is in
genuity enough here 10 do il il il can be
done. | hope they will show US how
part Of a journal is the tchole: and when
they have done so. will suggest Ia them
that they will have To explain tn the pub.
lie mind and satisfy il. how destroying
a record is obeying a mandate which re.
quires you 10 preserve il. This. sir, |
am aware they will find no easy task.
Until it is done, permit me, in the belief
that what have advanced is true, 10 fol.
low this measure ont 10 its legitimate.
might add lis inevitable consequences.
Upon the principle then. involved in the
resolution offered by the honorable Sem
sIor. affirm the whole journal Of the
proceedings of the Legislature is con.
ple,ely placed al the mercy of a majority
in either house of Congress. The SO.
Tenn AID authentic record OF the great
public measures which may occupy its
deliberations. the equally sacred register
on which private rights depend. ina. be
struck out IN an instant by the Jury ni
triumphant faction. The prompungs Of sor.
did cupidry. or the fears of conscience
stricken profigacy. And let Us not. sir,
hauer ourselves tina, the time will mol
come when these things will be done.
He knowt little Of the causes Of decay
and dissolution which exist al the cres.
ton Of every thing whIrh our imperfect
nature produces. and which expand and
gather force with age, who can doubt II.
| hope the day Is distant, but we do but
accelerate il, sir. when we cut ourselves
adrill froIn the Constitution.
But. saws the honorable Senator. all
this is special pleading. The word keep
has thirty six meanings in the dlctinns
~. and YOU have no right 10 take one "i
these meanings sl"ne. We have just a.
much right TO select our meaning for the
word from any of its various signi6ca
tons. THIS, sir. is rather a new, and
certainly a very Independent rdy Of in
lerpretIng a constitutional or legal provi'
sion. But let that pass for moment.
and permit me To say tina: Ivy the terms
special pleading the Senator means re-
timing, hair.spiiring; there never was
any thing more graluitous said here. On
the contrary sir. we RELY on the plain CON.
mon sense meaning of The expression;
upon that sense in which the words are
understood By every one the most slight.
~ educated throughout the whole repub
lie. We contend for the Specification
which the terms have every where and
IN all times received. II we left them
for new meanings to suit extraordinary
occasions, as the honorable Senator is
doing, we would be open to the reproach,
as he Justly is. charge it upon him,
sir, and | shall make the charge good.
He has departed from the usual signiica-
ton, and substituted nice,ies and refine.
ments for the general and popular use oil
the words; and in doing SO, has violated
rule OF construction as universal as il is
sound. and which il would he reproach
To the Senator he was not familiar with,
before he was three months in the Office
where he received his legal education.
Recurring then. sir, to the word Keep,
and its thirty.six meanings, | have to
say. sir. that nothing can he more true
than that the verb has variety Of senses;
but does that prove that it has not one
known unquestionable Specification when
used as it is in the Constitution Of the
United States! Certainly not Sir, lie,
the gentleman apply any one of the va
rious meanings of this word to be found
in books of philology. save that which
we contend for. To the terms Keep jour
nal, and | will venture to say the utter
absurdi,y in which the process must end
will convince even him how vain and
futile and dangerous il is to depart from
the popular understanding Of the matter
| No doubt. as the honorable Senator says
keeping door, keeping hoase, aut
keeping a store. do not mF:,n The samt
Il H. x,,th IN.