The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-06-25

selves Justify the most cheering expectations. lie
} aspirations for more distant trade than that o
which have been speaking were not considere'
exuayagant by our Virginia statesmen at the tim
OF the cessiOn. There is no doubt but that Genera
Washington and Mr., Madison, and other dlstin
guished statesmen Of that day, regarded the Poto
mac and Ohio as the great natural line OF trade sn[
Intercourse, which was To connect the eastern ant
western portions Of our confederacy. Mr.. Madison
expressly asserted the probability, that this was Il
be the line Of intercourse, in the debate as 10 the
place OF the seat Of government, and adyerted Ia
some information which he had received as TO the
close proximity Of the head waters Of tho Potomac
and Ohio.
Had she remained an integral portion of Virginia
Il Is not exuavagant to believe that by this time
she would have been the hourishing depot OF the
commerce OF the western portion Of that StaLe-the
keystone IN great arch OF commefciciaJ interests
which would bind eastern and western Virginia to-
geiher-a common bond perhaps the golden link
which, to great extent, would have united the in
Jss's and healed the divisions Of the two sections
OF that State.
II she has fallen behind in the race, is it sur
prlsng in her To believe that il is owing in part
least TO her sepaI alton from Virginia, and her
nexion with this District Has abe had the f.eil-
tues and assistance which necessary TO develop
her energies and resourcesi
Mr.. Chairman, she has been treated like a child
separated from the natural, and neglected by the
foster mother. After long and bitter experience
turn to her ancient allegiance. She asks be restored
TO rights and privileges, the very names Of which
are sacred 70 American feeling, and dear every
American heart. She asks 10 leave you in one ca
pacity to return To you in another and better She
asks to leave you as dependant and to return TO you
as an equal, TO leave you as a subject, and come
back TO you as free; to leave you as burden, and
return TO you as support She begs to be permitted
10 return 10 her natural mother, from whom in an
evil hour, she was separated; and she is willing to
share IN the cares the burdens and responsibilities Of
the political family 10 which she will belong If she
can Partake also Of their privileges and their bless
ngs She begs you, in the name Of all that Is dear
to American feeling to put an end To the days when
her sons tread their native SOIL not like Antsus, TO
gather new energies from the touch, but TO lose the
best strength Of man, in losing the rights and priv
lleges which add so much to his moral power and his
elevation IN the scale Of Intellectual being. Are not
these right feelings and noble desires' Are not
these the aspirations which OF all others especially
demand American respect and enlist American sym
pathy' If we have enough for seat Of government
without them, how can we justify it to our con-
sciences TO refuse their request
But am told that this petition cannot be grant.
ed without violation of the constitution. | trust
Mr.. Chairman, that should be amongst the last
knowingly to violate the provisions or oyerstep the
limitations ofthls instrument lam bound too, to
spec the opinion thus pronounced, account of the
sources from which ii has emanated-men whose
The authority Of names, too, has been given, know
not how Justly, to which bow with all the respect
due TO superior intellect, but not with submission.
For truth and candor compel me TO declare, that |
have never met with constitutional objection which
was little able To comprehend, To realize, to
ter into. The positions taken, If understand them,
are that the power in relation to selecting the seat
OF government having been once exercised is eXecu-
ted and exhausted and that even If it were not ex
hausted 1t could not again be exercised, because we
have power to transfer this district or any por-
ton Of il the States, and having already ten miles
square at this place, could get another terri
tory for another scat Of government without volat
ing the bastatioa which oon6ns~ IN. nh
square. The provision of the constitution " ~,
e ITO exercise exclusive legislation IN all cases what
soeyer over such district mot exceeding ten miles
souare) as may by cession Of particular States, and
the acceptance of Congress, become the seat OF
government Of the United States; and to exercise
like authority all places, purchased by the con-
sent Of the legislature of the State IN when the
same shall be- far the erection of forts, magazines
arsenals dock.yards, and other needful buildings
Now, am told that this power in relation the seat
Of government having been once exercised, ID exc
cuted and exhausted. But WHY Ii IS contained IN
the long list of enumerated powers, in the 9th sec
ton of the ls article Of the constitution. That IN
strument does not declare in terms that this power
when once exercised is executed and exhausted
| Nor is there more reason TO suppose that when
once exercised is exhausted than in the case OF any
of the other powers specified IN this secuon OF the
constitution mig hit be told that the power OF de-
claring war when ence exercised was exhausted
could not show that the constitution declared In
terms that when once exercised should not be con-
sidered as exhausted. | could only show that u
there was any reason for exercising 1t once, there
were reasons for exercising 1t more than once. 90
in relation to the power of selecting seat OF gov
eminent it may be shown that the same reasons
which exist for once exercising the right, exist for
using II more than once. Suppose that, through
the seat first selected should have proved
be so sckly as to be unsafe the officers and mem
bers of the government: will any man venture IL
saw that there ought not to be in Congress powe
to change the location to some more salubrous Spot
Or suppose that it had turned out to be exposed tr
foreign nvason and from that cause an unsafe loca
ton for the agents of government Will II not be al
mted that in such an event there ought TO be pow
er to change it' Or, it might be that changeID tn
centre of population and the right Of the whole con
federacv to a due share in the facilities of inter
!, course with the metropolis, would require remova
of the seat of government; ought there not to he
right in Congress to change the seat Of government
+ in that contingency And is there not reason 10
believing that the trainers OF the constitution con'eu
plated that very caee2 Mr.. Madison In the debate
upon the proper place for seat Of government, ad
vocated the present location, upon the ground tha
the centre Of population was taking Southwestern
t direction The preamble to the Virginia act Of ces
sion declares the convenience Of access from Its proS
unity to the centre OF popuauoh, W VIC INC s'eo''0o
son for locating the seat of government where it
is Our foreathers could not and did not foresee tn
= wonderful improvements in the facilities OF inte
= course which have placed the most distant parts
}, our confederacy in near proximity compared wit
what they then were. The history of the day show
6 that they regarded the proximity of the centre {
population as q consideration which ought to affe
the location of the seat Of government, and if 81
n they must have regarded the right to change tn
IT seat Of government essential to the justice and ha
e mony Of our people. But there are other consider
If tons which demonstrate this position still mol
clearly The powers in relation to the seat Of go
d ernment and forts, arsenals, and dock-yards, a
> contained in the same clause Of the constitution al
IF couched in the same terms. No one has ever pr
a tended that the power in relation to forts and airs
p nails when once exercised, was exhausted, or tn
Is there was no right to recede the site Of fort to
c. State when it had been once taken and found to
y useless Such an idea is repudiated, not only by
IS manifest absurdiy, bu, by the constant practice
r the government Now, il is obvious that the san
lie reasons and the construction apply to DO
70 cases,
IT, then, Congress has the right to remove the Sc
AZ f au.r,n,ent and of exclusive iursdtcton NAV