Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1839-12-05
THE GAZETTE.
VA
THURSDAY. DECEMBER 5. 1880.

Some of the Wing pr. sses are also getting mp
scheme. to borrow money for the States on the Gre
dit of The United States, and to make a new as
sumDsik of State Debts-much more Objectionable
Than Alexander Hamilton's former assumpsit.-
This must be met and resisted, Mr.. Clay preached
thi. idea some time since in one o. his speeches
Exclusively of other objections, We ask at once
where ia the authority OF Congress to exercise inns
mower. Place your finger upon the clause in the
Constitution. -Richmond Enquirer, NoV y.
We do so.-UA Art. |, Sec. 8.
"The Congress shall have power, list. To lay
and collect taxes. duties, %imposts, and excuses, to
psy the debts and provide for the common defence
and general welfare of the United States"
Upon tbi, clause of the Constitution, we submit
to MIR. Richie, the following proposition, as, in our
Judgment, altogether clear and ncontrovertible-
viz: The Powers OF CoSeREss, so FAR AS RE-
CARDS THE APPROPRIATION OF MONEY, ARE co-Ex-
rrYslvE WITH THE DEMANDS OF THE coNMo DE-
FENCE AND THE GENERAL wEIFARE-or, in 9TH
er words, CoNGREss MAY LAWFULLY APPLY THE
REVENUE OF THE UNITED STATES, 10 THE ACCOM-
PLIsHMENT OF ANY OBJECT. WHATSOEVER, THAT
MAY BE IMPORTANT TO THE GENERAL INTERESTS
OF THE COUNTRY, WHETHER THAI OBJECT De, OR
/ he MOI, AMON0 AHtSE . NfAA AN1i ~
THE JURISDICTION AND CONTROL OF THE GENERAL
GOVERNMENT, OR WITHHELD FROM IT. For exam
pie, Congress, let it be conceded, has no power to
cut a canal across the islhmus Of Delaware. /, may,
northumberland a canal being important to the
common defence and general welfare-giye, or sub
scribe. $500, 600, to have it done. So, too, we con
slider, Congress may lawfully pay, or-what is the
same ,hing-assume the debts of The States, il the
public good should so require.
OF the expediency Of this measure, we have, of
course, formed no opinion as the idea of it is, with
us, altogether new and Of the first impression. Not
so, MIR. Richie, He, promptly, ~disposes oft. cit
must be met and resisted" quoth he'll is
more Objectionable than Alexander Hamilton's for
mer n,sumpsit." Upon the which, we say, that it
may he so, aud not be very Objectionable, either
We readily perceive that, while the motives 20 ii,
at this time, are not so strong, as those that recon-.
mended the ~assumpsit Of 1890, the difficulties and
imuediments would be much greater. The State
debts, of the former period, were contracted, during
the war OF the Revolution, in resisting a common
enemy, and were, therefore, contracted purely, for
the GENERAL in,erest-while those of the present day
have been incurred for objects, more or less local or
sectional in their character. Undoubtedly, there
ought to be no assumption, except upon IA basis OF
as equal and exact justice to every section Of the
Union, as can well be attained. And yet, there are
consideration belonging to the subject, as it seems
TO us, that forbid its being ~disposed of so sutnma.
rily, as Mr.. Richie dispatches it. Some of these
considerations we can now, only hastily, refer TO.
In the FIRST place, these debts, we believe, have
been incurred almost exclusively, in the cause of In
ternal Improvement-in the construction of Roads
and Canals, not a few of which are of greu, nation.
al importance and value and therefore ought, in