Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1841-03-20

those great principles upon which all our
Constitutions are founded? We are told by
the greatest of British orators and states
men, that, at the commencement Of the
War ofthe Revolution, the most stupid men
in England spoke of "their American sub
iccts." 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 agen.
cy Of mine. The people Of the District oI
Columbia ore not the subjects Of the peo-
pie of the States, but free American citi.
zens. Being in the latter condition when
the Constitution was formed, no words used
in that instrument could have been intended
to deprive them of that character. II
there is any thing in the great principle oil
unalicnabIe rights, so emphatically insisted
upon in our Declaration of independence.
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 fellow-citlzens.
If this be true, (and it will scarcely be de-
MED by any one who has correct idea Of
his own rights as an American citizen) the
grant to Congress of exclusive jurisdiction
in the District OF Columbia can be inter.
preted, so far as respects the aggregate peo
pie Of the United States, as meaning moth
ing more than to ALLOW to Congress the con.
trolling power necessary 10 afford a free
and safe exercise of the functions assigned
to the General Government by the Consti-
luton. In all other respects, the legisla.
ton Of Congress should be adapted to their
peculiar position and wants, and he contor-
mable with their deliberate opinions Of their
own interests.
have spoken of the necessity Of keeping
the respective departments of the Govern
ment, as well as all the other authorities OF
our country, within their appropriate orbits.
Tits is Il matter OF difficulty in some cases.
rs the powers which they respectively claim
are often not defined BY any distinct lines.
| Miscellaneous, however, in their tendencies.
as collisions of this kind may be, those
which arise between the respective commu-
mites which, for certain purposes, compose
one nation, are much more so; for no such
nation can long exist without the careful
culture of those feelings Of confidence and
| affection which are the effective bonds Of
union between free and confederated states.
Strong as is the tie of interest, it has been
often found Intellectual. Men, blinded by
their passions, have been known to adopt
measures for their country in direct oppo-
stion to all the suggestions Of policy. The
alternative, then. is, to destroy or keep
down a bad passion by creating and foster
ing good one; and this seems to be the
corner stone upon which our American po-
litca architects have reared the fabric OF
our Government. The cement which was
to bind it, and perpetuate its existence, was
the aliectionatc attachment between all its
members. To insure the continuance Of
this feeling, produced at first by commu-
nifty of dangers, of sulielings, and of inter-
ests, the advantages of each were made
accessible TO all. No participation in any
good. possessed By any member of our en-
tcnslve conrederacy, except in domestic
government, was withheld from the citizen
Of any other member. By a process atien-
ded with no difficulty, no delay, no expense
but that Of removal, the citizen Of one
might become the citizen Of any other, end
successfully Of the whole. The lines, too.
separating powers to be exercised by the
citizens Of one State from those of another.
seemed to be so distinctly drawn as to leave
no room for misunderstanding. The citi
zsns Of each State unite in their persons
all the privileges which that character con-
ters. and all that they may claim as citizens
of the United States; but in no case can
the same person, at the same time, act as
the citizen of two separate States. and he is
therefore posi,ireiy precladed from any inter-
ference with the reSerred p0rerS Of any State
but That Of which liz is, for Tie time being, a
citizen. He may indeed offer to the citizens
of other States his advice as to their man
agement, and the form in which it is tender
ed is left to his own discretion ana sense
Of proprety. 1t may he observed, howev-
er, that organized associations Of citizens.
requiring compliance with their wishes, too
much resemble the recommendations OF
Athens to her alies-supported by an armed
and powerful fleet. 1t was, indeed, TO the
ambition of the leading states of Greece to
control the domestic concerns of the 9TH
ers, that the destruction of that celebrated
contederacy, and subsequently of all its
members, is mainly to be attributed. And
1t is owing TO the absence Of that spirit tha,
the Hclvctic coniederacy has fol so many
years been preserved. Never has there
been seen in the institutions of the separate
members Of any conlederacy more eIe-
ments o. discord. In the principles and
forms Of government and religion, as well
as in the circumstances of the several can.
tons, SO marked discrepance was observa-
bic, as to promise any thing hut harmony
IN their intercourse, or permanency in their
alliance; and yet, for ages neither has been
N nrrl lrt I'D Inptnnt ,,,;,k 81,