Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1841-03-18

humiliations than those essential y neces-
sary to the security of The object for which
they were thus separated from their fellow
citizens! Are their rights alone not 10 be
guaranteed by the application ofthose great
principles, upon which all our Constiiu-
lions are founded1 We are told by the
greatest of British orators and statesmen,
thai, at the commencement Of the war Of
The Revolution, the most stupid men in
England spoke Of their American sub
jecs." Arc there, indeed, citizens of any
of our States who have dreamed of their
subjects in The District OF Columbia? Such
dreams can never be realized by any agen-
cy Of mine.
The people Of the District Of Columbia
are not the subjects of the people of the
States, but free American citizens. Be-
ing in the latter condition when the Con-
stitulion was formed, no words used in
that instrument could have been intended
to deprive them of that character. If
there is any thing in the great principles
Of unalienablo rights, so emphatically in
sisted upon in our Declaration of Inde-
pendence, they could neither make, nor
the United States accept, surrender of
their liberties, and become the subjects, in
other words the slaves, Of their former fel-
low citizens. If this be true, aud it will
scarcely be denied by any one who has a
correct idea Of his own rights as an Amer
Ican citizen, the grant 10 Congress of ex-
elusive jurisdiction in the District Of Co
lun'bia, can be interpreted, so far as res
poets the aggregate people of the United
States, as meaning nothing more than to
allow to Congress the controlling power
necessary to afford free and safe exercise
OF the functions assigned 10 the General
Government by the Constitution. In all
other respects, the legislation of Congress
should be adapted to their peculiar position
and wants, anI be comfortable with their
deliberate opinions of their own interests.
have spoken Of the necessity of keep
ing the respective Departments Of the Go
vernmenI, as well as all the other author
tiles Of our country, within their appropri-
ale orbits. This is matter Of difficulty
in some cases, as the powers which they
respectively claim are often not defined by
very distinct lines. Mischievous, howev-
er, in their tendencies, as collisions of this
kind may be, those which arise between
the respective communities, which for GER
tain purposes compose one nation, are
much more so; for no such nation can
long exist without The careful culture of
those feelings Of confidence aud affection
which are the effective bonds of union be-
tween free and confederaed States.
Strong as is The tie of interest, il has
been often found Intellectual. Men, blind
ed by their passions, have been known 10
adopt measurs for their country in direc,
opposition to all the suggestions OF policy.
The alternative then is, 10 destroy or keep
down bad passion by creating and li,slcr-
ing good one; and this seems to be the
corner stone upon which our American po-
lilical architects have reared the fabric of
our Government. The cement Which as
to bind it. and perpctuate its existence,
was the affectionale attachment boiween
its members. To insure the continuance
Of this feeling. produced at frs. By com
terest, the advantages of each were made
accessible to all. No participation in any
good, possessed by any member of all ex-
tensive confederacy, except in domestic
government. was withheld from the cil.
zen Of any other member.
BY process attended with no Difficult
ty, no delay, no expense but ,ha, of reno
val. the citizen of one might become the
citizen of any other, and successively of
the whole. The lines, too, separating
powers 10 be exercised by the citizens Of
the State from those of another, seem 10
be SO distinctly drawn as 10 leave no room
for misunderstanding. The citizens Of
each State unite in their persons all the
privileges which that character confers,
aud all that they may claim as citizens Of
the United States but in no case can the
same person, a, the same time, act as the
citizen Of two separate States, and he is
therefore positively precluded from any
interference with The reserved powers of
any Stale hut that Of which he is, for the
time being citizen. lie may indeed Of
fer TO the citizens of other States his adj
vice rs 10 their management, and the form
in which it is rendered is left to his discrc-
lion and sense Of propriety..
1t may be observed. however, that or
sanized associations of citizens, requiring
compliance with their wishes, TOO much
resemble The recommendations of Athens
TO her allies--supported Ivy an armed and
powerful feet. 1t was, indeed, to the am
bi,ion of the leading States OF Greece to
control the domestic concerns Of The otlI-
ers, that The destruction of that celebrated
confederacy, and subsequently, of all its
members, is mainly to be attributed. And
it is owing to the absence Of Iha, spirit that
The Helvelic confederacy has for so many
years been preserved. Never has there
been seen in The institutions Of The separate
members of any confederacy more ele-
ments of ,liscord. In the principles and
forms of government and religion, as well
as in the circumstances of the several can
ions, so marked tliscrepance was observ.
able, as to promise any thing but harmo'
ny in their intercourse or Permanency in
their alliance. And yet, for ages, neither
has been interrupted. Content with The
positive benefits which their union produ-
ced, with the independence and safety
from foreign aggression which it secured,
.,,.,.;one poonlo rt,c ted tho ine,i-