Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-01-24

our faces, and say 10 u.s. in the terms of Canutcs
pIesuinpluous mandate 10 The waves, "thus far
shalt thou go, but no farther" There is moi an
American, having lreeman's soul within him
unless he were sunk deeper down in the sloupbs
Of dasiardism and vilencss Than Houor's voice
ever rearhed-Who would youchsaf. any other
than Tins relor 10 such an afiIont: "NVngN lNso
LENGE MAKES DEMANDS on Is, VIZ NEGOTIATE wirn
THE swoRDr'
But il is not true that the Constitution forbi9s
these acquisitions, and il is very sure al the same
time, that acquisitions like these, whichever the
mole oil acquisition in no wisc trench or en-
croaclI upon any ''TGrrrcd' rights OF The States
How could these States, as EtdsfGt States, have
rcS9rc"' right IN lie Constitution 10 make ac-
QUESTIONS, such as these through the appliances
Of cither discovery or occupancy, or The more po-
tent auXiilarcs Of treasure or bloodl Ii cannot
lie done. They are rights Of sovereignty indeed,
but they are rights Of sovereignty which never
can pertain 10 them in Fedcralive Union like
I ours. Powers such rs these reside in The Fcde-
Ial Government, which has charge Of The Fo-
reign Relations q! The country or they DO not ex-
Isl. Were il otherwise and State should be-
come an owner OF a Emagn Territory the rishts
OF ownership would at once involve the dniitS OF
ownership, The mosl important Of which would be
he defence OF The Territory against Foreign az
SresslOns-and such defence is of course, WAR
and war with opc Safe involves The peace OF mR-
AMI the consequence is loo obvious Ia be dwelt
upon, that the union OF these States could moi last
twelve-month, with an uncontrolled capacity
IN each OF them 10 acquire territory aud wage war.
II ! be right, then, in The curSoIy view have
taken OF Federal power, do not see hut that
| might maintain The power Of The Government
10 acquire Texas, even as IN original question
thus: Congress may declare war While Drawing
1rr,iS IhnD yho cha II hovn lis rno;I. Dthor
nations take them-why may not re? We cap
ture all cnemy's ship n sca-ihat changes the
ownership, il we secure the prize. Il becomes
ours, by Il title as valid as lis homc-conslIuction
in a national hoch-yard could make it, Suchare
The acknowledged rights of war upon Tie sea-
Upon The land We invade and conquer territory
oar enemy is suldued-sucs for peace upon the
basis Of the ri p0SsJetGs, and cedes that territory
/ to rs BY Treaty. May we take j, SuIey--Thc
laws vi nations, the laws OF war say so. How
has this nation been shorn Of those rights of war
which all others exercise and enjoy? II has not
abridged itself Of lis exercise, and none else ran
take II away. Even the Constitution sanctions
war, and repealiha is spells, IS its rerils are
both ours. Hence lake rs proved, that We can
acquire territory by t0Rgac9--lhal we can raiy
such acquisitions by Ticaiv--and, Qlough not
4 quite o5vious To those who Eever think for
/ themselves il i, equally sure that We can raliy
themhy LEGsLAroS But more OF that hcrea fer
7 Ii is not 10 be doubted, then that had We possess
( ed the ability in times pass, coupled with the de-
sire, and Just provocatonS, we could have won
The Canadas, the Louisanas, The Tluridas, by con-
quest, and held them and held them Iigh,tulv
and have formed them inlo States, and introduced
them into The Union, without the slightest nrac-
ton OF the National Constitution. He who is
thoroughly convinced Of this, stands in need Of no
argument 10 persuade him, that what may b. law
fully acquired by blood, against The will OF the
I rghitul owner, might he acquired By treasure
with his consent. Peace surely may give US,
what war may lawfully make ours Were il
o;herwso-and all nations were brought under
like disqua iilcaions The incentives 10 war would
have no end, and the peace Of the world be CONT
I nnallv disturbed. Then would all those nations
who coveted tririiory-( and which Of them do
no,l which OF them would have rejected Texas
as We have dorc?)-woulibc prompted 10 toment
4 qnarrcls Tor the last o! gain, wage war without
/ Just cause, and wrcs. from another by the meie
\ us maj3r, lis ri9hltn possessions. Still worse
/ would il be for us, it, while We remained under
lie Imputed disqualifcaion>, other nations were
/ exempt lIum them. Then we shonh wage war
I upon most unequal terms-lor, while others could
! lake our territory and keep il too, We, though
/ allowed 10 take heis Tor the nurcc under the lei
fGiiGriS ii NAV be- could not keep il undc. The Con-
slilu;on-and thus our Zoe Woald wage war
against ms, exempt from penalties til most ruin
Gus and the mosl dreaded aEd thus projected
al points The most assailabie aEd most priced
would ever BE- forward for nsn!t and ready toI
! strife But enough OF this. Tie man who can
doubl of our power 10 acgirc territory by am
qHes, should he treated as one out al The reach Of
reason, and given over 10 his infdeiiy; and The
man who does not doubt this, bur denies that can
be acquired IN am o'ier pay- will here, in the
ENQUIRER, columns and under tic public eye,
strike this bargain with him: That as soon a. he
shall point us 10 one OF The enumerated powers IN
HE Constitution. ~ which We can acquire foreign
territory by compost, constitute Government
therein, erect il into State and admit that State
into The UniCn; will point him 10 an enumerated
power in the same instrument, authorizing the &C.
