Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-02-08
In Quest OF t.ig lit.

An esteemed subscriber IN tue State OF
Georgia, who evidently watches with interest
the curse Of public events IN this city, and
VINO, from the remJlcness o: his point OF OBJ
servation, Sometimes finds himself not a little
embarrassed to understand the "carscs Of
things" as they arise in the stion Il Capital,
has prOpounded e. Us the following pulling
interrogarories:
CUMalXG. GEORGIA, January y, lS.S
MEssRs GALES x >EAToN: Viii you BE- KIND
enough to point out 10 me The clause OF me Con
stitutlou in which Congress al lis present Ses-
sion, found authority TO pas, toe act empower
ing the Secretary OF the Treasury TO issue those
twenty millions Oi Treasury notes! II IL Is
constitutional Tor our Government TO have
struck off and then 10 utter these same Treasury
notes, winch are tut mere promises 10 pay
would not the same clause in the Constitution
under wh.ch thl, power Is claimed, expressly OF
by implication, Justify the establishment by
Congress OF United States Bank, properly reg
ulated and restricted! 4 little light on these
questions will crafty many Of your readers and
none more than one OF your ignorant suoscrIo'
ers, the RITTER.
We must confess ourselves not a Int pose d
by the pertinent and pointed inquiries OF
our Georgia correspondent, who, possessing
doubtless a clear understa Gdlng and apracti-
cal mind, has supposed tina, our meas Ires OF
Governmental policy areaiway5 bas nPrin-
ciuIes of Constitutional Interpretation no less
consistent than sound. Dwelling perhaps
IN an unsophistcAted communlty, and ut
derstandiug the Constitution according 10 ITS
natural and obvious Toe ming the writer, We
tear has failed properly to appreciate TIE
power of "ObtuscatIou" displayed by those
who possess a talent for nice DISCRIMINATE u
and profound abstraction, when put 10 use
IN the exposition aud settlement OF al pos
sitle and impossible questions Arising under
our national charter. Perhaps 1t ne had
e. loved the advantages OF our long and close
observation, ne would have seen the imprc-
priety of propOunding ,uch Duntand straight
forward questions III matters which, from
their very nature, must ever rem IN lncom-
prebensihle save to the Initiated few, and
would have learned that the Constitution,
wheu stretched on the rack OF u strict con
Strucrioni-t" il, like the currency oi the
country, wnch prompts bis inquiry, subject
I alIeruat, cOutractOns and expansions
We do not ourselves profess to see how II Is
that the same instrument, IN the performance
of its organic functions, finds Itself capable
of supplying, at plnch what are called
Treasury Notes, while il is against lis nature
to do the same hing under the name Of Bank
Notes; but We have no doubt satisfactory
reason can be sivcr. for this contrariety by
those whose task il is to work the machine;
and as our querIst is Georgian, We take
the liberty OF referring nrm to his worthy
frllow-cit zen, the present distinguished head
of the Trea,ury Department, wlo, having
been specially c.llei to consider such difficult
que. tons, will doubtless be able to give bIm
q more satisact rs answer than any we could
possibly furnish Mt. Int