The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1841-11-18
LETTER FROM GEN. SCOTT.

NosAinEtsn. Aetooft =. ISL
GENrLEnKS: have lzlely had he ho-
nor 10 rrrriFe maay letters Isom - many
different STATES. esrh propOsnding. On he
part 81 Ghe winter and his aeighb0r. near
II the same political inierrog.iories-iO
which answers are requested.
The scope q the inquiries Is : hatter-
ing proof Of the interest lhal some Of nv
coanlrymen take in the opinions thai ]
have formed On certain great prinriples Of
abiding importance 10 The suocess q our
systems az government; and As ] have
nothing 10 conceal. IL nothing Of value 10
communicate, 1 shall n once, without POI
liey or reserve. and in the form Of cir
eular, comply with their several requests.
PARTY PoITTIcs.-Although from ear
IL manhood | have. by the profession az
arms IN the defence Of my country. been
thrown out Of the arena Of party politics,
vet have never ceased 70 be an attentive
observer Of public events. and thus. be-
lieve, there has scarcely been adiscussion
Of moment in Congress. within my time,
on which | did not form, and modestly
but firmly express, = passing opinion.
A mere youth, l felt the liseliesi JOY
when the alien and sedition laws expired
in the triumph Of Mr.. Jefferson. From
1906 | was old enough. BY speech and
pen, 20 call for a prompt and energetic re-
dress Of our wrongs suffered from Great
Britain, under her Orders in Council; the
attack on the Chesapeake frigaie, and
long-con,inued impressment Of our sea-
men; and when the war Of 1912 Al length
came. was among the first and longest
in the presence Of the foe. The insults
received from the French Direeiory-lheir
depFedaiiOns on our commerce, renewed
under Napcleon's DEGREES Berlin and
Milan) which followed the British Orders
in Council. also largely shared my indig-
nant Reproduction.
The administrations Of Mr.. Madison
and Mr. Monroe, ike that Of Mr.. Jefier-
son, had in their respective periods, my
humble but hearty appreciation; and
have since censured nothing in either but
the sale # a part and the dismantling Of
the remainder Of our Navy; the gun-boai
system Of defence that followed; and the
Sindefni;c embargo, which, crippling US
FOR war, by destroying our commerce and
finances. and depressing agriculture, was
long continued without redressing onC
outrage from abroad.
give this little sketch Of the growth Of
my party feelings or opinions-unimpor'
iani, perhaps, except 10 myself and a few
partial frien,ls-to show that, IL have
never been a Federalist. in any party
sense of the term. so neither have | beer
Jackobin, an Impracticahle, or ahstrsc
zionist. in any sense whatever, hut always
an old fashioned Republican, devoted L
the support Of law and order; a Demo
cratic Wing. Just as all my family hat
been Wings in the great struggle for na
iional freedom and independence.
The JUDIcIARy.-From an early AM
long.continued study of elementary law
my mind has ever becn em5ucd with deeI
reverence for the Bench, State and Fede
ral--an independent department in on
system Of government, and which, hold
ing neither the purse to corrupt nor III
sword " ierrify, addresses itself only, witt
the mild force Of persuasive reason, 10 th
intelligence and virtue Of the whole ccrl
muniiy. BY the Federal Constitution
every possible safeguard is provided \
shield It's Judiciary against aeeiing preju
dice, political rancor, and party depend
ence, to which Legislators and the Exec
utive are unayoidably, directly, and con
stantly exposed. Hence, ITO the on
Supreme Court" is wisely extended, b,
appellate jurisdiction" all cases, i
J law and equity, arising under this Const
, tuition, the laws of the United States, an
treaties made, or which shall be made, IN
> der .heir authority"
; Looking to this express provision,
have always held that when a doubat
! question, arising under The Cons:iiulio
itself, the supreme law Of the land, undo
an act of Congress or treaty. has one
, been solemnly adjudicated by that cour
the principle Of the decision ough; to b
taken by all as defini,ively settled, unles:
indeed, il be upon re-hearing before III
same tribunal. This appears TO me to
( clear for disputalion; for the court is NJ
E only declared to be supreme. and henC
T there can be no bench beyond it; but
l Congress is only given the power to col
= stitate inferior tribunals. By appeals
: the Supreme Court, settlement was il
1 tended to be reached, and anarch,
through long distraction Of the publ
!; mind on great questions Of Legisla!i'
and Executive power, thus rendered in
possible. Practically, therefore, for Il
. People, and especially their functionarie
to deny, disturb, or impugn principle
/, thus constitulionally established. strik,
: me as of evil example, il not Of a dire
r revolutionary tendency, except, indeed.
!, the case of a Judicial decision enlargir
power and against liberty; and any dal
gprous error OF this sort can be always G
: silly corrected land should only be correc
], ed by an amendment Of the Constitution
: in one Of the modes prescribed hy that ii