Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-11-17
POLITICAL.
GroRciA.-E xtrac' feom thc rtceat .I->saec Fl {
.ncDoa9id Ia ms Legis AZURE.

! lay before you copies Of res.la,.ans adopted by
liz. legislatures CT sayera' &c the Sa'es Subjects -
general interest Among them orc passed By the
Legislature of Massachusetts,. proposing amendment
OF the Constitution Of tli. Inited States. ah-etag q
provision which adopted spirit Il compromise
and fraternal concord ead supported ay MINORITY
OK the delegates from that ancient and respectable
monweath. II is matter o. regret that che should be
the first TO attempt disturb the harmony of the men
by such movement |. wi! meet from you that calm
consideration, which s due every proposition % acr
the Federal Constitution, and with that dgn.tied
ssnnce which demanded by the rcposs Of the ration
and the interests o. your constituents. TIE principle
of representation which It seeks - change, is
which must not be abandoned.
l. is gratifying 10 fud among the res lu;ouJ CON-
nunica,ed the expression many Stat favorable
10 the enactment Of law by Congress, 20 refund 20
General Jackson fac imposed hm for the reiiorm-
ance Of necessary DUTY, when ~ the military sefvrr
Of the country This tribute 10 justice viii be pleas
ing evidence 10 the injured patriot OF the estimate
placed upon his conduct By ms tunes and will put
1t in the power Of history to save the nation from the
black record Of ngratltude.
viie the attention Of The Legislature to the rat--
otto resolutions vi the State OF AlabanE the sui Get
of The assumption of State debts By The General e.
vernment; aud | ask your in the seG'i-
menis therein expressed The Federal uud State Gov
ernmens distinct Each sovereign within sphere
To the extent of its Constitutions! powers Each has
authority for It's purposes. The
one has right To interfere w,th tie AFFAIRS OF the
other either 10 ask aims pes,Nw charity. rs auorg
the States, has power 10 demand Of another :"
raise for lis s.a benefit. Nar eau the Ge
neral Government all the States for
one member of the Conedcracy. The eSe5cise of
such a power would be unwafran'abe usurpalion
TO illustrate the working of this poicytne STATE owes
one million and half OF dollars, which she able -
pay; another owes thirty millions OF dollars. Tine lag
ter State finds II nconvenien 10 discharge her OBJ
lioatons but wishes fom the former
and other States Tor the purpose TINS she cannot 90.
She apply to Congress 10 tax the people Of the
other States, and pay the revenue INTO her own Irea
sury for her benefit. THIS would be too papa5,c
an outrage No, less is the outrsze ii asking an
SUMPTION of her debt by the General Government
when assumed me debt oil the single STATE becomes
the debt Of the General Government; and the other
States IN with herself, Ia It. II II -
paid from sales of public lands, 1t much dfawa
from the Treasury, which should be applied TO the ie
gitimate purposes Of the Government and rs place must
be Supplied by taxation.
The embarrassment undP! which the people have
been aborng for years past, gradually yielding to
their md rpze; and II Is mater ot
tula,on all, that while few only have been reduced
to poverty End ruin by the nev,aGc DEGREES OF tho
times so many have difficulties and snrnount"d
them, which IN their approach see0ed rrc3ist'he. :"
subject IS worthy n: The profound consideration
of the faithful! representatives, al 3e peop,, than the
history Of the times through which the country has
lately passed, the evils wnlch Tic pcops eye endured
and tbe measures necessary tn payen tier recurrence"
In some sections o' the STATE, afpreheaso1s
were entertained tia; The people would resist the en-
iorcamrnt o. the laws; and aaPeais were made - tI2
Executive, which induced the adoption o! pecan
tonary To prevent such catastrophe, or,
the event oi ITS occurrence, 10 support the "iierlS
Of the law IN the execution Of t!ie'r duties. lhls
state Of things not produced by want OF c"n-
idence in admirable Governments, nor WAS =! the
result of want of respect for the ministers Of IL" l%
but II was the consequence OF that deep and hopeless
despair which the prospect OF nn2yo dable ruin, hrt
shameful sacrifice OF property, brought upon VII
community. Specie demanded at Saerh safes,
which neither the debtor, parsons d"siFoGs OF pur
chasing at the sales could procure account Of the
