Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1841-03-27

o tue Country mtsht require. And II In preposi.l
: Gus 10 suptofe that d tilpu.s iii could Tor n ,ncmcr
bave been entertained. taal tbs r siaent placed
Z The capital, in the center Of tho cnnnsry. COZ
better understand the wants and wishsa of ID
z people than their own immediate ~fseItese, tafivs,
chp spend . PAT. Of every year an.ans them, ,iv
ing with them often l%aEeying with Them, an,
bound TO them by tie triple tie of interest, duty
: and affection. 10 assist or cob.rol Crns.os.
then, IN It's ordinary leg slafion. could not, I cor,
crisa, have bceo the motive fr comforting tho sc
In power on Che President. This atpumcat &C,
gsirrs additional force from the fac,a Of It's neyo
having been th,as nsed by The first six Presidents
and two 9 ftlietn s%cre nscn,ter- of,he Convention
ORC presiding over nj deliberations, and lie othe
hraripg n larger share in copsu m~natine tie IA
bora Of that angus, body than ony osbcr six per,
son.. Eut IL bins were never retained To Con
erras. by either Of the Pretidrn.s att,ye rersf-sd ii
rfon tine erT;.aJ 81 'hoit being ine. peaient, O.
not as we'll adopted M taey might 10 10 tho wo.,s
Of toe people, the veto was applied Upon that d
want Of conformity to tho Constitution, Or be
cause errors had bren committed from o too tia-,y
enactment.
Ihrsa Is nnn'her gsahna for the edoption of,hn
veto principle. which bad ~ptobabiy more ;4an.
ence IN Recommending i. to tho convention tlar
any ~oiser--I refer 10 Tho security whict Il aises
+" ;ho iasi-and e~qriiahlo ac,ion Of thp I.Ggisl4ln9e
upon oil pasis Of the Union. Il couli NIT but
have occurred TO the cnavention that, in G coap.
try 10 extensive, embracing 50 gteet q ,afisty 81
roll md c'ira'o,and consequently II froduct7,artd
which, IN,, thu s,p,o ca,a. 1,.. MOI. .--
d~airtenre in tho amoun, Of tho populations In Ia
vatious ~sccfipns, cn!iipg fara g;eai diversity in t6e
employment Of the people, that the iegitta'ion Of
ttc majority might not always Justly regard lie
rights and inteseais of the minority. kpd that
seis Of this might be passed, audrr on express
gfnnt by the word Of tho Constitution, AID here.
fo'c not within The competency Of tho judiciary.
to declare void. That, however enlightened and
patriotic they nigh. suppose, frem pact expert.
pnce, the members Of Congress right Le, aul
however largely psrtaking, 10 the geaorsl, cfBha
liberal feelings Of tho people, il YVES impossible 10
expect that bodies so constituted should not some.
times be controlled Ivy local Interests and section
nl feelings. Il vas proper therefore, 10 provide
some umpire, from whose situations and usds IF
1iP " shhb3G ihlB%SiiLitkH UtsA AtE%AS1A4f 4AAH4
such influences might lie expected. Such . Gao
vas afforded by tho Executive department, c.ra.i,
tutad by the Constitution. 4 person elected 70
that high ofiee, having his constituents in every
lection. State md subdivision Of tie uisioa, rapst
cansider himself beund by the most solemn cord-
lions. 20 guafd, pFotact and defend tic rights OF
all ard Of every portion. e.ea. OF snail, fsom the
inst.strp mud .uu-ntA'a,1 If IL teaf oGptijns
the reio power, therefore, civ, By Lbs Cous:ltue
lion TO tho Executive of ,l.o United States, fo,ely
a. a vR.ise power. II be used Only, afait
TO protect iha Constitution auu violation; seeafid-
y, tie people from tie Effects of hasty legislation
where heir will hos been probably disregsrded OF
moi well understand; and taisdiy, to prsgan. .l-
effects of contradictions sialatige Of .ls rights or
piauritioa. IN ~referencs to the second ociIess cb-
jects, | may observe thai | consider il sha fi.h. and
privilege, Of the people 10 decide disputsd poists
Of the Constitution. arising erom the general grant
of power tn Congress TO carry ito effect tie
powers expressly given. And | believe, with VI.
Madison, that repeated recognitiehs, under varied
circumstances, III acts Of tie Legislature. Execa-
Tive, and Judicial branches Of the Government,
accompanied by indicaliana, in different modes, Of
the occurrence Of the general will Of The no.
ton, as a~ffording to she President Sufficient su-
thori,y for bis considering such disputed points as
settled. 70
Ilpw ards Of half a century has elapsed since the
adoption Of tha presen. form Of Government. il
would be an object lsore highly desirable than the
qualification Of tue curiosity Of speculative states
men, il its precise situation could be ascertained.
q fair exhibit made of the operotians of each Of its
departments, ofihe powers which they respective
iy claim and exercise, OF the collisions which
have occurred between them, Or between the
whole Government and those Of the States, or Ell
Their of them. We could thea compare our Gctu
al condition, after fifty years tiial of our system,
with what il was in the commencement Of its OPP
and ~acertain whether the predictions Of
the patriots who opposed lis adoption, or the con-
fdent hopes of lis advocates have hecn best real
lied. The great dread Of The former seems to have
been. that the reversed powers Of the States
would be absorbed by those Of the Federal Gov
prn mfni, and consolidated power established,
leaving 20 the States tho shadow only u tibet indie
action for which they had SO z~ealously
and on the preservation Of which they
relied ~ tire last hopes Of liberty. Wnhou, de-
nying .ha, the result To which they locked with SO
much apprehension is in The wsy OF being TEAL
zed. i. is obvious tia, they did not clearly see the
node of lis accomplishment. The General Gov
srnmeDt has seized upon none Of The reserved
tights ofthe States. As far as any open warfare
nav have gone. the State authorities have amply
d their rights. To casual Observer.
,ur system presents tho al peerance Of discard be-
ween the different members which eornpossi,.-
Even the addition Of many new ones bas produced
10 Earring. They move in their respective orbits
n perfect harmony with the central head. and
each other. But there is still an under cur
ent at work, by which, il not seasouably checked,
be worst approximations Of our ansi-feaeral pari.
ITS will be realized; and no. only will the State
authorities be osershadowed by the great increase
# power in tbs Executive Department Of the
General Government. but the character Of that
if not its designation. he essentially
nd radically changed. This state OF strn gs has
'een in Part affected by causes inherent IN the
Constitution, and in pari By the never failing ten
.ency Of political power TO increase itself. BY
making The President the sole distributor of all .
he patronage of the Government, the trainers of '
Constitution do not appear to have antieipa- .
at how shar, a period il would become o toImi- !
aide instrument. to control tie free operations Of :
he State governments. CftsiGine Importance at =
it had. early in Mr. Isfersor's admsnisus J
on, sacon,e so powerful as to create great alsrta :
!, the mind of that patriot. from the potent inda- :