Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1850-03-06
COMMUN MIC ALTON.
For the Port Tobacco Times.

r. T. Metrick, Esq, which, owing to cir
cunstances unnecessary 10 detail, has Jus,
me, my eye.
In stating my objections to his resolu-
lions, merely exercised an undoub.ed righ,
"a right guaranteed by the organic law, as
essential to free representative government.
II is always the privilege and often the duty
at the citizen to animadvert upon the pub
lie acts of public men, and it would sound
strange, in our day, to hear this right called
in question. 1t is matter Of choice and
somewhat of taste, whether this shall be
done over an assumed signature or ones
proper narne. Usage is in favor Of the for
mer mode, and it might look like vanity or
~go,ism 10 depart from it. The able and
spirited appeals Of Thomas Paine to the A.
merican Colonis,s, urging resistance to Bril-
fish usurpa,ion, and ultimately independence
Of Briush eontrof, weIe written over the
signature Of sCommon Sense" The i'm
mortal exposition and defence of the Fede-
raj Constitution bears the unpretending sig
nature Of "Publius." If Madison, Hamilton
and Jay judged it wise TO respec, and oh.
serve this general practice, it would be
1'oversiepping the modesty of nature'' for
an humble individual like myself, unknown
TO fame, 10 offend against it. sound ar
gument needs not the adventurous help of
great name one feeble and founded on
error cannot borrow strength or the power
Of convection from name, however illus
irions. Such were the considerations.
which induced me TO assume signature,
designating my condition rather than my
person.
The next enquiry is, was the publication
signed, "a Slave-holder," wanting sin JUS
tice and information, as to tile course" of
our Delegate in this particular instance
The specifications, which follow this pas
ssge, leave the reader in no doubt as to the
ground on which the imputalon of agno-
rance is made to rest, but il is not so clear
what is relied on to support that Of injus-
sice. II is better to be ignorant than I'M
Just; and 1 therefore lament tina, do no,
see SO clearly the point TO which my de-
fence against this latter and graver accusa-
sion is to be directed. Surely mere diff
ference Of opinion as to the legal cons,ruc-
sion and effect of his resolution relating to
shc abolition Of Slavery in the District OF
Columbia did not properly make me OBJ
noxious to such charge. ] had said that
sh's resolution crested Our resistance to the
abolition movement on the District of CO.
aumba solely on the deed Of cession of Ma
r,land, and thus abandoned the high con-
s,i'u,ional ground occupied by Southern
statesmen on the subject" The only point
of defence set forth in the resolution against
this aggressive measure, when directed
agains, <te District, was the obligation of
good faith due 10 our State. This was all;
no other ground was stated-none other
even in,imated. Erpressio ANUS est euszu-
$40 nlterius-,he specification of one is the
exclusion OF all olhers. ask, is this not
the fair, the common sense interpretation
Ahe uniform legal construction. To ascer-
tain the legal operation and effect of the re-
solution, had no other guides but the es-
tablished rules Of construction. In apply
ing them in This case, never dreamed
was doing the gentleman an injustice, or
narrowing his resolution within its legiti-
mate scope. Mr.. Clay assumed the same
ground in his resolution on the subject, and
conceded that 1t surrendered the conslilu-
tional power and stood only on the good
faith of the Federal government. feel tina,
] may here rest my vindica,ion against the
charge Of injustice, either by thought, word.
or deed.
j think j have as complete a defence a.
gainst the imputa.ion of ignorance or want
Of information. ] knew the fact, Gas my
piece shews) that the House had consitu-
ted Committee on Federal Relations, and
knew enough of parliamentary law to
know that its jurisdiction would embrace
every subject of conflict between the Fede-
raj and State Government. ! had read the
Governors message, in which the attention
of the Legislature had been drawn, in spi-
rit of earnestness and with all the force of
language, not merely to the ''Wilmot Pro-
yiso or any similar scheme" but to the Gre
solutions Of the Legislature Of the State of
Virginia, South Carolina, Florida, Missouri,
New Hampshire, and Vermont, in relation
10 Slavery and where he remarks ".l,ey