Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-07-23
COMMUNICATIONS.
no I,lE EDlYOE or TIE EicN.N0ND ENGV!HEK'
No III


The Far South, Jaly 4h, lo4l
Sir. The Report Of tnc Secretary OF the Treasury
laid herre CONGRESS at the opening of the present tx
o Ssxinn thereof intina;td that he could furnish
MAN of "Fiscal Agent, which would answer al inc
useful services Of National hank, and' a. Inc SAM
,,ne he free from unconstitutional objections The Sc
,,,e uromp,ly accepted has proier and made cali ior
h;s Man. The call was as promptly answered, and the
,,n i befure the Senate and the country II TIE Sc
cr.,arv has succeeded in obyiatlng all "consinutoha
objections" he merits the thanks OF the nation hu' lie
Secretary ought to consider, that has plan mas III :
deed removed Il m, they coulu never haSe 'ee" "
very grave Impo. lance.
nropose to examine this plan, with reference to
scous.tEtionaL objections alone leaving entirely the
,icy of the measure to some future occasion bn AZ
the threshhod shall drop the phrase OF ise
a,touc,her as calcuia;ed # not designed 10 oewiaer
and mislead The plan presents us wi.hd baRk, ana
nothing less. If created, it may, anu doubtless "'''
perform fiscal service for the Government: oit deei
tia. one Of the mos: subordinate a = hahh iu'ic
tions-orc OF the least important oil us P"~0S % "
oi;ec,s AS the Governments Fiscal Agent, am
aware Of no other duties dcvoivmg on EaiS' p"'
those of receiving and safely keeping The puble mo
n;es-to transmit them, from time 10 time, whe,esr'
they may be needed 10 meet the Government rapi
lilies and pay them out on warrants rom '''c
sury l. this an the Secretary pan authorizes ."e
,,;sc,ed institution TO 40 Far from Il. IL cnneFs
an Il Do,reys oil discount, of general and Spte'a ae
yosu and OF circulation. II coneFs on u ihc f'Nf
itpes Of trading three times the amount OF an 10
snece representatives al va!me-o protecting Us ~.
holders from all liability beyond the amount - ,ns
e,ock holden-of using the public money TO Tie BANK
,dv,ntare-of converting lis "pronssfS 10 Pay M
IN leral currency, Nc, Nc, DC j! Pofrs ana Pft
r;Ieoes such us these do not constitute II hahN, 'heh
mercantile LANGUAGE has lost It's import, ana the secr
,o,y must provide with new vocabulary Gun,
I'm must treat il as 4 Baai, and term II 4 Bani-
Ills n gaub n its goeerS--d BGnk N rs pT'r"egfS-d
Eauk in its meaas-and a Benk IN is ends II the Sc.
c-eary has been really successful! N removing al
unconstitutional otct,oaS against Aaii"hai hah' ~
Gods name give h,m all credit Tor II; bni u ne h's,
d,ousiy attempts 10 dupc US by $50 shallow an ar'-
fee" as substituting ntr name for an OIL hi"s why
then we shall look him The face, and IN the language
Of his brother Secretary declare, that 'e arc not 9e
self enough for THAT.
The new elements Of power, which the Secretary has
fund and marshalled 10 his help, IN na'n,an'n. the
Cons,itu,onay OF the Bank he has proposed are pro-
assed!y drawn from the rlght OF Congress 70 exercise
.c,cIns;re Ieg;slation in the District Of Columbia
coupled with the aSssn, The NaeSn whtct ne branch'
Is are located. wexam'ne these ser'attm.
l. The Rtoht Of .sElciaStre Leyisiatoa.
rba mower Of Congress- .to exercise exclusive le-
csaiion in all cases whatsoever III the District oil
9,olnmbia is unidentified. The express language oil
the Constitution = -. Agreed Bnt how does iha'
authorize the creation ii this Bank, indeed Q" any
Rank The term "ttciaS'rt, only PTeciuGes lsie
ruh, of any other pur7 L. exercise legislation '"ef
Int decides nothing a. the affects 10 which that sex
elusive legislation extends. IL takes away all con-
current rirh winch might otherwise have attached as
the monuments Of sovereignty I" The ccd'ng states
A nowar may be altogether "tJctRSirc, and, al the
same time. extremely itmtted The Presidents power
10 nominate Ministers OF State, Foreign Ministers
&c, &c, is altogether "eIci"Nte: bat, them .h'
effect OF his nominations IS extremely ftmaea' LOT
without the Sena,c's confirmation, the nominations
a,; So the Federal Courts have "eIcfuS,rc lurisdic
t,on in various cases; but every one terms the ano
they term themselves courts Of special and limited
iurisdction Congress, too, has the "eLcH@rs figh'
$50 borrow money on the credit Of the United States:
ut then the Constitution and the pubic appropria
tons limit the uses 10 which IT may be applied &c.
