Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1843-03-18
No. \

States to be Distracted. yet so muh were they i'm
pressed with the importance o. this subject, thai
they des red the district system TO be incorporated
upon the constitution. thereby placing it beyond
The huctuatlon OF temporary legislation
L nave referred to the action of the
States; to show the high estimation in
which this system is held by our country.
men every where. So popular is the sys
tenn, that 1t has been in operation for more
than fifty years in most Of the old States:
and IN three tourths Of the new it has been
adopted upon their coming into the Union.
The single district system will dissent
nate power among the people of the States
spreading its broad cast over the country
bringing the right Of representation home
to every mans door, causing every voice To
be heard, and every vote to tell in the PEG.
pies House Of Representatives
The general ticket system, if generally
adopted, would enable four of the largest
StaIes-New York, Pennsylvania. Virgin
la. and Ohio, TO control the entire legisIa-
ton of Congress. Let those States come
into that body with over one hundred rep
resentatives united in their politics, anx.
ious To promote The power of their respec-
tive States, and you will have a concentra-
ton Of power in Congress which will over
shadow the small States and place the con-
troll of the National Legislature in the
hands of four States; thus destroying at
one fell swoop every thing like equality Of
representation. Sir. | believe with the
celebrated George McDuffie, that this sys.
lem, generally adopted, will ultimately lead
to the prostraion Of the RICH, of suffrage,
and the overthrow of liberty itself
In the district system alone will the rights
of minorites in the States be heard. II
needs no labored effort to- prove the i'm
portance OF mlnorlties to the preservation
of public liberty; they keep a watchfu
eye over malorities, and are the first TO
sound the bugle notes of alarm. They are
vigilant to see that majorities keep within
the pale of the constitution, and are just in
the exercise Of political powers.
Under the late apportionment law of
Congress, the people are entitled to two
hundred and, twenty -,hree representatives
in that body. Let the States be divided into
that many single districts, and we should
have the most perfect system of represen-
tation on earth. Each member thus e..
lected will 60 into Congress direct from
those with whom he has been closely asso-
ciated; unbiased by State influence, and
entirely aloof from State dictation; he
will then be, as he should, the indie pendent
Representative of the pc pie Of his own
district. Local rights and interests will
then be fairly represented. Every wish
will then be known; every right seen, end
every wrong redressed. Then the House
of Rep; will be ONE what the
~ itt,ti int teb,, Ia
and faithful mirror, rejecting the shades of
the multitarlnus interests of This country a.
they lie extended, broadcast over this beau
tifuI and favored land. Let this State pur-
sue the example Of Georgia. VINO. although
the first To raise the flag of opposition TO
the late manddmus act Of Congress, as it is
81 called, has nevertheless gone on to dis
trio in pursuance of that act. Expecting
that some future Congress will repeal the
obnoxious law, we should be very careful
how we raise the banner of opposition 10
law which comes down to US with so ma.
ny sanctions. 1t has passed through a tr-
bunal worthy of our respect; it comes To
Us from an American CongresS--a body
who, in pant of ability and wisdom. are
not excelled by any in ancient or modern
times. The long famed Roman Senate,
once the admiration of the world far over
thousand years, will not compare with
the American Senate; nor will the English
Parliament. body remarkabl for itsearr-
ing for many centuries. AS sound cnnsti.
tutional lawyers and eminent jurists, there
are some in the American Congress who
are not behind Chancellor Kent or Justice
Story. The law of Congress. then, requi-
ring the States to be dlsiricted, comes To US
in a very imposing form, from body of
men who have sworn to support the Con-
stltutiOn of the United States, and who are
so eminently calculated To Judge Of that in
srument-trom President who has taken
the same oath. But it has been said. this
law is unconstitutional. Who shall Judge
of that! Shall Congress. who passed il,
and the Executive who approved 1.-THE
whole law making power thus uniting in lis
enactment-judge of its constitulonality,
or shall it be left to the legislature of the
different States TO nullfy it, if they so
desire!
This, Mr.. Speaker, will be notification
with mighty vengeance, compared with
which South Carolina qualification sinks
into nolhingness. Sir, we mistake the rem.
edy. The remedy lies with the constituen,
body--the people-if they do not like the
the exercise of this power upon The part of
Congress, let them send Representatives
there who W i'll repeal the law l, has been
said that Congress cannot issue a mandate
to the State Legislatures. The consitu-
ton issued the mandate over fifty years
ago, that the legislation of the States in
this particular. should at any time be super.
seeded by that of Congress, either wholly