Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1844-07-18


greater than Saul was here--ihc Father
Of his Country. |; may not be known TO
all Of you that some, aye many, thougn1
they saw no other remedy for the eVhs
surrounding them, and the evils 70 come, :
but this And distinguished oiiicel o.
the army, Col. Lewis Nicola, oy ie''el
addressed 10 General Washington, 10
ll7s2 when il WIS understood that Or
Y Guy Carlton had arrived II TINS country,
CHARGED with commission oil peace, ana
thai The war was virtually ended, inform
ed him that the opinion was extensively
entertained by many of his fellow Officers
llha, II was necessary for him to assume
the crown; that the condition Of the
Country required it at his hands, and the
people woold hail it as. The means Of es.
liablishing a secure and staple govern.
men,: How did the great Father of the
Republic receive this proposal? He had
precedents enough in History TO justify
the act, from the days Of Saul when the
children Of Israel clamou.ed for King to
reign over ihem-through all the annals
of past time, he could remember the sue
cessfu reigns Of Ilustrious men who had
done the like--The Caesars, the Charlie
mains, the Cromwels Of past time, but he
spurned the glttering dladem. He was
republican, and he administered such a
rebuke TO this mistaken and unncky ed.
wiser, as forever to silence such PROPOSE
tons. He desired him, as he regarded
bis own reputation, to keep the transac
ton sealed up his own breast, and prom
ised that he would do the same and to
bis honor be II said, that this curious fact
was never known until after his death.
The men OF the Revolution saw that
many considerations required that Gen.
eral Government should be formed for ex.
ternal and common purposes, while the
States might manage the local interests OF
their respective people, under their own
laws. The great national interests Of
war, peace, commerce, currency, the
treaty making power, and the post office,
with some others, required the establish
ment Of this common federal government,
and on these principles was our present
constitution framed. The labour of wise
heads and patriot hearts. A novel expe-
riment adopted TO our wide and growing
country. have neither the time nor tho
abilities to illustrate it in detail. Ii is the
most glorious monument Of political wis
dom ever reared by the wit of man, and
when we look TO the results we may well
believe, without fear of the imputation Of
superstition, that the blessings Of the God
of nations rested upon their labours.
T., Il. oT h1it N.
ernment four great principles were acted
upon and united in the framework Of the
political cdlfce, never before united in
any government
Isl. That the people are the source of
all power.
p. That as all the people cannot act
together, they should act by their repre-.
sentaiires fairly chosen by themselves.
Sd. That as government requires d.
vision Of the duties in the offices that
government, distinct chart should be
made laying off these respective depart.
ments, and as the minority have rights
that majority should never overthrow,
these great principles OF government
should be agreed on by the people in
| PRIMARY assemblies-the instrument in
solemn form be ratiied-be regarded as
paramount to ordinary laws-be laid up
in the archives OF the nation, and be call.
ed Constitution.
9TH. The fourth principle was the es-
Enlistment of general government
not mere confederacy, but govern.
ment supreme in its delegated powers
reserving to the States and the people all
powers not granted to the federal govern
ment.
The details corrcsponded with the beau
tiful frame. work--a whole was made,
which has stood as a model government
for emaRcpated nations, and the nations
Of the old world have been gradually
taking lessons from this text book Of pc.
litical philosophy /; and those Of the new
world, from Texas to Cape Horn, have
desired nothing better, and it will stand
through all time as the great deed of a
new era in the history ofthe nations Of
the Earth.
Now look briefly al the results in our
own Countrywide a few striking facts
instead of Iaboured dlsqusition.
The first tobacco was taken from Vir-
GINA to England in 1888. Two hundred
years alter--in l7s3-England acknowi-
edged our independence.
What was done in the 200 yearsl We
were here, in this town, upon the from.
tiers of tho Country. A few years be-
fore the Revolution, Gen. Braddock cut
a road through the skirts of this village
-lhena wild unsettled couniry-ths yes.
tges Of which still remain.
Our cities were then villages-our com
merce was in the hands of foreign ma
tion--wo had no navy; no army but a
few rangers, and militia. We imported
every thing from England, even to the
bricks with which to build our houses. -
In an order which General Washington
sent to a London house, few years be-
fore no commanded the armies of the
United States, he writes among other
things, for ready made clothes for himself,
his wife, the children Of the family, and
servants for shoes, thread, hats, a doll
baby for his wie's grand daughter, sugar
candy, and crackers. The list is now a
real curiosity; and to our hatlers, shoe
makers. tnyIors, bakers, and confecuon-
ers, TO say nothing of our large manulac.