The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-03-31
Note A to Mr.. Peachy's letter.

The following article published by Professor
of the highest excitement, caused by the ia
nous proclamation, will illustrate his ideas on
this subject:
"There is a well authenticated story of poor
old man, who had been born and bred in Paris,
and who had lived to extreme old age without leaving
the city The King, who considered the money OF his
subjects as his own, and when the whm took him,
gave it away freely Congress give money to
the ten miles square, gave him comfortable pension,
which to be paid only so long as he remained in
Paris. In few days the old man appeared before the
King, praying his majesty to resume his bounty and
release him from the ntolerable of constraint
which the condition imposed on him produced.
" This story lays open one of the chambers of the
human heart which our rulers would do well to ex-
plore. Of the Union we can all say EsTo PERPETUA,
and the aspirations of every heart will bear in one
universal prayer to the throne of Him. in whose hands
the destnes of nations. But let these words he
uttered in voice of authority mandate of hui
man power, and backed and enforced by military CO.
ercion and we do not and cannot receive them with
the same feeling We'll may we look with pride and
pleasure the long retrospect Of peace, prosperity,
7 and harmony, which history displays; but he
knows little of human nature who does not see that
much of this has been the result of conscious freedom
from consrant and the well understood, though silent
recognition of the principle that union is to be re-
an end to which these to be sacrificed; that 1t
entered into for the better ulfment of the great
purposes OF our EXISTENCE and to be renounced when
ever the same paramount duty might require it.
:" Under this impression have heretofore lived,
not only free in act but in SPIRIT. What changes will
be wrought by putting our obligations to the Union
on different footing, is question which, am afraid,
has not been well considered. Whether the Of
consraiht may not end in such acts Impotence Of
consraint is apt to provoke from brave men, at least
doubtful. But none can doubt that this Impotence,
however it may be held in check by force, or pru-
dence, cold fear, must be fatal to the happiness of
the thousands who feel, and the tens of thousands
who loiU feel it,"
The following extract from one of Professor
fuckers lectures on Government, will further
explain our meaning and his it shows the alarm
with which he regards all measures violating the
principles of the Constitution, whatever they
may promise of temporary good:
"Causes, acting on the elastic spirit of man, often
provoke a reco which ends in results exactly the re-
verse Of those which the direct operation of those
causes would tend to produce Primary action is slow
deliberate reasoning and deficient in energy. Reac
ton is sudden impeuous uncalcuatipg, and irresist
BILE. 1t is the great principle of destruction in the
moral, as in the physical world. Reaction gives ener
gy to he fires of the volcanoterribe because pent
up Reaction is the political earthquake which shakes
down the strong holds of power, and catters them in
wide spread ruin the smiling fields which their
oppression had wasted and made barren This is The
siatesmans great lesson and he lohose eye steadily
fired the direct operation of political constitutions
looks array from the real danger aohch the moment
IF fdncied success may bring destruction all his
hopes"