The native American. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1840, 1840-08-08

50 familiar to you all, that | need not here
enter into detail of them. 1t is sufficient to
say that the proposed changes had no toun-
dation in any general expression of the orlA-
ion or wishes of the citizens OF Washington ;
they were privily devised, without reference
to the opinion Of the body Of the people; and
were persisted in against the unanimous re-
monstrance of the Representatives OF the PEG
pie of Washington, respectfully. addressed to
the body in which they were proposed.
on the nature of those changes, ana the
cXpedency or iGexpediency, 1t IS not my pur-
pose here TO speak II is quite possible, alom-
aious and grcvous as some OF them were.
that in part at least they might, when properly
presented to the people, meet with the appro.
baton of a majority of them But it is ~
tain that under our Republican System, II
would be an odous rs well as tyfannical act
TO change the whole frame and structure oL
an existing government, over any portion OF
the people, not ONLY without consulting lielr
wishes, but against the formal protest OF those
bodies whom they have constituted their del
eea1es for the purpose of making known 10
Congress their wants and wishes, and also
against the protest of large portion OF the
people themselves, III the form OF petition.
The exercise of such violence upon the
wishes and against the will Of the people OF
the District of Columbia, was never dreampt
of by the trainers of the constitution. The
power of 'sexclusive legislation" over the
aress ofm ri despotic powea over it
not given to enable denlagogues to tyrannize
over it, but simply to erclude all other legiS-
lative authority, and to enable Congress to
protect itself from insult and its own proceed
ings from interruption So far from the power
Of" exclusive legislation" being intended TO
confer upon Congress- an arbitrary power
over the liberties or the property of the Peo
pie of the District of Columbia, it was sup
posed by the trainers of the constitution that
the power Of Congress over the District would
be merely supervisory. The most distln-
gnished in that band of worthless left upon
record his construction of that clause of the
constitution. When speaking of the ample
security to the rights Of the people of the
coded District, he said "a municipal legis
lature, for local purposes, derired from their
opn su6rages, will Of course be allowed
them" When the illustrious Madison penned
these lines, never had the conception entered
his pure and upright mind that the people OF
the coded territory were to be reduced to the
condition ofHelots OF that without any allie
cation of violence or lncivlsm its inhabitants
were to be made the mere sport Of politicians
in Congress, if not the victims Of experiments
within these ten miles square, which proper
sense of responsibility would ever prevent
these politicians from trying upon the people
10 whose votes they were indebted for their
seats in Congress.
With this brief reference to late occurren-
ces dismiss the painful subject If had
said less should not have done justice to my
own feelings as a magistrate, or to my sense
of my and your inalienable rights as citizens
Of the United States
Very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
w. w. SEATON.