Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1837-02-23

suto'eo their agent, each for his respective
"i", VIVA. rights or powers are left with the
| people None on earth. The concern is
onuer The continual management Of the a.
gent, I" the entire exclusion of the principal.
ms same school of odious de.
mocrats, as the aristocrats would call them
-maint"in The doctrine that the people are
as they were declared Ia he by our ances-
t"'s' capable OF seH.govermcnt and he a.
zone VINO uenIes The capacity Of the people for
ssh government, can, il seems TO me, deny
+! tho, rinc'ple that the representative !. liable
| Ia The control oi the constituent. There are
some who, under The specinus preiext OF a
sacred regard for the Constitution, seem 10
have lost all regard for the people themselves,
and TO have dropped the reflection that the
Constitution was formed To fortify and pro-
! tect their rights.
AS an instance: some of this class are now
tailoring To procure an exclusion of the vote
81 virginia, and some ether States, from the
Presidential poll, on the ground, that one or
more OF the electors in these States were
pos'masters. Now, fellow ,citizens. suppose.
ny accident, one ofour electors in Virginia
was postmaster, is il no, a fragrant outrage
upon the people of iha, State TO attempt 10
deprive them OF their just weight in this im>
portant election? They gave "A majority of
near seven thousand votes for Mr.. Van Blu
ren and because one of their electors is a
postmaster, they are 10 he cast aside aud mol
heard Verify, the sincerity of the devotion
To The Constitution of those whose devotion
IS most conspicuous iwhen that instrument
seems most susceptible ola construction I'm.
favorable To the rig hts ofthe people. NAV well
! be doubted. Ii is fair enough To defea, the
entire will of the people, and leave the cleo
| ton OF President to the House of Represen-
t"'Ives, but shockingly unconstitutional Il
| receive the vote of Virginia, because, per-
chance, one oiber electors is postmaster!
Whether the fact he so, know not. Ii is
so asserted in some Of the opposition papers
But II the fact be so, who is rohe,i with con-
! siituiional authority 10 exclude her vote /!
| Another instance of great tenderness for the
Constitution, with very little apparent re.
| gard for the people, is that TO which have
already aliuded--thai OF sheltering the rep
resenatlve from responsibility 10 his consit>
uents, by strained constructions and meta
| physical implication. Has il ever occurred
| 10 those gentlemen that the Constitution was
made for the people, aud not the people for
the Constitution
! Fellow citizens, there is but ono sure way
for party to sustain itself in this country
and that is, not by making panics and play
| ing The part O! demagogues--ii is by being
honest, faithful, just and true to the Consli-
tuition, and to the people for whose benefit il
was created. A party acting upon this prin-
ciple can never be far wrong, whilst lis op-
Ponents will almost invariably he in the
wrong. II is the principle upon which ali
/ true republicans act, and the principle most
despised by those who believe governmen,
can have no permanent basis but in fraut.
or force. But am spinning out this ad.
dress beyond its proper Limits. will Ie-
mark upon few additional topics, and close
+ The Treasury, which, in 1884, was said
I" have been seized and appropriated 10 phi
vale use, by the lawiess violence OF Presden
jackson, has now yielded, after retaining
five millions for the use OF the Federal Gov
eminent, nearly three millions of dollars as
the share of tho surplus due TO Virginia
The question, "Where is The Treasury ~
which was SO dolefuiiy sung through the
land in that memorable season of panic. is
| pow answered. 1t Got only has not been
lost, or fifled by the lawless hand oftyranny,
but ii is casting off 10 the States millions
which arc not needed Tor the support of The
General Government
The infant republic oil Texas ia an Object
OF deep solIcitude 10 many of our citizens
There is general wish Pervading the south
ern section, q: least, OF our country, that she
may be FUZZY successful in achieving her in.
dependence. would, myself, rejoice a, this
result but 10 view OF all the information
concerning her position in relation 10 the
Mexican States yet obtained, doubt the
Propriety, al this time, OF an aeknow Iedg
ment of her independence by the United
States Ii would be calculated 70 bring upon
us The resentment Of the Mexican States, &
10 subject US 10 the reproaches Of the honsra.
bic and hish-loDed nations of Europe The
policy 10 which we, as a nation have so in.
HeXibIy adhered heretofore, that Of avoi lin .
all interference in the concerns generally
but particularly in the quarreI., of other
powers, ought moi, think, TO he departed
from. yield mure readily to these sugges.
tons OF prudence, because, ii she has really
secured her independence, she cannot suffer
10y little delay; and il she has not, the act
OF recognition would be wrong.
concur fully III the views presented Nv
the President in his late messag e To Congress,
on this subject, 10 which beg leave 70 refe,
you.
isei very great anxiety Tor the reduc.
= ten oi our revenues TO The wants of an en-
economical administration of the Government,
The distribution, annually, of large sums o
money eDong tie several States. is quite ,
pretty thing until we inquire from whence III,
'unG has come; but when we find that il isou,
own money returning, much diminished h,
tie charges Of collection and disbursement i
is not so pleasing. There is an extrao.dina
ry circumstance attending his subject A
lew years ago, the sentiment ran so HIGH il
the south, that The collection ofdutics beyont
The Legitimate revenue wants OF the Govern.
meh'' was an unconstitutional exercise u