The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-01-16

shall add but single reply TO very playful remark
Of the honorable Senator He says that in defeated
party and retiring Administration it is INDIGENOUS 4
bring forward new measures, and TO institute new
course Of policy That believe
IMT. CLAY, speaking across. Well, that is some
thing We thank you at least for that admission.l
And have purposed to be modest possible, while
my friends yet hold the rens of power f they do no"
hold them) do merely what the public interests abso
utely require, and to refrain from all else. The bll
before consider being part Of the policy adopt
cd and pursued by Congress since have had the
honor OF holding seat in the Legislature. Ii is mo-
dfcation Of that policy; and in that light am IN "a
vor of IT, however, not responsible for the bill
and entreat the honorable Senator not to look upon
attempting by this measure to tread in the heels
ofthe powerful party which has secured possession OF
the Government But suppose the very exaggerated
representation we have heard all true, and that
did attempt, at this late period, to fix new policy
upon the connty STILL il seems to me, the power oil
remedy near pure and happy light is to SHINE
the 9TH day of March next that even II we ala a
into very sad mistakes it would not always be om OPP
ponents that would be the first TO mourn. laugh
But ii this measure runs athwart the line of policy OF
that Administrator which is to occupy the seat Oh
power and yet the repeal of the law Will be Dut a
ihankless duty then indeed the Senator's complaints
are just and proper, and cannot feel any resent
ment toward him for heapng this on the head OF all
our other sins and provocations
The Senator opened another topic by calhng US up
for course not that we have pursued but which ne
apprehends we may He says that when the election
was decided which brought Gen. Jackson into power,
the Senate refused TO act on the nominations OF the
passing off President. do not say 1t was not SO the
Senator says So and he was certainly IN po-
sition to know. "A laugh) Not that men voted
against the principles they had avowed; but in that
case the Administration fell into minority, not In the
last moments Of its existence but two years before II
went out of Office. The Senator does not mean to
charge with any thing wrong in merely dischargng
our duty; will he find fault with US if we do
the same when we about TO yield TO those
who will govern the country much wiser and better
than have done. But if our wrong is TO introduce,
at this late moment, new course of policy is gene
roas in the Senator to ask US, now to undo our old
new Administration And will he complain Of us il
we still carry out the policy which purely and as
sincerely approve he that ofthe coming Admin
istration This seems to me a little ungcnerous.
The man who asks Jus TO undo and take back the
m st prominent policy for which we have contended
from ourentrance into power, makes demand which,
in his own case, he would consider somewhat unrea-
sonabe if not ungenerous.
Mr.. CLAY | shall offer but few words in reply
Among all the charges which at various times have
been made against me- ! had supposed that want OF
generosity at least not of them. The gentle
man thinks il ungenerous in me to ask-what2 That
he and his friends here should obey our common mas
ter the People, that they should repeal the sub Trea
sury law which the People have condemned Why,
sir, in this, only call upon gentlemen to conform to
their own doctrine efen SO long, and loudly pro-
claimed by themselves, "hat the People to govern
that the democracy must rule-that the democracy
of numbers is the real and only soveregnthat are
all here as servants of the Peopethat as Senator'S
we have no original rghts-that are to bow to the
majesty OF the People in all their pleasure" But now
il seems that this sub Treasury scheme is their mea-
sure, and not the measure Of the People whom they
it is very ungenerous to ask them to
obey their masters will Why, sir, what is the homo
rable Senator? Able rdroit asute, learned, ngeni-
as ne is he not the of the people of New
York. of the 100000 voters, majority of whom have
condemned this law And whose will is to prevail
theirs or his have asked him yield to their plea
sure. lhope there will be no 1inchjng, no shutting
but that the honorable Senator will have the goodness
act according the principles he has SO often incu
Gated on us-that he will bow to the democracy of
numbers and conform himself to what his constitu-
ents require. This measure of the SUBJ Treasury was
as have understood, the constant theme of the
gentemans eequence from the shores of the Atlantic
to the borders of the ST. Lawrence-that was the is
sue he continually made-that the issue on which
his State cast her voteshe has condemned his favo
rite measure-and yet now he considers it ungenerous
In me to ask him to abandon what his own constitu-
ents condemn Far from it. / am not the counsellor
of the honorable Senator OF his friends but will tell
what would do So help me, God, on my sacred ho-
W Il
would not say that had changed my opnon--my
pride of principle would prevent thatbut finding the
measure not acceptable to my constituents, would
conform to their will. Where on the whole face Of
the globe does not public sentiment exact obedience ia
its villa Is it in Russia3 No no. The Autocra,
himselfs bound to yield to its behests and SO ii fac
he has done. Where | ask again. In Turkey
No. The Grand Seignor is obliged to submit as much
as any other despot We are charged with want o.
generosity because have asked the Senator to bow
to this common law of our nature-a law that rules
the whole civilized world
havenow few remarks to make on the question
raised by the honorable Senator respecting the elective
franchise Why he has risen to discuss in SO elaborate
amanner mere opinion of mine thrown out without
argument, do not know. He is too acute and prac-
tised ogcan not to know that the manner of putting
aquestion, of ITSELF often decides it, The Senator
asks, what right this Federal Government has to pre-
scribe for State who shall vote for her rulers 1t
has none-it pretends to none. But this case of un-
naturalzed foreigners is exception to the otherwise
universal exercise ofthe State sovereignty The excep
ton applies here An alien is not citizen of State
nor is he one of the People of State" and there
fore he is not included in the words which the Senator
read from the Constitution. The question would be
more correctly stated to be- what right has any State
to perform that process of naturalization which is
clusively confded to the General Government But
he asks who has, right to contest the constitutional
~ Of the Constitution of the State of Michiganq
say " Hn, you nave every man mas WHO lives unueI
the Constitution ofthis Union fla State Consttu-
ton declares that aliens may VOTE then their votes may
affect the composition of the House Of Representatives
or OF the Senate and eventually the question might
come into these bodies in judging, they respectively
have of the qualifications of persons returned
as members of the two Houses
The Senator supposes as case possible, that Con-
gress should refuse to pass any naturalization law and
he asks what is then to be the condition of large boz
dies OF emgrants to this countrya There two
swers to be given to this question |. If Congress
should fail to pass naturalization laws it fails to do its
express duty; duty to which it is bound under the
Constitution. Congress has passed such laws and
presume it always will There may be difference as
to the time to be prescribed probationary period
but there can be no doubt TO the obligation of Con-
gress to fix some rule.
But there is yet another answer If Congress fails
to make provision the subject then the right re-
verts and accrues to each State, exactly would
accrue should Congress neglect pass uniform bank
rupt law But for another clause in the CONSTITUTE
which declares that no State shall pass any law i'm
pairing the obligation Of contracts but for that every
State would have the right There is no such obsta-