Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1837-01-24
VS. have received no further news from
Congress since our last.
MULTIPLICATION.

There are certain great cardinal prin
ciples to which we should constantly re
cur amidst the tempests of political dis
cusslon. These landmarks cannot be los
sight OF without eminently endangerins
the tate of the ship of State. The noble
vessel may be charged with the liberties
oil millions, and proudly unfurl her sails
to The winds OF heaven, yet, unless these
fixed points are kept constantly in view,
she pIoughs The main without chart or
compass, and is borne upon the pillows
at random, unconscious at what moment
the fatal reef may do the work of wreck
and ruin. The facl is too paIpable to be
denied, that the present ipauspicious epoch
In our infant history, imperiously demands
a recurrence to fundamental principles.
The rapid and alarming impetus to con-
soldation and despotsm, that has been
communicated 10 our government within
the last few years, must be arrested. To
perform this important duty, our system
OF government should be carefully anal
yzed, the relation of the States and the
General Government correctly learned,
and sound political principles studiously
disseminated. To remove The evil, we
must seek out and eradicate the cause
70 paralyze the strong arm o. executive
power that has OF late so completely pros
trated and ensIaved the coordinate de-
partments of the General Government.
concentratedall authority in its own hands
and threatened the existence of the States
with utter annihilation, we must, in the
first place, plainly and intelligibly define
the line Of demarcation between the DOW.
ers OF the States and the powers of the
General Government. The Constitution
has carefully drawn this dividing line.
1t has delegated to the General Govern
ment certain enumerated powers, and re-
served all the balance (the prohibited pow
ers excepted) to the States. In order to as
certain, then, what powers the General
Government can exercise, we must refer
to the Constitution, and see whether the
power is enumerated. fit is enumerated.
the government can act upon it: if not
enumerated or necessary to carry into eff
feet an enumerated power, it is equally
clear that the General Government has
no right to the exercise of such power
Ii this simple process Of enquiry as to the
consiltutionaIty Of the acts of the Cen
eral Government, had been pursued from
the beginning Of our Republic, we never
should have seen usurpation enthroning
itself on the forms Of free government.
Let this simple method of investigation be
adopted, and solid reform will assume the
place Of nominal reform, and the Consti.
luton preserved in its primitive beauty
and order.
what contrary and dangerous meth
cd is now pursued by some of the faction
now IN power. They have inverted the
entire structure of our government
lhelr mode is something like this,-In
the powers of the General
Government, they assert all pooerS to be-
long TO IL that are mol expressly prohibited
instead OF contending that all powers not
delegated are beyond lis REACH
they disturb and subvert the whole order
81 Government, and would arm the Gen.
eral Government with the exercise Of
'0fh defegated and reSerUed povers, leay-
ing the States mere cyphers, and the Gov
eminent supreme and unlimited. Thew
'Ven contend, as counterpart of the first
'octrlne, that the States can exercise no I
power unless enumerated in the Constitu.
ioni thus stripping them Of all their re-
'eroea rights, and converting the Consti- :
u'lon' which was framed by our wise fore. $