Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1854-05-01
Relief for the WEARY and Heavy Laden"
Tho Goyernmant


Congress is getting to have Jurisdiction
as extensive as that of the court of chan
Gerry. All who fee! aggrieyed, all who
want money, all who need charity, all no
are crippled, all who are insane, all who
want to make investigations into difficult
and perplcxing questions, all who want
free farms, and, finally, all who have any
matter of complaint, 60 either in their own
names, or in the names of their next
friends, before that honorable body to ask
redress, relief help, and appropriations
They regard themselves as helpless little
Infants. and the government as their great
parent, at whose surcharged teats they
may tug until they shall fall off into
delightful slumber and heavenly oblivion.
They look upon government as great
eleemosynary institution intended to feed
the hungry, clothe the naked, wash the
filthy heal the sick, supply land to the
landle's, houses to the houseless, crutches
to the ciipples, spectacles to the near-sieh,-
ed speaking-trumpets to those who are
'.thick of hearing, " wigs to the bald, rat
ties to children, and pocket money to all
who are so unfortunate aS.to need it. They
look upon Congress as the almoner and
dispenser Of this magnificent charity, and
they have as much faith in a memorial or
petition to that honorable body as old Mr..
Weller had in what he called "a halibi."
An act of Congress is looked upon as
king cure. ala sovereign remedy, uni.
yersal specific, or, as the hymn-book has
it, "a balm for every wound
II the Supplemented, wise and
Gus mtn who founded oaI vi....i-
could rise from the den'' f.s,ltntions
g'impses 9th" and i'reyisi, the
more = - moon," they would not b.,
astonished at the sight of steamboats,
rail- Dads, telegraphs, and Colts six.shoot-
ers, than they would at The gum. elastic
properties which, by hook OF BY crook.
have been impaired to thu rigid and
unyieldlng Constitution which they made
for US. They did not look upon the gov
eminent as the great source Of charities.
as the pensioner OF paupers and as the
great physician whose business j, IS to-
write prescriptions and administer medi-
clnes. In the honesty oftheir hearts they
thought that It behooved individuals to
help the needy, to comfort the afflicted.
and to perform all the offices of the good
Samaritan. They thought and they prop
erly thought, that any system was wrong
socially, religiously, and politically
wrong-that relieved Individuals. as such.
from the discharge OF these high duties,
and devolved them Oh grea, heartlesS
corporation.
Moreover they did not design building
up vast government that should absorb,
all powers and privileges. No one can
reao the proceedings and debates of the
convention that framed our federal govern.
ment without seeing that there was per-
yading and yigaant jealonsly in relation
to Its powers We fear that we are de-
parting in these latter aays from the inten-.
tons OF our fathers. We fear that we ale.
aisftgaFdlpg their wise teachings and abus-
ing the institutions which they bequea,h-
ed us. The tendency is to consolidation.
Il should BIZ seduously guarded against.-
Wash. Sentinel