The Democratic Whig. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1842-1843, 1843-09-21

oelgauons, as a STATE, n a manner a. rroi NJ
AMI as ample as our situation viii admit. TIA
inevitable result u public opinion acting On tks
conscience add pride Of an enlightened people
WILDE 10 constrain the next Qeacfalion. IN
tho present, 70 redeem the forfeited res1ect Of
other States and Nations b. the payment Of
every State debt, and posisriig. iof whom Ire
Regulators nov affect 90 much solioilnde, win
couple with this act Of justice and policy
eusa on the memory Of those, who having
reaped eli the benefit Of the contract, left the
burden Of il TO be borne BY their descendants
with a weight accumulated by the lapse Of
time. No one can doubt this result, unless
they alao believe that the vices Of each gene.
ration, like ehattles descend without dininu-
ton, 10 their successors, and that morals retro
Rads 10 the same proportion that science and
civilization advance.
lnspeaking Of the different geaerauons, We
mean only 70 mark, by q familiar fgslrs Of
sptscA, periodical spoells Of time. We do not
mean 10 admit that absurd and visionary ab-
slraclion By which different generations ere
separated and cut Of, one from The other, Ike
90 many miiestones, marking tho precise spot
where one terminates and another commences.
Such theory Is impracticable and therefore
untrue. Who wll undertake to mark the
different segmenls which compose the circle
Of human existencel 10 disintograte the human
family and assign different portlona Of them to
different ages, BY name, BY age, or other desig.
nati0nl-to determine which Of al the breath
ing multitude already in active existence around
Us or yet or unborn, shall belong TO the past
generation, which to the present and which 70
the f1turel The human family IS composed
Of ali ages, so graduated By the wisdom and
benefcence Of Providence that each is essen
tial to the harmony Of the whole, for the pur.
pose Of maintaining The dependent relations Of
age and childhood, and the numerous Eubordi-
nate but necessity relations that cement these
two extremes. All are integral parts ofthe
same system, without whicb,no generation could
exist. The old man, the middle age, the youth
and the infant, all equally belong to the same
generation Of human beings, resembling the
waters Of great river, which however much
iis tributaries may vary remains ever the same.
There is no point Of commencement, OF divis-
ion or Of tefn.ins ron. How then can these
political casuists ascertain or determine up 10
what period one generation shall continue TO be
liable for a debt, and the obligation Of another
generation ceasei Let even an arbitrary rule
Of division be adopted; there will nevertheless
belong IN fact, to zach generation, large num-
Der Of those who compose the preceding one,
and who GUILD not therefore, be eXonerated
without injustice. The whole theory is map
pHcabe to the actu condition Of the human
p and cannot clam the dignity or author.
rule of action.
adlnil j, 70 be practicable to divide com
les, By plain lines Of demarcation into
.siinct generations; il does not follow neces-
barily, that one generation cannot bind suceee-
ding ones, 50 far as relates to the government
Of persons and property BY what right does
parent clog bis estate with mortgage or oth-
er membranes 80 as TO bind bic son who in.
herts that estatel We need only reply that
this is sanctioned by al governments and has
been immemorally attached 10 The rghl Of
property, from the earliest ages Of the world.-
And what is a State debt but an obligation
contracted by the CT zans Of the State own
imp the land, negroes, and other hereditamen.
10 tie State, acting collectively and not individ-
uallyl aud who compose The next generation
but the children ofthcse citizens, inherjtng as
such the properly which their ancestors ac-
quired and improtsA And VIII should not the
proper thus inherited dc subject o incum-
branccs charged upn il hy the former owners
acting tOitsciirslg in the same manner, az il
hey had acted iafiUiiuallgl No just distinc-
ton, in pain Of pringiplo, can he reasonably
deduced from this inmateIial differences 10
point Of fact Such distinction once admit
ted, would be fatal to all government: It would
nhEolve each successive generation from the
law Of descent and distribuuon--i would des-
Troy "a man s right to transmit bis properly by
deyse-u would annihilate the right Of prop
erty ITSELF and Of course abolish every law in
tended 10 guard That property against fraud,
thef rapire or dcsifucliOn. Even the constl-
tuition would lose its authority unless approved
md adopted anew al stated periods, by such
successive generation, ard society would thus
be at intervals, resolved into lis original ele-
ments. But IL is needless % descant on this
subject; ali nations including our own, have inn
fnemorially exercised tha right Of borrowing
money on the faith Vt the State or sovereignty
for whoee use Il was intended. Our Federal
Government ka5 but recently extnguished a
public debt contracted in season Of adversely
and portland. without which. the sinews Of war
would have been paralyzed and the blessings
bfp3ace never attained or enjoyed. We have
been on the eve Of wal with several foreign
powers 10 consequence, not Of their refusal, but
Of their mere failure to pay Us sums Of money
claimed by our citizens, as indemnity for spoil
alious committed BY usurpers, during seasons
OF revolution and anarchy. Not one Of the ma
lions thus indebted stopped to the ignomnl-
Gus plea, that such debt was unauthorized by
their constituents. Il was enough for them "a
know. that persons claiming 10 be s5vereigns
and Dc facto, exercising all the powers ofsoye-
reignty, had perpatrated the injury for which
our citizens claimed redress. Whenever q
people permit :heir ostensible government TO
perform acts which result 10 injury to other ma
tons, such people are bound to make foil res.
uiution therefor This results from the pow
er Of such people to regulate and model their
own internal affairs, anu the mpossieihly e
other nations, Of the task Of investigating tbt
title Of such actual SOY ercigns, to the pFeroga
tiyes which they possess and exercise. Span
Chords but one exception 70 the general exam
pie, that the acts Of each sovereign are bind
ing on his SUCCESSORS By their organic law
no monarch can bind his successor and there
fore, nations or individuals dealing with Span
ere presumed 10 rely only on the pledge OF ih'
monarch with whom the contract is made
And yet Spain has never availed herself ofthi
law, 70 get rid Of a debt or obligation contract
ed in good faith and for public purposes. Il !
tue that several European powers have at diff
Serent times refused to redeem their obllga
tons: 50 have nations refused to fulfil the snp
ulatiOns Of their most solemn treaties. Bu
these cases have never beea referred TO by his
torians or Commentators as precedents 10 jus
tify similar examples, but rather as 6eacons
warn mankind against repetition Of the o.