Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-03-06

to recommend measures was not intended 10 make him
the of legislation and in particular that he
should never be looked 10 for schemes of finance IL
would be very strange, indeed that tie Constitution
should have strictly forbidden one branch of the
Legislature from interfering in the ordination of such
bills, and that il shnuld be considered uroper that
an altogether different department of the Government
should he permitted TO do Some of our best pol
teal ma1i"s and opinions, have been drawn from our
parent Isle There are others, however, which can.
not DC introduced IN our system without singular in.
congruity, and the production of much mischief And
this conceive 10 be No matter i'm which of tho
Houses oil Parliament bill may originate nor by whom
introduced, a minister, or a member of the opnoson
BY the fiction Of Inv, rather of Constitutional prin
cPe, ine Sovereign IS supposed to have prepared il
agreea6ly ID his Will, and then submitted it to Para
ment for their advice and consent Now the very rc
verse IS The case here not only with regard to the
principle, but the forms prescribed by the Constitution
The principle certainly assigns 10 the only BODY con-
stiuted by the Constitution he Legislative body) the
power TO make laws, and the forms even direct TINT IN.
enactment should be uscribcd to them The Senate
in relation to Revenue bills have the right 10 propose
amendments, and so has the Executive by the power
given him 10 return them to the House of Representa-
tlves with his objections. 1t is in his power ALSO to
propose amendments IN the existing revenue laws
suggested by his observations upon their defective or
injurious operation. But the delicate duty OF dev:snp
schemes Of revenue should be left where the Cons,i,u.
ton has placed it-w the immediate representatives
Of the People. For similar reasons the mode Of keep.
ing the public treasure should be prescribed By them
aud the farther removed may be from the control OF
the Executive, the wholesome the arrangement,
and the more in accordance with Republican principle
Connected with this subject is the character of the
currency: The idea OF making It exclusively metallic,
however well intended, appears to me 10 be iraught
with more fatal consequences than any other scheme,
having relation TO the personal rights of the citizen
that has been devised II any single scheme could
produce the effect of arrestng at once, that mutation
of condition by which thousands of most INDECENT
citizens, by their industry and enterprise are
raised TO the possession Of wealth. that IS the one. II
there is better calculated than another To
produce that state of things much deprecated by all
true republicans by which the rich arc daily adding to
their boards, and the pnor sinking deeper INTO penury
il is exclusive metallic currency. Or II there IS
process by which the character of The country for gene
rosy and nobeness Of feeling may be destroyed by the
great increase and necessary liberation of usury, it is
an exclusive metallic currency.
Amongst the other duties OF delicate character
which the President is called upon perform, the
supervision OF the government Of the Territories OF
the United States. Those Of them which are drs-
tined TO become members Of our great political fam
~, compensated by their rapid progress from in.
fancy to manhood for the partial and temporary depr-
WALTON oil their political rights Ii is in this District,
only where American citizens 10 BE- found, who,
under settled system OF policy, deprived OF many
important political privileges, without any inspiring
hope as 10 the future. Their only consolation, under
circumstances OF such deprlyalIou is that of The de-
voted exterior guards Of cainp-that their suffer ngs
secure tranquility and safety within Are there ans o.
their countrymen who would subject them TO greater
sacrifices, 10 any other foundations than those
tally necessary TO the security of the object for which
they thus separated from their fellow citizens? Are
Their gh,s alone not 10 be guaranteed by the applca
ton OF those grea principles upon which all our Con-
sutons founded We are told by the greatest
OF British Orators and Statesmen, TINT at the COM
mencemcnt of the war oi the Revolution, the most
stupid men in England spoke Of 'ther American sub
iects' Are there, indeed, citizens Of any of cur
States who have dreamed Of Their suL,cts in the Dis
,rct Of Cnlnmbia Such dreams can never be realized
by any agency OF mine.
Tie people Of the District Of Columbia are not the
subjects Of the people Of the States but free American
citizens. Being III the latter condition when the Con
stuon was formed, words used in that instrument
could have been intended to deprive them OF that char
ac,er. If there any thing in the great principles Of
unalienable rights emphaticay insisted upon in
Declaration Of Independence, they could neither make
the u B. accept, surrender of their Liberties, and
become the subjects, other words the slaves Of their
scarcely be denied by any who has correct idea
Of his rights an American citizen, the grant TO
Congress OF exclusive jurisdiction in the District OF
Columbia, be Interpreted, far respects the ag
gregate people of the u. s., dreaming nothing more
than to allow Congress the controlling power
sary afford free and safe exercise OF the functions
assigned to the General Government by the Constitu-
ton. In all other respects the Legislation Of Congress
should be adapted TO their peculiar position and wants.
and be coniormable with their deliberate opinions OF
their own interests.
have spoken of the necessity Of keeping the respec
tive Departments of the Government, well as oil the
other authorities of country, within their nppropr
ale orbits This matter of difficulty in some cases,
the rswhich they respectively claim are often
not defined By very distinct lines. Alschievous, how
los al md
BIZ, those which between the respective commu-
mites, which for certain purposes compose one nation,
much more 50; Tor no such nation can long exist
l!iou the careful culture of those feelings OF conf
dcnce and affection which the effective bonds of
union between free and conederated States. Strong
as is the lie of interest," it has been often found ineec
tual Men, blinded by their passions have been known
to adopt for their country IN direct OPPOSE
ton to all the suggestions o! policy. The alternative,
them is, destroy keep down bad passion by Gre
ating and fostering good one, and this seems 10 be Inc
corner stone upon which American political aTch-
rcts have reared the fabric of our Government. Tine
cement which to bind il, and perpetuate lis exist
ence was the atfpctionate attachment between all It's
members. To insure the continuance OF this feeling,
produced at first by community OF dangers, OF suffer-
ings, and of interests, the advantages Of each were
ma. accessible 10 all No participation in any good,
by any member Of all extensive concderacy,
except in domestic government, was withheld from The
citizen Of any other member. BY process attended
with difficulty, no delay, no expense but that oil re-
moyal, Tie citizen of one might become The citizen
OF any other, and successfully Of the whole The lines,
too separating powers 10 be exercised by the citizens
Of one Sine from those Of another, seemed 10 be so DIS
tincly drawn as 10 leave room for msundcrstand-
inp Tie citizens Of each State unite in their persons
ali the privileges which that character confers, and all
that they may claim citizens of the United States
hut in no case the person, at the same time,
act as the citizen ofwo separate States and ne IS there
fare postirty precluded from my interference 'cM The
reserred poesrs Of any State but that IF 1h'eh he @
Tic time beiuy, citizen He may indeed offer TO the
citizens of other States his advice TO their manage
ment and the form in which it is rendered is LEFT TO his
own discretion and sense Of proprety.
II may be Observed however, That organized assoc-
atoms Of citizens, requiring compliance with their
wishes, too much resemble the recommendations Of
Athens to her alles-suppored by an armed and pow
erful fleet II was, indeed, To the ambition Of the lead
p States Of Greece 10 control the domestic concerns
Of the Others that the destruction of that celebrated
con(rderacy and subsequently, of all lis members,
mainly to be attributed. aud it is owing to the aO-
nee of that spirit that The lelvetic contedrracy has
for SO many years been preserved Never has there
been seen IN the institutions Of the separate members
In tIn