QUESTION Of foreign territory BY either purchase OF
disc0rcTy dOnatiOn m Occnpancg-lhe Constitution
OF Government therein, its erection into Stale,
and the admission OF that Stale into the Union
Bul lake heed OF my terms, Alessrs. Editors.
will do il Hcal-but nercr iii HeM'
Let us now see il the theory haze presented
OF that portion Of the Federal power leiera-
bic 10 our ctiericr relations can be sus
tanned by facts as well as BY logic. With
this view let rs divcrgc for season into The
operations ui his Government. and consult as we
90 It's practices, lis treaties. lis legislation rs
history, and very especially, its own estimate oil
lis own powers. From these il will he seen, That
this Government, from the earliest Times has
been in The practice Of exercising functions of
sovereignty like those have referred 10, with
Others Of scarcely less Importance, when admin
stercd, too BIZ The sric,cst of our Republican
Presidents, who was lrinmphanlly sustained
therein by all the Strici roaSfHcti0HlStS. OF the
great Republican party, and acGuesced n--ay
appr0,rd eueHtUGNy by Overwhelming maJoii'ies
OF the people. ] refer particularly TO Mr.. Jeter-
sons administration, because lie was the ac-
knowicdocd father and advocate of "strct con-
slrnc,ion" in adjusting The balances between Stale
and Federal power, and his memory is Still cher
shcd for his principles ~ The great party re-
lerred 10, with III affection and reverence that
knows no change and ilustious as were hi,
services, no act of his lie commanded warmer
admiration and approval, than that rigid and
scrlpulous observance oil all the iiehliul pow
ers and sovereignty of the States which he
ever maintained, while conducting the Govern
inert through the severest and most complica-
led trials il has ever encountered Observe
then the powers which were exercised during his
administration, pertaining impeiscfplbly, indeed
10 nalionSi sovereignty, bat not one Of them e.
prtSNv enumerated IN the Constitution.
|. The acceptance from Georgia, in 1902 Other
large ceSsion Of territory, (now constituting the
States oil MISSISSIPPI ana Alaoama,i upon terms
and conditions, toe, 80 0nerons upon The Treasury,
as 10 make it a sale, rather than donoficn-but
he il the ore or the other, no cypress clause in the
Constitution sanctioned The acquisition So IN
The case of North Carolnas ces>ion on Tie 18th
February, 1890, during General Washinstons
Administration.
y The subsequent organization out ct Tie
cession thus made of The Mississippi Territory,
into regular Representative Government, with
lis Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Depart
mcnts, modelled upon neither the Stale nor The
Federal Governments, strictly speaking, Tor i
vested in the FtGcral Executive The power 10 APP
point 10 The Executive and Judicial Departments,
and gave to the people Of the territory The right
of choosing The members OF the Legislature
Now, the Constitution, far from giving erpn@
warrant for organizing regular Governments like
these, out Of, and beyond The States, actually de-
prives the inhabitants of territories, OF those
great privileges OF S!ats-titi .eaaay, OF demand
inc their dues in any Of the Federal Courts do