Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1843-05-05

but short time before discussed lU'ly oil
the features Of The Constitution upon rs
adoption, prove concluslveIy that there
was no constitutional obligation on Con
gress 10 assume these debts Of The states
II there had been q constitutional obli-
CATION. there would have been no neres
slly for the Instructions Of any OF The
States Tor or against it. They we're not
valid against the constitutional Govern.
ment because lhev were not valid against
the confedersted Government. BY the
Srh article OF the coh(ederacy the
charges Of the war were 10 be 'deirsyed
ou Of a common treasury 10 be supplied
by The scVera, States. ''In proportion 10
the value Of all the lands within each
State granted 10 be surveyed for any
person. and by the fifth section Of the
9th article "a committee Of the States"
had the power during the recess Of Con.
eress to levy quotas upon the States.-
The debts assumed for be STATES by the
law OF 1890 were not comprised in the
first SECTION of The sixth article Of The
Constitution. which declares "lhai all
debts contracted and engagements enter
ed into before the adopuoC Of this Con
srrullon shall be as valid against the
Unned States under this Constitution as
under The Confederation II those Stale
debts had been valid against he Conled
Grafton, this clause would have assumed
them, without the necessity Of law Of
Congress. which is Of inferior dignity 10
The Constitution.
In the abe debate in Congress on The
assumption in 1890 Mr.. Moore said: 81
think the trainers Of the Constitution
coulempls'ej The payment OF The United
States dettB only; out from our assuming
the State debls they become The debts OI
the United States, and we are 10 pay
them"
Mr. Stone said The State debts which
we are to provide Tor are not the debs
Of the United States, and very possibly
may never be-"
Mr.. White said: "The debt due by the
States and not by Congress,"-2d vol.
History OF Congress.
These facts and this history clearly
prove that The assumption was not mat
ter Of constitutional obligation, but OF
mere legislative discretion, wisely and
lberaly exercised, no doubt, under The
general and Discretionary powers gwen
10 Congress IN The Constitution, The
| Constitution is the same now as them
Congress ~ the same now as then; and
it can exercise as wise, as enlarged, and
as liberal discretion now az then And
IN relation 10 the resolutions Of Virginia.
may state hat ;hey were passed alter
she bad ceded her lands TO the United
States, ard transfe rred with them much
Of her pubic obligation and debl, and had
funded The residue. But sliI she did moi
ln the least hesitate 10 avail herself Of
he benefit OF The law OF 1890, by which
the United States paid S3000,00O Of her
debt.
Mr.. Jefferson was convinced as objec
tionabe as was the law, that still The
public interest and The general welfare
required It's passage. To promote which
he said to Mr. Hamilton, as he states
IN The account which he wrote IN 1878,
and which | have quoted from ths 4lh
volume ol his writings. "all partial and
temporary evils should be yieIded."-
and from the same volume OF his wri-
tinps extract the following opinion,
written 1871, on what Mr.. Jefferson
ais lhe general phrases" Of The Con
s,lutlon, italcrsed by himself:
ITO lay laxes TO provide for The gen
era welfare Of the United SIales;' that
is 10 say. 10 lay lakes for the purpose Of
prouiding Tor the general welfare. For
The laying Of taxes is The potcer and the
general welfare is The purpose for which
The power is to he exercised Congres:
is not roiay taxes dd hbitum. for any Pur,
pose they please but only to p"y The debs
or prorlde for the ueltare Of The Union
1t has been stated that it was wise 10
assume the debls of the States 10 1890
because those debts were contracted du.
ring the war and principally in defence
oil the States; but that The States should
moi be relieved now, because their debts
were contracted in time Of peace, al
though Tor objects of great public impor'
tance. And The distinction which is ur
ged by some, that debs contracted by a
State for defence during war, without the
authority OF Congress, are different in
a national point oI view, from debts con
traced during peace although in OBJ
iects of railroads and canals, which su
petsede the necessity Of either large
army or navy, OF extensive appropra-
tons for forts and local Qualifications,
which deveope such increased power IN
peace and give such rapid facilities 10
war as make the na ion as wealthy in
| al, ia hln in inna nj