Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1841-06-03
THE GAZETTE.
NMR FP1lY Sc WR@a Va
THURSDAY. JUNE 3. 1871.

Looking at the present condition Of the country
and the causes Of that condtionto the great inte-
rests Of Agriculture, Commerce and Manufactures
the interests Of the Farmer, the Merchant, the
Mechsuic--and, with these, the interests Of every
other description Of orr population, every section
Of this great nation--we do not, cannot think,
that there Is shade Of doubt resting the truth
Of the following Propositions
The country cannot be restored 10 prosperous
state without the imposition Of duties upon the i'm
pprtaton Of foreign products, sufficient TO produce
a revenue, adeqsate at least, TO all he rants Of
al Bank, adequate, to the establishment and pres
eryaiion Of uniform currency and credit through
out the limits Of the Union.
It ia not our purpose, now, go into any EXPOSE
zion upon these matters. We could not, 1t We
woodland would moi, If we could--for he who
runs may read.
The obstacles to the adoption Of these measures,
we spprehend, will mainly be found in the doc.
trines of description of Politicians, confined for
the most part to our State, and the States
IL
nlous appellatiou OF States rights-or States right
--or State rights-or State right. We know not
which is the true version but shall adopt the last,
upon the principle of taking the least quantity Of
any thing, which is altogether distastefu to US.
1t would seem, at first blush, that the basis Of a
patty, assuming the name State right, must be
the yindcation of The rights Of the States, against
actual or unprecedented invasion or usurpaton, by
the General Government. But this is altogether
erroneous impression. The State right Doctors,
do not even pretend TO any such rational founda-
ton as this, for their School. The end and aim
of all their wisdom ard all their energy is to pre-
vent the General Government from doing that
which, however important to the general good.
must, otherwise remain undone, because of the
impossibity Of its being done, by the State Govern
menis. Is it of great national importance that
Cumberland road, for example, shall BIO construct
ed State right says, that IL must ,aot be done By
the General Government, although the States,
through which it may pass, have not the means Of
doing it themselves, and. not only assent, but
esly request that it may be done. Is it of vital
Germ, to the whole Union, to increase the duties
upon the importation of foreign products, and 20
tablish National Bank for the double purpose of
a uniform currency and the restoration, to health
of an unsosnd Banking System7 STATE rigkt, al
though IL DO nothing in the marter, says to the
General Government, "No, you shall not do these
things--there is warran, for il in the Constitu-
ton us it due TO justice and to policy, that the
proceeds of the public lands shall be distributed
among the States Slate right says, No. you
have no Constitutional power to do soft is not in
the book-you have no right toupply money to any
purpose not specified there And so on, ad in I'm
itam down TO the redemption of an American Sea-
nun from Algerine captivity, the expense of
burying Member of Congress, who may die a, his
post in Washington
State night is, manifestly misnomer. II de-
MES to others that which nought enriches IL
but makes them poor indeed" II is another form
OF the dog in the manger. 1t is perversiIy ia
natieism-in all humility be it spoken occupying
the same level, with that other miserable one, at
the North, ABOLITION.
One fits dogmas is, a strict construction of the
Constitution of the United States. What ia this
strict construction And upon what principle Of
enlightened patriotism, Of good sense, is
It's application called for, TO the bond of this Union
and, by consequence to the Union i,self1 ON
heret an htera heret in coYtice, is a maxim of as
eternal truth, the iufrmity of man or the imper
lection of human language.
We have heard of strict construction as spplca-
bic TO penal laws, and can readily understand it
there, as device for the protection of the weak
against the powerful for the of poor wretch
es from the infections, with which the vengeance
and other bad passions Of men, armed with the
power Of the State may seek to visit them.-We
have it, as it is portrayed by the great
Dramatst, as applicable TO the of a Shylock
demanding his bend Of the poor Merchant in We
nice, and assent TO the justice OF the decision
take your pound of flesh; but beware, that you
take not. with it drop of blood" But we have,
yet, learn solitary reason, for applying it TO
that instrument, upon which depends all that is
dear to the people Of this Union
State right, with it. brood of strict construction
State psrsignty-Nuliifeatioa, ct i'd omne
genus, il seems to US, is the the of
system. It's fears are chimelical--its Teasonings
unsound and visionary-and its aims only bring
us back to the disastrous condition of the old arti
cIes Of Confederation