Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1844-03-14
From the Winchester Nirgihiah.
WINCHESTER ASSOCIATION.
--za 20: ns

In pursuance of the announcement in
our last paper, Samuel G.. Williams, Esq.
of Woodstock. addressed the Democrat
ic Association of Winchester on Friday
evening the lst inst. His speech, though
occupying fully three hours in its deliv
err, was listened to with profound atten-
ton, and tie loud frequent plaudits it
received attest the high estimation In
which it was held by bis audience. He
contended, despite the round assertions
of the Wings to the contrary, that the
principle and paternity a Federal meas
ure, and clearly proved, that although
the Republican and Federal parties of
the country, have each in their turn adj
vocated and opposed it, it was neverthe
less in direct conflict with the spirit and
the letter of our written Constitution
The Republican party, he contended,
advocated i: in 1916 on the ground its
being aCar relief measure, and the Fed
eral party opposed it, because it was de-
signed TO dlSembarrass the country from
the difficulties into which it had been
plunged by war which they (the Feds)
had sisnalized their patriotism in warmly
and bitterly opposing. The Republican
party on that occasion, he thought. didn't
stick to their text, whilst the Fcderalists
only acted with their usual consistency,
in opposing every measure which their
political ad9ersaries recommended. The
first bill Incorporating National Bank,
he contended, tho ultimately approx
ed BY General Washington, did neverthe-
less receive his official sanction with ma
ny doubts and misgivings as to the pro-
priety of yielding it-that moreover, it
received the sanction before the Const-
tuition was so amended as to restrict the
Federal Government to the exercise of
the expressly delegated powers; and that
ifeven his assent to that measure could
Be defended upon fair and proper con-
struction of the constitution, there was
certainly no excuse after that amendment
had been engrafted, for any one of his
successors to give their official sanction
to such bill He proved from the late
Bank speech which Mr.. Clay delivered
in 184l, that the power TO grant charters
Of incorporation was wholly unwarranted
by the constitution Of the country, and
happyily sustained the Kentucky orator
in the opinion he then entertained, by re-
ferring to the published papers of Mr..
Madison, from which he extracted proof
III abundance to show, that the Conyen-
ton which framed the Federal Constitu-
ton, had positively refused to give the
power in question to the Federal author
ity. He next cnntended that the power
to establish National Bank, could not
be defended on any fair principle of i'm
piication, and relied greatly upon the ar
gument of Mr. Clay himself to sustain
him in that position. The Federal party
in 1911, he said, admitted that the pow
er to establish the Bank was not eTp, ess
~ granted in the Constitution, but they
sought to justify its exercise by employ.
ing as a means necessary and prop
eF to carry some other delegated pow.
err into effect. Congress, they contcn-
ded, could regulate commerce, and hence
as Bank might. in their Judgment,
prove useful and convenient CONNER.
ciai agent, the right to establish it was
included in the grant Of that expressly
delegated power. But Mr.. w. concur.
ring with Mr.. Clay, commended that al.
though the constitution gave to Congress
the power to regulate commerce, it did
not authorize Congress to deputize a