&c. -,
Bat whatever may he the precise meaning o IN.
terms exclusive lsgisation or the objects 10 whcl
Il may extend, the limits OF IT'S EXERCISE ont
thine is clear. IS ,chohy MUNICIPAL. fast al
aues.on-it ii,ai.S the exercise o! that Legislation
to The ssirm es square,, and to the people aud pro
party within i. All powers Of general Legislation
for the whole country depend on specific and snosan
tive and enumerated grants IN the Constitution Ion
uress cannot "horrow money, or"regc!ate commerce,
or "con money! s'estabilsh post offices or "decart
bv virtue oi lis sitting IN the District or avin
the r.h, Of ''cxclusive legislation ts'fr:-,at De
canse other grants in the Consti1nilon expressly con
Ter those powers upon II. Ana wig should '"e Ger
sa,ue clause confer the right Of ''c1ciuSre itgSattoa
over "(orts magazines, arscnas and dock yards,
the States-I The right of "exciuSive legislation y
the District could have reached that description oil IN
Federal property beyond the District, ana WITHIN W
curt,larc If sovereign States, But one reason can y
gwen The Government, without Ike grant, woc!
have been without the jurisdiction, aud that JuriSd'c
ton was expressly needed, and expressly granite
because II needed
A.rain: sElciasire legislation does not mean mn
r.rsgi lccisatlon Congress would be as omnP"teT
IN the Ds,r,c, of Columbia the English Parlianer
- oyer the British Isles. There are surely some thing
which Congress may not TO- even IA the D's'r'c,
Columbia II there not, We must hnd aiiogethe
new reading for many parts OF the lohst',u''oh-
For instance we read portions al the !''h sech"
ri the list Article thus "The privilege OF the writ
u,b.,s Corpns shall not be suspended, Nc, efetW I
II. p;<r;,t of Coianba' 5" No tili OF attander or {
oS' ias;o shall b. passed. ctceP' n ihe Ds'r'r
tsnpbia, No title 81 nobility shall re granted q
cart - tts District If Co'aDba. Sc. ~. And undo
Ike constructions, all those wc!!c"nsidered a'nrnc
ncnts 10 the CONSTITUTIONS which the States devised
.ularue and pcrpcuatc c r;ah;s aud liberties al IN
whole people, and tx lasting restraints upon The 20"
ers of Congress in regard to those rShts ana liberties
become dead letters and cease - ~ protection 10 u
n.onla If iJs District Of CoigmLa' Il ;his reading
r,n,t Congress may hereafter n'""S aH 'reSfect'n
an establishment OF religion, ar o:' 3" abrldging ~
freedom of speech OF the press, Or suolcc'ng "
pcrson for the same offence To he twice pnt III ]c"paFa
~ hi, or limb and .co;apel!ing INN in criminal cas-
10 be witness against himself, anu may nrP'''" o"
81 "fa, liberty or property, without due course
law &C. &c. Yes, Congress may do ali 'aese 'h'i9
PROVIDED II be done Is rHf DISTRICT Of SoicMh'A
All good men will al once gee, lha' Sue" Guns -
ton o the Constitution rapidly conducts rs |" aost
dy and tyranny, and despot,sm. But, ciaring as i'm
absurd,tv is. II would be seen, That 1t Is nj tis yer
mnmen, prac,ised upon If the people would only "pr
their eyes and behold what Is passing around then
Practised upon-aye and with Il zeal, aud powci
that ieopards ali peace aud happiness; and whlc
threatens at distant day, TO rond ;his mon IN taii
Is It not seen that the fell spirit OF Abotonsn wear
this very absurdi,y upon 'front.' DO they set up
other preens:on, TO Justify them IL dearnng the ear
of Congress with their clsnors for the abolition Of sa
yerv in The District except under lis right of sexcu
.ive legislation there Does not the 'n'crP7e'a'io
of the Abolitionsts essentially deny 10 congress tn
10 the citizens of the District: do not know, tina
Ahnl;,;ons,s have any malignant repugnance agains
extending er to the citizens Of The District all tn
60 40 ,bav con(lssedly extend to oil other Amer
can citizens, but, then THEY know, tia, wheneve
they admit that lose general guarantees IN favor =,
he rights of the citizen, are as restrictive upon IN