Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1841-03-10

of things so much deprecated by all true
republicans, by which the rich are daily
adding to their boards, and poor sinking
deeper into penury, it is an exclusive me
talic currency. Or if there is Proces;
bv which the character Of the country fol-
generosity and nobleness of feeling may be
DESTROYED by the great increase and ne
cessary toleration of usury, it is an ex,
elusive metallic currency.
Amongst the other d1ties of delicate
character which the President is called
upon TO perform, is the supervision of the
government of The Territories of the Uni.
ted States. Those of them which are
destined to become members Of our great
political family are compensated, by their
rapid progress from infancy to manhood,
for the partial and temporary deprivation
of their political rights. 1t is in this Dis
trict only where American citizens are to
be found, who, under a settled system OF
policy, are deprived of many important
political privileges, without any inspiring
hope as to the future. Their only conso-
laiion, under circumstances Of such de-
privation, is that of the devoted exterior
guards of a camp-that their sutferings
secure tranquility and safety within. Are
there any of their countrymen who would
subiec. them TO greater sacrifices, 10 any
other humiliations than those essentially
necessary TO the security Of the object for
which they were thus separated from: their
fellow citizens! Are their rights alone
not to be guaranteed by the application of
those great principles upon which ali our
constitutions are founded We are told
by the greatest of British orators and |
statesmen, that at the commencement of
the war of the Revolution, the most stu
pid men in England spoke of'their Amer
lean Subjects Are there, indeed, cti-
zens of any of our States who have dream
ed of their subjects in the District of Co.
lumbia! Such dreams can never be real
ized by any agency of mine.
The people of ihe District of Columbia
are not the subjects of the people of the
States, but free American citizens. Being
n the latter condition when the constitu.
ion was formed, no words used in that
instrument could have been intended to
deprive them Of that character. If there
S any thing in the great principles of un- I
rights, so emphatica!Iy insisted
ipon in cur Declaration Of Independence, I
hey could neither make, nor the United
States accept, a surrender of their hber- [
les, and become the subjects, in other I
words the slaves of their former fellow {
,itIzens. If this be true, and it will scarce &
Y be denied by any one who has a correct 7,
dea Of his own rights as an American cit q
zen, the grant TO Congress Of exclusive g
Jurisdiction in the District Of Columbia, c
an be Interpreted, so far as respects the !
ggregate people of the United States, as i
meaning nothing more than to allow Con- d
ress the controlling power necessary to c
ford free and safe exercise Of the func- .
ions assigned to the General Government h
y the Constitution. In all other respects b
he legislation Of Congress should be adap- S
ed to their peculiar position and wants, e
nd be ConFormable with their deliberate d
pini0ns of their own interests. o
have spoken Of the necessity of keep a
y the respective Departments of the 60 c
eminent as well as all the other authori- [
es of our country within their appropri t
lie orbits. This is a matter of difficulty q
some cases, as the powers which they II
espectively claim are often not defined 81
y very distinct lines. Mischievous, how.
yer, in their tendencies, as collisions of o.
lis kind may be, those which arise be- 5
Teen the respective communities, which III
II certain purposes compose one nation, m
re much more so; for no such nation can 81
ng exist without the careful culture of h;
ose feelings of confidence and affection d.
hich are the effective bonds of union be- U
reen free and confederated States ir
rong as is The tie of interest, il has been re
ten found Intellectual. Men, blinded by er
cir passions, have been known TO adopt ST
easures for their country in direct oppo. m
ION to all the measures of policy The ry
ernative then, is, 10 destroy or keep bu
wn a bad passion by creating and fos- mi
ing a good one; and this seems to be an
corner stone upon which our Ameri. of
p political architects have reared the CO
,ric of our Government. arr
The caroopt which ,yas tn hind r. on3 Oh