suspension by the Banks B nix notes issued und er
the authority Of the law were ncoHyeftibe into spe
cic and the creditor could not b. forced h. the lass io
receive payment OF his det The currency winch HE
law had authorized TO be circulated among the peopis,
and which debtors had recri"ed Tor The products 81
their labor 10 demands against thea. Any policy
which subjects the citizen to this oppression, esla
bllshed error, and ought 10 be aoanGa"ed Ie5h1Pi
the difficulty IN political organization Bat IN
a complex system like ours, hen political power ~
distributed between two Governments l. be cyrlc,ed
for the beaeft of the same people, bat each iads
pendent of the other, the one more particularly super
intending and governing, regard Ia interests taal per
several States embraced &c Whole, the other
acting for us particu.ir community or State, en-
acting laws fot The protection enafc III Of civil
rights treat consideration should he pad - The ine %
dematcl;on which separates The pp@sTs ni The ono from
the other Their respective powers wisely and
nsiiy appoTtonrd aud precisely arranged ana tesgpa
ted that there he apology, much less necessity, r
the encroachmen of the rpon tne othsr Their her
monious action, within their respective spheres, with
eye single TO the interest nj those who orcuned boa
| would no doubt, DO much towards accomplishing llc
great object OF human government aGd mitigate the
evils TO which aliusion has been made, If not wholly
prevent them. OF the Government - which We arc
subject, it is scarcely necessary to remark, that the ono
made o! grants OF powers from The people. whcn
it transcend while underlined discretion pei
tans the other, except restricted by written
stitution To these restrictions upon the STATE Govern
men,s great regard should b." paij by the representatives.
of the people. Otherwise, the People mag be involved
in difficulties from which legislation can eXricatc
| them, and in which they must suffer, from ms
chievo measures, lrre,rievabe wrongs. The States
prohibited from making any thing bat geld or silver
| coin legal tender in payment eli debts. \ policy,
therefore, whose tendency 10 keep cut 1t the anGs
OF the people gold and silver com, which alone be
made a constitutional crder, aud substituting paper
therefor, which legislation ran make legal ion
der, Ubiquitous and oppressive Us wrongs hage been
| felt by thousands in ts;Ies through Nnich hags
passed and It's effects have shown themselves pcpa-
lar disconenis and tie ut:cr destruction Of confidence
among citizens Of the same coiuuualy. The c4ureIs
which threatened TO disturb the harmony Il tse safe
TO which reference las been gale afford eyd. ct
the difficulties to al ch uulgsi measures n.y .ecd I'D
are warH,HE 10 rulers a5eiGsi tielf adoption Tie
States beng prohibited from enlc:i"g laws imP.rrg
the obligation of contracts hare p0&cr by re,rs.
pecye legislation, extend 20: the debtor tie day o.
payment and in THIS way, 20 mitigate The effects o.,
placing paper money IN MS HsHas, iiSisau y. Cpn
Some Of the States haze enacted laws which haze bs.
long operation and therefore, avoid the Constitutions
al objection which always attaches to retro active !e
gslaiion | would recommend The enactment o.:
similar here. which would 5e applicable TO !tu:c
cases, unless the policy s abandoned which places The
destniss o the people III The HANDS vi ncneyeG eoEpo
raons.
The whole evil may be prevented by confirming our
legislation 10 the Federal Constitution, winch only
prohibits The States from making any thing bat gold or
silver legal tender in pcy"ent Of debts, pass
ing law importing the Obligation OF contracts but also
from emitting bills oil credit. Il would seem, that II
the two first prohibitions proper, the last ne-
cessary prevent consequence ernci5ns and cPpes
sve TO the people, which would aow from the exefctse
of such power. The great Object q he iIalac,s u tie
constitution in introducing :ie rs.,ucuon, appears
have been The Suppression " paper money, and 10
The people from he nss.s '.a1h always elsGe, 10
greater or less extent, from t.e OF such currency
Paper money is subject to the casualties ard lie
people subjected 10 the same injuries by lis use,
whether issued by the Government, corporations or in
divduals II IS but paper money, and is redemption
depends the public, corporate individual '5y