Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1841-03-11


duced in our system without singular incongruity y,
aod the production Of much mischief. And this |
conceive 10 be one. No matter In which Of the
Houses OF Parliament bill may originate, nor by
whom introduced, minister, or a member Of the
opposition by the fiction Of law, or rather Of Con-
stutional principle, the Sovereign 10 supposed TO
have prepared il agfeeabiy 10 hi. will and then sub
miited IL Parliament for their advice and con-
sent. Now the very reverse is the here. not
only with regard the principle but the forms IRE
scribed by the Constitution.
The principle certainly assigns 10 the only body
| constituted by The Constitution the legislative
body) the power to make laws, and The forms
| direct that the enactment should be ascribed TO
| them. The Senate, In relation 10 Revenue bills,
have the right propose smendfsents; and so has
the Executive. by the power given him TO return
| them to the House OF Representatives, with his
! objections. II 10 in his power, also. to propose
amendments in the existing revenue laws, suggest
ed by his observations upon their Detective inju
rious operation. But the delicate duty of dsvsing
sche mes of revenue should be left where the Con-
.titnton hss placed i,-with tho immediate Rep
resentatives Of the People. For similar reasons,
the mode Of keeping the public treasure should be
| prescribed by them; and the farther removed it
may be from the coutro OF the Executive, The more
wholesome the arrangement, and the more In accor-
dance with Republican principle.
| Connected with this SUBJECT is tho character Of
the currency: The idea of making IL exclusively
metallic however well intended, appears me to
! be fraughr with more fatal consequences than any
other scheme, having relation to the personal
rights Of the citizen, that has ever been Devised.
Ii any single scheme could produce the effect OF
resting at once that mutation OF condition by which
| thousands of our most INDECENT fellow-ctizens, by
their industry and enterprise, are raised to :he pos
session OF wealth, that is the one. If there is
measure better calculated than another to produce
( 49, IS, dap tod bv
republicans. by which the rich are daily adding To
their boards. and the poor sinking deeper into pc
/ nur;. lit 10 an exclusive metallic currency. Or il
there is a process by which the character of the
country for generosity aud nobeness Of feeling may
be destroyed BY the great increase and necessary
federation Of usury, ii 10 exclusive metallic cur
! rebcy.
/ Amongst the other du,i-. of delcete character
which the President is called upon to perform, is
tue supervision of the government Of the TER itor-s
| OF the United States Those of them which
destined to become members of our great political
| family, are compensated by their rapid progress.
| from infancy manhood, for the partial and tenn
porary deprivation Of their political rights Its ia
! this District, only where American citizens 10
he found, who under a settled system OF policy.
deprived of many important polite privilege.
without any i,snriPg hope as to the future, Their
only consolation, under circumstances OF such depri
vattop Is that Of the devoted exterior guards Of
camp--lhat their snatfins. tranquility and
ssfeiy within. Are there any OF their rounirymen
who would subject them 10 greater sacrifices, to
any other humiliations than those essentially neces-
-ary to The security Of the object tor vi ich they
were thus sepastcd from their fellow citzens?-
Are tbir rights alone not to he guaranteed by the
InppIicainn Of those great principles upon which
| all our constitutions are founded We told by
the CREATES, of BRUSH Orators and Statesmen, that
at The commence M nj Of ihe of the Revolution
~ 4 ,F ,bai,
! American subjects" Are there, indeed. citizens
of any of Stsfe. whe have dreamed Of their sub
| jecls in the District Of Columbia 7 Such dreams
can rever be realized hy any agency Of mine
! The people OF the District of Columbia not
the subjects Of the people of the States sdt ffee
| American citizens. Being in the latter condition
when the Constitution was formed, no words used
IN that instrument could have boen offended TO de-
priv thcm of that character If there any ,hins
in the grea, principles of unaliensble rights.
phaticay insisted upon IN our Declaration Of hide
pendsnce, they could neither make, nor the United
States accept. surrender of their bertes and be-
the subjects in other words The slaves OF their
former fellowcitizens II this be true. and it will
scarcely he denied by any one who has correct
ideu Of his own rights an American citizen, the
grant to Congress Of exclusive jurisdiction in the
District OF Columbia, can be interpreted, so IA, as
respects the aggregate people oil the United States
| meaning nothing more than Ia allow To Congress
safe exercise of the functions assigned TO the Gener
al Government by the Constitution. In all other
e.pects the legislation of Congress should be adapt
! ed their peculiar position and wants and be con-
tormable with their deliberate or Unions OF their
| interests.
| have spoken ofthc necessity of keeping the
spective Departments Of the Government as well as
all The other authorities of our country. within their
appropriate orbits. This ia ma,er Of difficulty in
| some cases. as the pnwers which they respectively
claim are often not defined by very distinct lines
Mischisvous, however, in their tendencies, cnl-
sions Of this kind may be, those which arise between
| the respective communities which for certain pur-
poses compose nation. are much more So, for no
srch nation can long exist without the careful cul-
| ture of those feelings Of confidence and affection
which are the effective bonds Of union between free
and confederated States. Strong ~ is the tie 81 in
| teres, it has been often found intellectual. Men,
blinded by their passions, have been known adopt
for their country in direct opposition TO all
the suggestions OF policy The alternative then, is
TO destroy or keep down bad passion by creating
ard fostering good one; and this seems TO be the
cornerstone upon which our American political Az
chitects h,ve reared the fabric of our Government
The cement which was to bind it, and perpetuaie its
existence, was the afectionste attachment between
all It's members.
Toinsure the continuance of this feeling, produced
first by community Of dangers of suheTing,, and
ot interests, the advantages m each were maze &C.
cessble to all. M participation in an, good. pos
sessed nv any member of nm extensive confedetacy,
except in domestic government was withheld from
the citizen &C any other member Bya process AT
tended with no officially. no delay; no expense but
that of removal the citizen of one nigh become the
citizen of any other, and successfully of the whole
The lines too, operating powers 10 be exercised by
the clizeas OF one State from those OF another
TO be so distinctly drawn as TO leave no room for
Misunderstanding. The citizens ofeach State unite
in their pcrsons all the privileges which that char
acter confers and all that they may claim citizens
Of the United States but in no case can the same
person. at the same lime, act as the citizen OF two
separate States. and he is therefore positively pre-
c,uded from any Interference ,ch fhereSeroed pow'
ers Of any State but that Of nhich he IS for the time
beng a citizen. He may, indeed, offer to the cii'-
zens of other States his advice TO their manage
eut and the form in which il j, rendered Is left to
his own discretion and Of propriety.
| IL NAV he observed, however, that organized as