Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1840-10-15

nus not It's eChO n0ateu! i am sure he must
be very tired Of it himself. cloud laughter.)
Remember always that the great principle Of
the Constitution on that subject, is, that the
militia is the militia OF the States, and not of
the Prcsidcnt-U Loud cheers, and cries of
''yes, yesn') and being thus the militia of
the States, there is no part of the Constitution
worded with greater care, and with u more
scrupulous jealousy than that which speaks
of the power of Congress over the militia
Does ii say that Congress may make use Of
the militia as itpleases-that the militia may
be called out to make war, to train and disci-
pline! No such thing the terms used are
the most precise and particular-"The Presi-
dent may call out the militia to execute the
laws, to suppress insurrection, and to repel
foreign INVASION" These three cases are spe-
cifed-and these are all. Call out the mill
tia to drill them! TO discipline them? To
march the militia of Virginia to Wheeling to
be drilled! Why, such thing never enter
ed into the head of any mani lever, never,
Daughter and cheering.) What is very unu-
sual in the Constitution, it has placed neg
alive OH all other purposes for the exercise of
this power than those particularly enumera-
ted; and then follow these golden words in
the Constitution, reserving to the States the
appointment of officers and the disciplining
of the militia. That's it. (Cheers-"Yes,
that's it ply Read this clause, and then read
in MIR. Poinsett's project that the militia are
to be trained by the President (Shouts.)
Look ON this picture and on that. l do Vir-
ginia no II ore than justice, when | say that
She first laid hold upon this monstrous pro-
iect, and has continued to denounce it, till
she has made its authors's heart sick, (cheer-
ing,) and she don't mean to pardon 1t even
now. (No, noD
AS to the Sub-Treasury, the subject is
worn out. 1t is almost as empty as the
Treasury itself. daughter and cheers.) l
had, the other day, the honor to address an
assemblage of the merchants of New York.
l asked them among others things, whether
all this eternal cry about separation of Bank
and State, was not all mockery and hunbug
and ten thousand merchants, Intimately
acquainted with the whole subject, cried yes,
yes-itis!" The fact unquestionably is, that
the funds of the Government are just as much
in the custody of the Banks at this moment,
as they ever were: yet at the Srme time, be-
lieve that under that law, there does exist at
| Washington, vast power to stop, at its
pleasure, all the solvent Banks in the COM
munity. Such is the opinion every where
held by the best informed men in the CONNER
cial parts of the country.
There is another eXpedient to augment exec
utive power quite novel in its character. |
refer to the power conferred upon the Presi-
dent to select from among the appropriations
of Congress, such as he may suppose the
state of the Treasury most to justify, and may
give or withhold the public money accord
ingly. This is certainly a marvellously
democratic doctrine. Do you not remember
the emphasis with which Mr.. Jefferson ex-
pressed himself on the subject Of specific APP
preparations? The law, as it now stands, re-
quires them to be specific. If Congress ap-
propriat so many dollars for building of ships,
no part of the money may be applied to the
pay of sailors or marines. But how has
this legal provision been treated The re-
striction remains in the statute as it did be-
fore-the appropriations are specific still-but
then specific power is given to the Presi-
dent, to dispense with the restriction-and
thus one specific is set against the other
| I.aughter.) Let this process be carried but
one step farther, and although there may be a
variety Of appropriations made by Congress,
yet, nasmuch as we have entire trust and con-
fidence in the executive discretion, that the
President will make the proper selections
! from among them, therefore, be 1t enacted,
That what little money there may at any
time be found in the Treasury. the President
may expend very much according to his own
pleasure. Cloud laughter.)
There is one other topic must not omit
| am now endeavoring to prove that of all
men on the face of the earth, you OF Virginia,
the descendants and disciples of some of the
greatest men of the Revolution, are most cal
led to repudiate and to condemn the doctrines
of this administration. | call upon you to
apply to this administration all that body of
political truth which you have learned from
Henry, from Jefferson, from Madison, from
Wythe, and that whole constellation of revo-
lutionary worthless, of whom you are justly
proud, and under this light to examine and to
say whether this present only Democratic adj
mnistration are the favorers of civil liberty
and Of State Rights, or the reverse. And, In
furtherance of this design, / call your atten-
tion to the conduct of the President of the
Executive Departments, and of the Senate of
the United Srates, in regard to the right and
practice of the States to contract debts for
their own purposes. Has it occurred TO you
what a deadly blow they have struck at the
just authority and rights of the States! Let
us follow this matter out a little. In the
palmy times of the Treasury, when it was
not only full but OVERLOOKING with the public
money, the States to very considerable eX-
tent, engaged in works of Internal Improve
ment, and i'll consequence of doing so had &C.
cason to borrow money. We all know that
money can be had on much cheaper terms on
the other continent than this: hence the
bonds of the States went abroad and absorbed
capital in Europe, and SO long as their credit
was unassaled and remained sound, this was
accomplished for the most part at very rea-
sonable rates. During this process, and
while number of the States had thus their
State securities in the foreign market, the
President of the United States in his opeu-