The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-03-30
Note A to Mr.. Peachy's letter.

Note to Mr. Peachys letter.
The following article published by Professor
Tucker in 1888, when his ml.,d was in a state
of the highest excitement, caused by the ia
nous proclamation, will illustrate his ideas on
this subject:
There is 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 whim took him,
gave it away freely Congress give our money to
the ten miles square gave him comfortable pension,
which was 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 intoerable sense of constran
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 Esro' PERPETsA,
and the aspirations of every heart will bear it in
universal prayer to the throne of Him, in whose hands
are the destlnies 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. Well may we look with pride and
pleasure on the long retrospect OF peace, prosperity
and harmony, which our 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 constraint and the well understood though silent
recognition of the principle that union Is to De re-
garded as the means Of liberty and happiness and not
an end to which these are to be sacrificed that it
entered into for the better fufmcnt of the great
purposes OF our existence, and to be enounced when
ever the same paramount duty might require it.
U nder this impression we have heretofore lived,
not only free in act, but in SPIRIT What changes will
be wrought by putting our obligations to the Union
different footing, is question which am afraid,
has not been well considered. Whether the sense of
cons,ralnt may not end in such acts Impotence OF
constraint is apt to provoke from brave men, is at least
doubtful But doubt that this Impotence,
however it may be held in check by force, or pru-
dencc cold fear, be fatal to the happiness of
TIE thousands who feel, and the tens of thousands
who ,oW fccIit."
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 reco which ends in results exactly the
verse of those winch the direct operation Of those
would tend tn produce Primary aclon is slow,
deliberate reasoning and deficient in energy. Reac-
ton Is sudden, inpctuous uncaculang, and Iressti-
bic. 1t Is the great principle of destruction in the
moral, in the physical world Reaction gives ener-
gy the fires OF the volcano-.erriblc because pent
up Reaction is the political earthquake which shakes
down the strong holds Of power and alters them in
wide spread ruin over the smiling fields which their
oppression had wasted and made barren This is The
stdteSmans great lesson, and he, phoSe eye Is steadily
fired the direct operation of political constitutions
looks array from the real danger Which, in the moment
If fancied success, may bring destruction all his
hopes