Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1841-03-11

under the sanction of provincial authorities
does not alter the case, unless we were in a
state of war. In such cases as the present
the power to deliver up could not be conferred
upon the Federal Executive by treaty stipula.
ton. 1t could only be conferred i'm those ca
ses over which Jurisdictions clearly delega.
ted by the Federal Constitution. Such for
instance, as treason, which is an offence a.
gainst The conjoined sovereignty of the States
as defined in the Constitution. Over all ca
ses except those defined in the Constitution,
anc those coming clearly under the laws of
nations, the States have exclusive jurisdic-
ton, and the trial and punishment for offences
against them, are incident to their separate
sovereignty. 1t is not pretended in this case
that there is any treaty stipulation under
which the demand is made and the Federal
Executive, under our system, has no power
but what is conferred by the Constitution, or
by special law of Congress. In the former il
is declared that ''the Executive poweris vest
ed In President of the United States" and
that power is then to be pointed out and de-
fined by special laws passed from time to time,
Imposing such duties as are thought proper
and expedient by Congress.
Your committee deem it dangerous for the
Executive to exercise any power over IA SUBJ
Ject-matter not conferred by treaty or by law;
and to exercise it in any case in conflict with
State jurisdiction, would be worse than dam
gerous; it would be usurpation.
But your committee forbear to press these
points further at present, and they would not
nave SAID as much on such clear questions of
International law, but that in this case, the
demand for liberation has been made by the
accredited agent oil great power, and under
circumstances of peculiar aggravation and ex-
element.
We have other points Of difference with
Great Britain, which add interest to every
question that arises between us at present
Neither our Northeastern nor Northwestern
boundaries are yet settled with her, and the
subject Is not entirely free from difficulty
She has recently seized our vessels and ex-
erclsed power involving the right of search,
under the pretext of suppressing the foreign
Slave trade, which, if persevered in, will sweep
our commerce from the coast Of Africa, and
which Is incompatible with our rights as
maritime power. She has recently, III her
lniercoursewith US, refused indemnity and
denied our rights to property, on subject
matter vital to near one half the States of
this Confederacy, and which, considering her
military position at Bermuda and her grow ING
power Ill the West Indies, is of the last i'm
portance to our national independence.
All these subjects make every question he
tween us at this peculiar juncture, of the
deepest interest.
| Besides this, we are both permanently des-
tined to have, perhaps, the most extensive
commerce of modern nations. Our flags
float side by side, over every sea, and bay and
inlet of the known globe.
She moves steadily upon her objects with
an ambition that knows no bounds. And
wherever she has had conflict of interest
she has rarely yielded to any power.
At this moment she presents to the civil
LIKED world the spectacle of the greatest mil
itary and commercial power in combination
ever known.
| From her vast possessions in every quarter
of the globe, and her peculiar commercial
system, she has been made the reservoir of
the wealth of nations.
| Her internal resources, skill, labor and
machinery, with her capital, are beyond cal
cuiatlon. Her natural position, being about
midway the coast of Europe, gives her great
control over the outlets and currents of COM
mcrce.
Her military occupation of Gibralter, NAL
Ia, the 1onian Islands, and recently of ST.
Jean d Acre, gives her ascendancy on the
Mediterranean and the I.evant while St.Hel-
ena and the Cape of Good Hope give her
possession over the currents of trade along
those extensive coasts. Then Bombay, Cal
cutta, and her immense possessions in the
East Indies, together with her recent move
ments in the China seas and islands, enable
her to extend her power over those vast re-
glons that have slumbered for ages in solitary
and enervated magnificence.-She possesses
Falkland island bnt to control the commerce
that passes around Cape Horn-while Trim
idad gives her all she desires i'm the Carbide
an sea. Halifax at one point and Bermuda
at another, stand out in great force over our
own coast from one extremity to the other.
Her positions all over the world are at this
moment In a military point of view, equal to
d million OF men under arms Her continu-
al conflicts In the mighty regions Of the East,
| only enable her officers to become skiful and
Improved In the art of war, while her great
armies and extensive fleets draw their sup
port from the immense countries seized and
occupied. In the present junctures Of affairs
no statesman can overlook these things.
steam power has recently brought us 50 near
together, that IN the event any future con-
iiictwar with It's effects will be precipitated up
on US with much more rapidity than formerly
Avaflce and ambition are the ruling pas
sions OF modern times, and it is vain to shut
our eyes TO the state of things around us. It
remains to be seen what effect steam power
Is to have upon changing and modifying the
whole art of defence and war. 1t may be a
great engine for again levelling mankind.
and reducing every thing to acontest of mere
physical force. In that event il might be diff
!. ficult to conjecture what system Of national
offence ,CiH stand tie test of time and expe-
Renee.
We have deep stake in peace, and fond
ly hope the repose of the world will not be
disturbed. We have certainly not the least
desire for any rupture. FiTmness and wise
preparation, will long preserve us from such
a catastrophe. But while no temptation
should ever prompt us to do injustice on the
one hand, so no consideration, on tie other
hand. shnnld ever indncn nc 10 suhrnit il, NJ