The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-03-01


~ Mr.. WELLER has been elected United
States Senator from California, in place of Mr.
FREMONT.
~ We extract the following sensible and
seasonable remarks from the Memphis Appeal, Il
very ably edited and independent paper. We
have repeatedly had occasion to comment on
this tendency towards latitudnOns construction
on the part Of our politicians, and the almost
indefinite extension Of the powers and privileges
Of the federal government, which some Of them
advocate
| Never before was il so requisite for the Re-
publican party, sternly to adhere to strict con-
struction as at this identical time.
LA1ITupINoUs CoNsTRUCTIoN. - Amid the
cries of "disunon" secession" qualification"
&c, which of late years have been INDUCED in
by demagogues who affect such holy horror at
tho seeming turbulent disposition of some Of
| the States, resulting from desire and deter
minaton to maintain their inherent rights and
| liberties we fear that the true and only real
danger to the integrity of the Union and the in
dependence Of its constituent members, has
been lost sight Of This danger we conceive to
| Uo Cu0 IiLlLuuiuouS IuISo W'ilCl All pttIbIco III
| Congress, and more particularly the Wing, are
disposed to give the Constitution in their con
structon of that instrument. The tenaciiy with
which its provisions were sacredy guarded in
the earlier days of the republic, by the wiser and
purer members Of tho Republican party, seems
to be lost sight of, and to get measure through
Congress now, it is only necessary to demon
strate its conceived necessity and find prece
dent The limitations of the Constitution are
rarely consulted, and it cannot be longer dis
gused that the chief tendency, and the one to
be mostly deprecated of this loose manner of
| Legislation, is to engraft upon our system of
government Constitution similar to that of
Great Brtan-a Constitution not written, but
having grown out of the usages of the govern
ment and the enactments of Parliament.
The impression is too prevalent that what
Congress has once done it may rghtfully do
again, and the doctrine of precedent is slowly.
though no less surely, undermining the con-
sentative rule of Jefferson, neper TO exercise
doubtful po,Oer. If the exigencies Of the coun-
try demand the exercise of power by Congress
which the Constitution does not warrant it is
wiser, safer, and better to procure, by amend.
ment, an express grant, than to bring the Con-
stitution into disrepute and insgnfcance by
leaping over its barriers. The enlightened
statesman cannot fail to see the evils that must
result from persistence in such policy, while
the true patriot will never fauter in his resist
ance to it. TO bring degradation upon the
States and to dwarf them in their own esteem,
is its leading tendency, while another result is
| the erection of the federal government into an
omnipotancy as uncomfortable as is the Russian
Autocrat With every advance made in this di-
rection, the individual liberty of every citizen is
proportionaby diminished, and step by step, he
will eventually find himself not only robbed of
his rights and Independence but even incapable
ofapprecHting and destitute Of the spirit to de-
fend them.
These reflections have been suggested by the
perusal of the following judicous and we'll
timed article drawn from the Louisville Demo
Graf, inreply to one from the journal:
The editor of the Journal has dropped the
subject of making the Constitution accom-
plish IFS designed objects by pratcal construc.
ton. He admitted that the language of the
Wing resolution was liable to misconstruction
This was good deal for our neighbor to do !;
but if he had told the whole truth just as it APP
peared to him, he would have said that the pro-
per necessary construction of the resolution
was liable to the gravcst obections that it
swept away the Constitution of the United
| States and all its limits, upon the power of
Congress, and changed the federal government
| from union of independent States or particu-
lar objects to consolidated government under
the despotism of majority. This is in accord
ance with Wing practice. That party never
| find any obstacle in the Constitution to the &C.
complshment of any desirable object; and we
may add, that less scruple on this subject than
should be, has obtained occasionally amongst
all parties; and in the earlier days of this re.
public the necessity of strict construction of
the federal Constitution was not 80 obvious as
it is now The smaller the area, and the less
| diversified the interests, the more power the
general government may exercise. Our boun-
| daries now extend from the Atlantic to the Pa
cilc. They have few interests in common, and
on these few alone should the federal govern
ment act Instead of more and "practicar'
construction to accomplish the objects deemed
| important in the discretion of a majority,
the federal government should be more and
more scrupulous ia the exercise of its power
This Union will never be in danger from the
non-acton Of Congress. The States are, how
ever, now fully able to manage almost all do.
nestle affairs; and Congress is less competent
to the task than it was fifty years ago. The task
is far more difficult than it was in former years
Instead of practical constructions to enlarge the
power of Congress- the policy of the statesman
should be to restrict the power to narrower
limits.
Runaway Slaves.
Under this caption, the edtres, of the Pitts.