Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1839-12-26
POR PRESIDENT,
WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON,
OF ONTO.
FOR VICE PRESIDENT,
JOHN TYLER,
OF VIRGINIA.
Election In .Ni0penber, 1910.
Efseston In .s,opember, 1910.

kkfeGfsOW IN - n
THK EDITOR OF THE RIcHwok ESquIRgR thus
responds to the constitutional principle, which We
submitted to bis consideration, a short time since,
as, in our judgement, clear and incoatrorerttdko
"tCiear and incontrovertible doctrine! 1t Is,
indeed, clear and ncontroveatble to us, that no
doctrine was ever better calculated TO change the
whole theory Of our Federal Government
"This sweeping doctrine is nf the old heightened
Federal School. 1t is most alarming in i;s tenden-
cy; and, IL il be true, it we're idle TO talk about o
limited Federal Government, eoiM specified pour
srs-and to contend, that all powefs NOT gwen are
respectively reserved 10 the States or the People.
1fCongress can appropriate any money They please
TO any purpose which they may plense 10 say, con-
tributes to the general welfare why talk Of any
speciications7 Of any powers being reserved to the
States or the Peoplef The writer, in the Martins
burg Gazette, has forgotten. alltbat has ever been
said to refute it. We advise him, before he writes
another line upon the subject, to look over Madi'
sons Report Of '98. MI. II. means Of 1893, as con
ra-distingnisho from the resolutions of l798, land
especially to study the letter Of Mr.. Madison to
Mr.. Stevenson, upon this portentous doctrine OF
the common defence and general welfare IL
amounts almost to mathematical demonstration.'
IL seems then, that, in Nj. Ritchie's opinion, thu
doctrine which gives 10 Congress po,oer 10 appro-
F'sNs "so"'Jt y" 80 N't ~ "hs8h "" $3.50
weLfare mill, in lis judgement, be promoted, mere.
yby such appropriation, is a doctrine
"Of the old heightened Federal SCHOOL,
Alarming and portentous in its tendency and
character
Calculated to change the whole theory of our
Federal Government
Transforming it from a limited Government,
viii spen,GeJ no1car, m nm. ,I.,t !. ,rI,a,tal ~
and
+" Taking from the States, or the People, the
powers that have been reserved to item"
We suggest to MIR. Ritchie-and we desire to as
sure him, that we make the suggestion in no vein Of
disrespect to him, or Of arrogant pretension on our
part-that he has fallen into some strange miscon-
ception, or confusion Of IDEAS, upon this subject
that, like the knight of La Mancha, he is fitting
furiously at a harmless, inofepsive pind mill, I'M
der the delusion that it is a giant. Notwiths,nnd
ing the explicitness of his language, we are persua-
ded that he confounls, in his denunciations tho doc
trine, which gives to Congress a power ofuppropri-
alton, co-extensive with the demands of The com
mon defence and general welfars-a power which
begins and ends with such appropriation, which
dots % GRITTY WIN " huifpilAy 70 40, " CDHtHIdVU
10 be done. anything, however conducive to the
general welfare that thing may he, and which, while
it does not touch the sovereignty or jurisdiction OF
the States over their citizens or territory, provides
for the general interests Of the Union in a multi
tade Of cases of the highest it,portance-with that
doctrine. which claims for Congress, the general
distinct, and substantive power, 10 ProUide Jor Mc
common defence and general pe!fare.
While VIC deny that this latter doctrine ever wa,
doctrine " of the old high-ioncd Federal School,
we are altogether willing to admit, that ii would b'
an utterly erroneous exposition Of the Constitution
and, that it would change entirely the theory of IN,
Government, as one of limited specifcd power.
iti the former doctrine, that we have submitte,
TO the consideration OF Mr.. Richie. and for which
we claim a total exemption from the denunciations
which, we believe, Notwithstanding his language
were intended for the latter.
If. however, we are mistaken in this belle
If Mr.. r. shall deliberately reiterute his denur
Citations, as applicable to the doctrine for which w
contend, we stand prepared to shew to him, beyon
all question, that it has been recognised as "a prir
ciPle OF the Government, by every Administratio
from the 4th of March, 1899, up to the present da,
by none of them, more einphalically, than by thos
of Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe, and by TIE mo-
distinguished of the juIists belonging to the old r,
publican party, who have given to the world, con
mentaries upon the Constitution-the H solution
and Report Of $3.50, to the contrary, nolwil
standing.
Madison's report is familiar to US, but We hay
no distinct recollection Of " Mr.. Madison's lett,
to Mr.. Stevenson" nor have we the means
hand for referring TO it. We are curious to see Il
mathematical demonstration Of which MIR. Ri
chic speaks.
For the present, we will merely add, that, as
seems to US, the lips ofevery Virginia., at leas
should be closed upon this subject, ever since Il
passage of The act of the General Assembly, of ii
18th OF January, 1907, giving, at the instance
Mr.. Jefferson, he being then President, and NJ
Madison, Secretary Of State, the assent of this Sta
to the construction, by the United States, of II
road from Cumberland to Ohio. The power, Their
recognized, goes a bow-shot beyond that which "
have submitted to Mr.. Ritchie's onsideration-a
we now forewarn him against a repetition of III
argument, that il is referrable 10 The treaty-makia
po"er-or, that other argument, which consists, i
an unwarranted a~sciiption of nesciouce or cplpahl
'"au'eftence' to either OF the parties concerned.
on saturday evening last, we were visited with
snow storm, than which we believe the oldest in