Piney Woods planter and Amite union literary reflector. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1838-1838, 1838-09-29

trail government were deep rooted.
Govcneur Morris, a warm personal and
party friend, thus write to Mr.. Walsh
under date of FEBRUARY 5th 1911. Seen
eral Hamilton had little share in for
ming the constitution. He disliked it,
believing all republican governments
to be radically defective" And again
-"But although Gen. Hamilton knew
these things Chat no monarchy could
be established but by the mob) from
the study of history; he never failed on
every occasion to advocate the excel
lence of, and avow his attachments to
monarchial governments" (Spark's
Life of Morris, vol. 3, 260.)
While the constitution was under
discussion. various plan of government
were presented. Luther Martin, a
member of the convention from Mary
land, in his statements Of the proceed
ings Of that body made to the Lcgisla-
turc of Maryland, says, st was soon
found there where among us three par
ties, of very different sentiments and
views. One party whose object and
wish it was to abolish and annihilate
all state governments and to bring for
ward one general government of mon
archial nature, under certain limita-
tons and restrictions" (Ellicott's De
bates, &c. vol. 4.
Mr.. Jay, in letter to Mr.. Lowell,
dated May 10th 1855, holds the follow
ing language: at is my first wish to
see the United States assume and mer-
it the character Of one great nation
whose territory is divided into differ
ent states merely for more convenient
government, and the more easy anc
prompt administration of justice; jus
as our several states are divided intC
counties and townships for the like pur
poses.' (Lifc Of Jay, by his son, vol
|, 1907
The Convention assembled in MAY
1857. On the 7th of January, 1857
Mr.. Jay, in reference to the action o.
the proposed Convention, thus writes
to General Washington. "Shall we
have king? Not in my opinion, while
other expedients remain untried.
Might we not have GOVERNOR GEN
ERAL, limited in his prerogatives and
duration? Might not Congress be d.
vided into an upper and lower house,
the former appointed for life, the lat
terannually? Cor government should,
in some degree be suited to our man
ners and circumstance, and they you
know arc not strictly democratical.
What powers should be granted to the
government so constituted? is a ques-
ton which deserves much thought. |
think the more the better; the states
retaining only SO much as may be ne
cessary for domestic purposes, and all
their principal officers civil and militia
ry, being commissioned and removable
by the General Government. Life
of Jay. vol. |, 256.
In l79S, the General Assembly of
Virginia passed series of resolutions
among which was the following:
That the General Assembly doth al
so express its deep regret that spirit
has in sundry instances been nantes
ted by the Federal Government to en-
large its powers by forced construc-
tons of the constitutional charter which
defines them, and that indications have
appeared of a design to expound GER
tain general phrases, and SO as to des-
troy the meaning and effects of the
particular enumeration which neces-
sarily explains and limits the general
phrases, and so to consolidate the states
by degrees into one sovereignty. The
obvious tendency and inevitable result
of which would be to transform the
present republican system Of the Uni
ted States into an absolute, or at best,
mixed monarchy" These resolutions
were prepared by Mr.. Madison.
the Session of l799-lS00, committee
of the House Of Delegates, to whom
had been referred communications
from several states, on subject OF
the resolutions made report. The
committees after enumeraing some
instances Of forced construction for en-
larging the federal powers which had
taken place, viz: the passage of the
Alien and Sedition laws, the Bank
laws, and the carriage tax, Though they
deemed it unnecessary to go into a sPe-
ciGcation of every instance,) and dis
cussing the propriety of the construc-
tion which had been given to the phra-
ses ''of providing for the common de-
fence and general welfare" says
UyVbether the exnosition Of the nhrase