Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1853-08-31
REMINIscENcEs.

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Issernal fsnprs,emea,-Pswers y csnsrsss-sE
The Union newspaper has tound somsS
c6nse Of trouble 30 the dissent cxRresssd ~
t6e Riehmond Enquirer and its corresron-
DENTS and ore or two other Democratic prints
from its views upon the subject Of the power
Of Congress to aid the Pacific Railroad. IL
might be curious matter of research 20 go
back some twenty or thirty years to see what
certain Of the Virginia Democrats thought OF
the question when this power was under DIS
cussion in Congress ~ afao
In 1912 the Hon. John S. Barbour. then
q Representative from the CaIpep?cr district,
when bill was before the House Of Repre-
sentatiyes to authorize q Survey for Roads
and Canals. took decided ground in favor OF
the power. we refer especially to his opln-
ions because he is still on the stage Of life, is
still leading Democrat Of the Old Dominion,
and was one of the first and most efficient
supporters Of the nomination Of General Pierce
in the Baltimore Convention. and Of course
couspicuously instrumental in placing him in
the Presidency. Tho Hon. St. George
Tucker, a Representative from the Wincbes-
ter district, also contende1 for the power in
its amplest form. A brief extract from the
speech of Mr.. Barbour may no. be out Of
place. 1t may be found IN the National In
telligencer of April, 18th, 1924, on the "bill
for obtaining the necessary surveys on the
subject Of roads and canals" In the course
of his argument, MIR. Barbour (partly in re-
ply to- the Hon. z. Z. Barbour and Hon
Andrew Stevenson, his colleagues) thus ex,
pressed himself: s I: aaa ~, ae
"If can satisfy the committee that this il
necessary incident to the military and naval
power Of the United States, fatter myself
i shall have accomplished all that duty re-
auires. II the end be lawful, and witbinTthe
legitimate purpose Of the Constitution, IT
draws after it all the means necessary and
proper to attain that end. If this be not
true, then the language IN which the Consti-
tuition is written has lost its meaning, and the
Government it creates iss mockery upon the
intentions Of its trainers"
ss In another place. Mr.. Barbour, says:
1.-THE Constellation never intended to deny
to Congress choice Of means. Is tho end
Legitimate Is it plainly and distinctly with
10 the scope Of the Constitution? Then all
the incidents necessary and proper become
the subject of legislative discretion. "a eia29
ssOn the subject of the alarm expressed in
regard to sstste rig hts,' Mr., Barbour made
some striking remarks .ogea .op t2os q
s"In the ardor Of patriotic devotion, and in
the zeal which a glorious canse inspired, it is
not matter of surprise that a sphere of ac-
tioa should be allotted to the States which
might be Incompatible with the full cxertion
of all! the functions ofthe confederatcd Gov
ernmens.. The events of the late war supply
us with some monitory lessons on this subject.
These cannot be forgotten; some Of them are
traced in blood. and others will long remain
as monuments Of human error, and Of the fall
lacy Of those errors where treason is left free
to combat them" Does the honorable mem,
Der from Vermont recollect that under the
pretext of State rights the Governor and
Captain General ofh;s own State invoked his
militia; by proclamation, to abandon the SER
vice Of the United States a! the very moment
powerful foe was ondcavoriug to dcyastatc
our Northern frontier, and whelm it in the
horrors of WARP Whose patriot yeomanry
wear the honor oe repelhng with scorn and
indignation this unworthy invitation? What
but those rules of rigid construction supplied
some Of the Northern members of this Con-
federacy With the hollow p.etcnce Of State
rights to strip the national arm Of some Of the
most salutary powers gyns eisl ~ h1sa
Nor was this all. Measures were con
certed to arrest and divert the revenues Of
the nation convention Of delegates assem-
bled, whose agents were deputed to beard the
Government in the moment of its greatest ex.
tremity; to paralyze the measures Of resis-
lance; and to proclaim its Impotence to an
arrogant and insulting foe, who openly threat.
ened to lay waste every assailable point the
camp itself became the forum of constitution
al exposition. No one who cherishes an ex-
alting pride in the glory of bis country, or
that has heart to feel for its calamities, can
forget the scene before Queenstown Heights
A gallant chief conducted our undisciplined
troops into the enemy's country victory had
already perched upon our standard, when the
CO. operating aid of expected reinforcements
was suddenly checked by constitutional diff
fculties, Disasters speedily clustered over
our hopes and nations honor wept and
blushed over the wasted blood of our people
and the sullied lustre of our arms A con-
struction widely different was given by the
people of the West, and as different was the
result. They sought the foe; they fought
and conquered him; triumph sat upon their
brows, and the JOY Of victory gladdcned ma
tons heart. A practical illustration is here
presented to these two systems of constitu-
tional construction MAJ. Int 212 sfl
THE PAN MANDLE RAIL ROAD.