The true Democrat., 1854-05-30

make any adequate compensation for the wrong you would inhict by removing the sources of power and political action from those who are to be thereby affected. If the time shall ever arrive when, for an object appealing however strongly to our sympathies, the dignity of the States shall bow to the dictation of Congress, by conforming their legislation thereto, when the power, and majesty, and honor of those shall become subordinate to the thing of their creation, but feebly utter my apprehensions when l express my firm conviction that we shall see "the beginning of the end"
 Fortunately, we are not left in doubt as to the purpose of the constitution, any more than as to its express language, for although the his- tory of Its formation, as recorded in the Ma dison papers, shows that the federal government, in its present form, emerged from the conflict of opposing influences, which have continued to divide statesmen from that day to this, vet the rule of clearly defined powers, and of strict construction, presided over the actual conclusion and subsequent adoption of the con- stitution.
 President Madison, in the Federalist, says: " The powers delegated by the proposed con- stitution to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments, are numerous and indefinite lts' (the general governmental Jurisdiction extends to certain enumerated objects only, and leaves to the several States residuary and in- violable sovereignty over all. other objects"
 In the same spirit, President eAerson nvokes "the support of the State governments in all their right as the most competent administra- tors for our domestic concerns, and the surest bulwark against anti-republican tendences;;' and President Jackson said that our true strength and wisdom are not promoted by in- vasions of the rights and powers of the seve- ral States, but that on the contrary, they con- sist not in binding the States more closely to the centre, but in leaving each more unobstruct- ed in its proper orbit.''
 The tramers of the constitution, in refus- ing to confer on the federal government any jurisdiction over these purely local objects in my judgment manifested wise forecast and broad comprehension of the true interests of these subjects themselves. It is clear that public charities within the States can be efficiently ad- ministered only by their authority. The bill before me comedies this, for it does not commit the funds 1t provides to the administration of any other authority.
 cannot but repeat what have before ex- pressed, that if the several States many of which have already laid the foundation of mu-
 
 nearly all of which are proceeding to establish them, shall be led to suppose, as they will be- should this bill become law, that Congress is to make provision for such objects, the foun- tains of charity will be dried up at home, and the several States, instead of bestowing their own means on the social wants of their own people, may themselves, through the strong temptation which appeals to States as to indi- viduals, become humble suppiants for the boun- ty of the federal government, reversing their true relation to this Union
 Having stated my views of the limitation of
 he powers conferred by the eighth section of the first article of the constitution, deem it proper to call attention to the third section of the fourth article, and to the provisions of the sixth article bearing directly upon the question un- der consideration; which, instead of aiding the claim to power exercised in this case, tend. it is believed, strongly to illustrate and explain po- sltlons which, even without such support, can not regard as questionable.
 The third section of the fourth article of the constitution, is in the following terms: "The Congress shall have power to dispose of, and make all needful rules and regulations respect Ing the territory of other property belonging to the United States, and nothing in this consti- tutlon shall be so construed as to prejudice any claim Of the United States, or of any other particular State.' The sixth article is as fol- lows, to wit: that "All debts contracted and engagements entered into, before the adoption of this constitution, shall be as valid against the United States under this constitution as under the confederation"
 For correct understanding of the terms used Tn the third section of the fourth article above quoted, reference should be had to the history of the times in which the constitution was formed and adopted It was decided up- on in convention on the 17th September, 1787, and by It Congress was empowered to dispose ot," etc., the territory and other property be- longing to the United States" The only ter rltory then belonging to the United States, was that then recently ceded by the several States to wit: by New York in 1781, by Virginia in l784, by Massachusetts in 1785, and by South Carolina in August, 1787, only the month be- fore the formation of the constitution. The cession from Virginia contained the following provision:
 That all the lands within the territory so ceded to the United States, and not reserved for or appropriated to, any of the before mentioned purposes, or disposed of in bounties to the of- fcers and soldiers of the American army. shall be considered a common fund for the use and benefit of such of the United States as have become, or shall become members of the con- federation or federal alliance of the said States, Virginia included, according to their usual re- spective proportions, in the general charge and expenditure, and shall be faithfully and bona ide disposed ef for that purpose, and for no other use or purpose whatever"
 Here, the object for which these lands are to be disposed of is clearly set forth, and the pow CT to dispose of them granted by the third section of the fourth article of the constitu- tion, clearly contemplates such disposition only. If such be the fact, and in my mind there can be no doubt of it, then you have again, not on- ly the implication in favor of the contemplat- ed grant, but the strongest authority against it.
 Furthermore this bill is in violation of the faith of the government pledged in the act of January 28, 1847. The nineteenth section of that act declares, "That for the payment of the stock which may be created under the pro- visions of this act, the sales of the public lands are hereby pledged; and it is hereby made the duty of the secretary of the treasury to use and apply all moneys which may be received into the treasury for the sales of the public lands after the first day of January, l848, first