The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1841-03-17

character which the President is called
upon to perform, is the supervision Of
The government of the Territories Of the
Uniicd States. These Of them which are
! destined to become members of our great
political family, are compensated BY their
rapid progress from infancy to manhood
for the partial and temporary deprivation
or their pnIilical rights. 1t is in this
District, only, where American citizens
are to be found, who, under settled
system of policy, are deprived of many
important political privileges, without
nny inspiring hope as to The future
Their only consolation, under circum-
stances of such deprivation, is that Of the
devoted exterior guards of camp-that
heir suA'erings secure tranquility and
safely within. Are there any Of their
countrymen who would subject them to
greater sacrifices. to any other humilia-
linns than those essentially necessary to
The security of the object for which they
were thus separated from their fellow-cili-
zens7 Are their rights alone not to be
guaranteed by the application of those
grea, principles, upon which all our Con-
stitulions arc founded! We are told by
the greatest nf British orators and states
men, that. at The commencement of the
war of the Revolution. the most stupid
men in England spoke of their American
subjects" Are 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
agency 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-
slitulion was formed, no words used in
tha, instrument could have been intended
10 deprive them of that character. Ii
there is any thing in the great principles
Of unalenabe rights, so empIlatically in
sisted upon in our Declaration of lnde-
pendence, they could neither make, nor
the United States accept, surrender Of
their liberties, and become the SUBJECTS,
in nther words, the slaves, Of their for
mer rrllow-c,izens. If this be true. and
it will scarcely be denied by any one who
has correct idea of his own rights as an
American citizen, the grant OF Congress
of exclusive jurisdiction in the District
of Columbia, can he interpreted, SD far as
respects the aggregate people of the Uni
ted States, as meaning nothing more than
to allow TO Congress, The controlling
cover necessary TO afford free and safe
exercise of the functions assigned to the
General Government by the Constitution.
In all other respects, the legislation of
Congress should be adapted to their Pccu-
liar posis,iun and wants, and be cont"r-
mabie with their deliberate opinions of
their own interests.
have spoken of the necessity of
keeping the respective Departments OF
the Government, as we'll as all the other
authorities Of our country, within their
appropriate orbits. This is matter of
difficulty in sumo cases, as the powers
which they respectfully claim are often
not defined by very distinct lines: Mis-
chievous, however, in their tendencies,
as collisions of this kind may be, those
which arise between the respective com
munities, which for certain purposes
compose one nation, are much more sn;
for n such nalirn can long exist without
the careful culture of those feelings OF
confidence and affection which are the el-
fpclive bonds of union between free and
c,nfederated States. Strong as is the
tie Of interest, it has been often found in
efecluaI. Men, blinded by their passions,
have been known 10 adopt measures for
their country in direct oppnsition 10 all
the suggestions of policy The alterna-
tive, then, is, 10 destroy or keep down
bad passion BY creating and fostering
good one; and this seems To he the corner
stone upon which our American political
architects have reared the fabric OF our
Government. The cement which was to
bind 1T, and perpelua,e its existence, was
the afeclionate attachment between all It's
members. 70 insure the continuance of
this feeling. produced at first by conn
munity Of dangers, Of sufierings and of
interests, the advantages of each were
made accessible TO all. No participation
in any good, possessed by any member of
an extensive confeleracy, except in do
mestic government, was withheld from
the citizen Of any other member. BY a
process attended with no difficulty. no de-
lay. no expense bu, that of removal, the
citizen of une might become The citizen
,t NJ snccpSSiVelV of the