Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-04-30
To Tn. Eplroas or rus Wuro.

To rms EpIroRs or ruE WuIo.
Gentemen-In the last number oil the Souther
Literary Messenger a correspondent calls the atten
ton OF Professor Tucker TO an inconsistency whic
occur. in his life OF jefferson. It's gros
and pslpsble, that il is surprising that 1t shoub
have been overlooked by the able reviewer Of tha
work, Ms well the biosrapher himself-and 1t J
moro strange that the Editor OF the Messenge
should attempt to palliate 1t, and excuse Proesso
Tucker by calling II "rather seeming than actual.
The Editor goes on to say; at may be perfectly true
as stated oy Professor Tucker that MIR yehe rsor
always favored strict construction OF the Consutu
tion and yet II may not be less true, that ms con
struction OF the Constitution was strict or liberal
according as he conceived the national good woulS
he best promoted by it," That is, he was ai,oati
strict constructionist, but sometimes lautudina
RAN. Two more contradictory and incompatible,
opinions were certainly never advanced by any po'
ltical asplrant IN these our times OF changes Nc
such opinion as the latter attributed to Mr. Jefferson
by his biographer, can be found in his writings
The case cited by the Editor of the Messenfer IN
defence OF Professor Tucker, and to prove the cor
RICHNESS of the latter quotation from his WORK, so
far from proving that Mr. Jefferson was liberal IN
his construction of the Constitution IN that instance,
entirely DESTROYS his whole argument. For the Edit
tor says ale mir J) admits himself ITS indeiensi-
bility upon constitutional grounds" how then can
the Editor adduce this as example OF MIR Jetter-
sons liberal construction, when the act was done
under no construction OF the Constitution, but IN
drect violation OF that instrument In letter TO
Mr. Breckenridge, vol. 80, page sig Jefersons Cor
respoudcnce, in alluding to the treaty with France
whereby we acquired louisiana, Mr. Jefferson says:
"Ths treaty must OF course be Land before both
Houses, because both have important functions TO
exercise respecting il. They, presume, will see
their duty to their country IN rutyins and paying
for II, as to good which would otherwise
probably, be never again in their power. But
suppose they mus, then appeal TO the nation Tor an
addtona Al article to the Constitution, approving and
confirming an act which the nation had not pert
ously atn tori-ed" THIS was extreme case, the
fate Of our Republic depended upon the acquisition
Shis territory, and like another PRESIDENT OF later
date but with better success and with better re-
suits he "took the responsibility upon himself" So
far from favorng liberal construction OF the Con-
sttuton, Mr. Jefferson preferred TO violate that IN
strument rather than assume powers by construc-
ton which were not clearly and positively granted
Ia letter TO Wilson C. Nicholas, Vol. a. page OF
his Correspondence he says, al had rather ask an
enlargement Of power from the nation where 1t Is
found necessary, than assume II by construction
which would make our powers boundeSs. Our
peculiar security is IN the possession OF written
Constitution. Let ms not make II a blank paper
by constructionp Now would not this be the case
such doctrines to prevail as those attributed TO
him by the Editor OF the Messenger In this s'me
l.tter to MIR Nicholas, will also be found another
perfect refutation of the charge oil Liberalism Ut
may coin n word) and defines MIR Us opinions on
this subject clearly, and in a few words-He says,
when instrument admits two constructions, the
one safe and the other dangerous, the one precise
the other indefinite, prefer that which is safe and
precise" MIR Jefferson even doubted the consttu.
tionaIity of admitting new States into the Union,
formed OF the territory originally held under the
treaty of 1898. IL is needless 10 multiply quota
tons, and odduce cases to prove that MIR Jefferson
was always a strict constructlonist-they may be
found from the beginning to the end Of his writings
Toe greater pIrt of his life spent in opposition
TO that class OF politicians who differed from him
upon this very point, and now, the Editor OF the
Messenger is to be credited, and the quotation from
Professor fuckers Biography be correct, his oppo-
slton was all in name, and his authority may be
quoted IN all future time in support Ct the ptlncI
pies of Hamilton, Adams, and the whole Fe-
deraI School. General Washington, after his
death with some pausibility was charged with
FEDERALISM but that the name Of Federalist should
attach to the name Of Thos. Jefferson, is
never dreamed of for we had supposed If any
nuns political opinions and principles had been
clearly defined and generally understood in
this country, his were. But when opinions
which we believe TO be erroneous, attributed 10 him
opinions which he never expressed or acted upon
we cannot, admlrer OF his political prine-
pies, and as humble member Of the political
school of which We had thought him the father re-
m ain silent, and particularly when Journal, hav-
ing the deservedy high reputation OF the Southern
Literary Messenger, through its Editor, publishes
them 10 the world as genuine.
-fJefsrsonian RepgbIieGH.