Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1841-03-11

81
tellowcitizens. If this be true, and it will scarcely
be denied BY any one who has correct idea OF his
own nights as an American citizen, the grant 70
congress OF exclusive jurisdiction in the District OF
Columbia, can be interpreted as far as respects the
aggregate people of the United States, as meaning
nothing more than 70 allow to Congress the control
hing power necessary to afford Tree and safe exer'
else of the functions assigned to the General Gov
eminent by the Constitution In all other respects
The Legislation of Congress should be adapted to
their peculiar position and wants. and be cOnforma-
bic with their deliberate opinions OF their inter-
ests. .'
have spoken of the necessity of keeping the res.
pective Departments of the Government, as well as
all the other authorities of our country within their
appropriate orbits. This is matter of difficulty IN
some cases. as the powers which they respectively
claim are not often defined by very distinct lines
Mlscheyous however, in their tendencies, as COLI
slons OF this kind may be, those which arise between
the respective communities, which for certain pur-
poses compose one nation, are much more SO; Tor
no such nation can long exist without the careful
culture OF those feelings OF confidence and affection
which the effective bonds of union between free
and contederated States. Strong is the tie of in
terest il has been often found Intellectual. Men,
blinded by their passions have been known to adopt
measures for their country in direct opposition to
all the suggestions of policy. The alternative then
is. to destroy or keep down bad passion by Gre
sat.ng and fostering good one; and this seems to
lca architects have reared the fabric OF our Govern
ment -.
The cement which was to bind it, and perpetuate
its existence, was the affectonate attachment be-
tween all it's members. To insure the continuance
of this feeling, produced at first by community of
dangers, of suerngs and of interests, the advanta-
Ees OF each were made accessible to ALL No parti-
cipation in any good, possessed by any member of
an extensive confederacy, except in domestic gov
eminent, was withheld from the citizen any other
member BY process attended with no difficulty,
delay, expense but that Of removal, the citizen
of one might become the citizen of any other, and
successfully of the whole. The lines, too separat-
ing powers to be exercised by the citizens of one
If IN no
"a to leave no room for misunderstanding. The
citizens of each State unite in their persons all the
privileges which that character confers, and all that
they may claim citizens OF the United States but
in no case the same person, at the same time,
act as the citizen OF two separate States, and he as
therefore positively precl"ded f,oDs interference
he as, for ihe time being, citizen. He may indeed
otter to the citizens of other States his advice to
their management, and the form in which it is ten
dered is left to his own discretion and sense of pro-
priety.
1t may be observed, however, that organized as
soclatlons OF citizens, requiring compliance with
their wishes, too much resemble the recommends.
tons Of Athens to her alies-supported by armed
and powerful fleet. 1t was indeed to the ambition
of the leading States of Greece to control the do.
estic concerns of the Others that the destruction Of
its members, is mainly to be attributed And it is
owing to the absence of that spirit that the Hevetic
c0nfeder acy has for SO many years been preserved
Never has there been seen in the institutions of the
separate members OF any COME deracy more ele
ments OF dscord. In the principles and forms Of
government and religion, as we'll as in the circum-
stances OF the several cantons, marked discre
pance was observable, to promise any thing but
harmony IN their intercourse or permanency in their
alliance. And yet, for ages neither has been inter-
rnpted. Content with the positive benefits which
their union produced, with the independence and
safety from foreign aggression which it secured
these sagaclous People respected the institutions of
each other, however repugnant to their own princi-
Our COnfederacy, felow.citzens, can only be pre-
served by the same forbearance. Our citizens must
Or content with the exercise of the powers with
which the Constitution clothes them. The attempt
Of those Of State to control the domestic inst,
tons OF another can only result in feelings of distrust
and jealousy, the certain harbngers of disunion vo
free nsuons a"e Our e is peree,y Il
Illustrated by the terms and principles governing
common copartnership There fund Of power is to
Of the allied members buf that which has been re-
served by the individual members is intangible by
the common government or the individual members
composing it. To attempt it, finds no support in the
principles OF our Constitution. 1t should be
slant and earnest endeavor mutually to cultivate
spirit OF concord and harmony among the var ous
parts Of our Confederacy. Experience has abun-
dainty taught us that the agitation by citizens of
part of the Union of subject not con6ded to the
Memorial Government but exclusively under the
guardianship OF lie local authorities, sproductive of
no other consequences than bitterness alienation, dis
cord, and injury to the very cause which is intended
~ be advanced Of all the great interests which ap
pertain to our country, that OF union, cordial, conf
ding, fratcrnal union by far the most important,
since 1t Is the only true and sure guaranty Of all 9TH
ers.
In consequence of the embarrassed state of bust.
and the currency, some of the States may meet
with difficulty in their financial concerns However
deeply we may regret any thing imprulent or
cessive III the engagements into which States have
entered Tor purposes of their own it does become
lis TO disparage the State Governments, nor to dis
courage them from making proper efforts for their
own relief; on the contrary, it is duty to
age them, TO- the extont OF constitutional authori
~, to apply their best MEANS and cheerfuly to make
all necessary sacrifices and submit to all necessary
burdens to fulfil their engagements and maintain
their credit for the character and credit of the
raj States form part OF the character and credit OF the
whole country The resources of the country are
abundant; the enterprise and activity of people
proverbial; and we may we'll hope that wise egisa-
ton and prudent administration, by the respective
Govemments each acting within its own sphere, will
restore former prosperity.
Unpleasant and even dangerous as collisions may
sometimes be- between the constituted authorizes
the citizens OF our country, in relation the lines
which separate their respective jurisdictions, the
suits can be of vital injury to our institutions if
that ardent patriotism, that devoted attachment to
liberty, that spirit of moderation and forbearance for
which our countrymen were once distinguished, con-
tinue to be cherished If this continues to be the
ruling passion OF our souls, the weaker feelings of
the mistaken enthusiast will be corrected the Euto
plan dreams Of the scheming politician disspated
and the complicated ntrigues OF the demagogue rem
dered harmless. The spirit Of liberty is the sove-
reign balm for every injury which our Institutions
may receive. On the contrary, care that be
used in the construction of our Government; no d.
vision ofpowers, distribution of checks in its
free People if this spirit is suffered to decays and
decay It will without constant nurture. To the neg
ect Of this duty the best historians agree in arbH
ting the ruin OF all the Republics with whose exist
ed. The same causes viii ever produce the same
effects; and as long as the love OF power is dom-