Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1842-02-03

ience. n proposition, therefore, TO the repre-
sentatlves Of the people 10 dissolve the orgaDi
law framed by their constituents, and to sup
port which they are commanded by those con
tituents To be sworn before they can enter o
the execution of the political powers create,
by II aud entrusted To- ihem, is a high breach Q
privilege, a contempt offered 10 this House,
direct proposilionio 10 the legislature and eac
member of ii 10 commit perjury, and inyolyin
| necessarily IN It's execution and IN its conse
quenccs the destruction OF our country and u,
crime of High Treason.
/ Resolved, therefore, That the Hon. J. q
Adams, member from Massac chuseiis, IN pre-
scniing for the consideration of the House %
RepreseD natives of the United States, petition
praying for the dissolution Of the Union, ha
offered The deepest indignity in the House -
which he IL n member, an insult 10 the people
of The United States of which that House i
the legislative organ, and will, If this outrag,
be permitted TO pass unrebukrd and unpunisii
ed, have disgraced his country through thei
Representatives in the eyes Of the Who'll,
world.
/ Resolved further, That Tho aforesaid q
Adams, for this insult, the first OF the kin,
ever offered to the Government, aud for III,
wound which he has permitted to be aimed
through his instrumentality at the Constitution
and existence Of this country, the peace, the
security, aud liberty of the people Of these
States, might we'll be held 10 merit expulsion
from the national councils and the House
deem II an act of grace and mercy when they
only int'ict "pon him their sevrrest ccnsure,
for conduct So utterly unworthy Of his past re-
ations to the State and present position. This
they hereby do for the maintenance Of their
own purity and dignity. For the rest they
turn him over TO his own conscience and the
Indignation Of all true .lmsrican citizens."
MIR. Marshall supported these resolu-
iions in measured and grave speech,
d'sclalmng all personal disrespect to Mr.
Adams, with whose name the name he
bore had been lorg and honorably con-
nectcd whom he had, in tho early
and earnest feelings Of his youth, sup
ported for the Presidency, and while
President, and for whom he had ever
manifested his high regard ; but upon n
proposition SO monstrous as that put forth
in the petition presented by the gentle
man from Massachusetts, lie could moi
be silent.
MIR Adams said he should reply briefly
at the present time, reserving The right of
defending himself when the House should
decide to entertain these resolutions.
10 reply to the intImation that the propo.
sal which he had submitted involved in
It's execution the crime Of high treason,
ne SAID that the constitution had defined
that offence, and il was not for Mr.. Nj.
to coDIound what he had done with The
offence so defined. lie called for the
first volume Of the laws Of the United
States, aud asked the Clerk to read the
first paragraph of the Declaration of In
dependence, in which it is declared that
whenever the form Of government be-
comes destructive Of the ends for which
It is Instituted, it is the right Of the peo-
pie to alter or abolish it, SC. lie main.
tanned that it was the right of The Pc
tiiioners # they felt that they were op.
pressed or aggrievcd TO ask for change
IN the form Of the government.
lie. TESTED on the first principles OF the
Dec laration Of Independence. lie pre-
seuled this as sent from a portion Of his
constituents, and he would tell gentle
men in tins llouse, whatever they might
hInk, that these petitioners were not the |,
'nly men to whom this opinion had be-
,ome familiar.
When he came TO answer this resolu- \
ion, If the House should think proper TO
lct upon il, he would show that one OF |.
he greatest grievances of which the
People complained was precisely the
oppression OF the right of petition, not |.
'Dly m this case but IN numberless 9TH I
RS; that they are now denied the right
Il ?etIllonlng, and their petitions are
nrned out OF this Heuse, on the very
hing which the gentleman is so anxious
D support aud sustain, and which he
'akes part of the Constitution of this
ountry, though it is not such. lie
ouId go through the series Of the OPP
ressons upon the rights of the people,
nd most especially the People Of the
orh, which had been carrying on in
us House and the other for the last
even years. When he (Mr. A. } came
} that, the defence which he should
'ske, If called on, he should consider
her matters Of oppression not only ac-
'al but intended. lie would come and
ate before this House how that portion !,
the country whence that gentleman $
'me, was endeavoring to destroy the t
ght Of habeas corpus and of trial by J.
ry, and all the rights in which The liber- d
IS Of this country consist.
lie would show how, in that portion of !.
g country, there was systematic nt-
'npt even to carry it to the dissolution {
the Unlon, now carrying on between &
ilerent States. He would look into n
controversy between Virginia and Il
ew York, between Georgia and New n
ork, and between Georgia and Maine g
order to prove tho continual system B.,
ID purpose to destroy all the principles .,
civil liberty among the free States
d by power TO force the detosted prin- in
lies OF slavery on the States of this v
mon. lie would show it by documents CT
d reference TO arguments which had y,
en- used in such manner that every ',
~ in this House should be convinced "
the truth Of it. lie had seen. and n
was now seeing, that among those W
assures so constantly and so persevcr- h,
'ly pursued, was the project Of snug III
0g this country into war with Great
tain for the purpose Of protecting the c,
We trade, African and American. lie ~