Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-03-04
-, an hth0THNIt InHh
Ss are they all, all honorable Girn.

''will no doubt with reason, answer us; for
Mr buchanan
-, an honorable man
- are they all, all honorable Girn.
Mr. Jefferson after all, may be in the wrong;
though few, if any. have attempted 10 rcfitc
him. Official oathS-the Constitution itself
may be Of no binding force We who think
otherwise may be mslsd By the waning lights
Of the revolutionary era-thoSe little stars
which hide their diminished "hcads" before the
blazing comets that now amaze the world por-
tentous Of change. The Wa>hingtons and JEFF
fcrSons-thc pignics of a dark agc-must not
he compared with the giants who do now
"--he,triie the narro. world
Like colo,,us"
We had no Agamernnons ill now.
One Senator. | am aware Mr.. Toomb; OF
Georsia), considers the right Of the Govern
ment to acquire territory by purchase, or by
war. as settled by Il construction of the Con,
sttuton now no longer open TO dispute Let
us not complicate the question by referring TO
acquisitions by conquest; these may pausibly
ut least, be defended As incidental to the war
making power. The enquiry now is as to the
right Of pureta.e; and deny that MGt has ev-
er been settled as the Senator afiirms. Not
one of the prcccdcntS. so far rs can find, was
founded OH construction ef tie Constitution:
certainly not that first set by Mr.. Jefferson -
lie distinctly admitted the want Of any conSt-
tutonal sanction. True il is. that the territory
he acquired and that since purchased have
been rctaincd-unavoidably. There are act,
confeSsedly illegal, yet admitting no remedy
Some which once done must be maintained
FIeri non deb.nt, rdeto alent. But they should
be regarded as examples not to be followed,
but, il possible to br shunncd-certalnly never
to be extended to weaker cases. \ blow is
given to the Constitutions; are we. therefore,
justified in repeating il:
Let US enquire whittier the doctrines Of the
day will lead us: Factions from time to time
get possessed Of the reinS Of Government
Some popular or flvorite measure is urged and
adopted, involving palpable misconstruction O.!
the Constitution; the precedent is, perhaps, fol-
lowed. under circumstances totally different.
II becomes part OF the supreme law OF the land.
Nay. a law higher than that: one settled by Il
construction which has construed the ConSttu-
ton into dead letter. Question the ConStitu-
ton when you will; take the responsibility Of
disobeying its plain written mandates; but here
is q new version Of sLch transcendcnt authori-
~. that it is not even open to dispute.
How many bad preCedents, let Us be inform
ed, are equal to one good one: How many in
fractions of the Constitution constitute valid
amendment: Already we have precedcnts Of
al Alien ani SeIitioH Lan and Of Bank Chdr-
tsrs, and Protecting Tariffs, ard Force Bills;
of iipn Citizenship, and .SJmtter .Sor6rsiga-
ty Some of these have been, and all may be
repeated, Ut without repetition pronounced
..,IyIc.} AT IA " tho
written Constitution to the contrary. notwith-
standing. Add to these the measures now
pending before Congress transfer to the
tredtymaling pOner, and the discretionary
porers to Jorr0u and 10 apPropri0te-amount-
ing to the l,oncr Of tdr0tt0n--and if there be
any other left or worth having no President
need TO FEAR tic responsibility of taking il. He
will then. indeed, bc. in the fullest sense of the
term, 1.-THE Executive Government" He will
have swallowed up the whole legislative power,
and. like the wolf who having devoured Nun
cha,iscn's horse, found himself ready harnc>sed
and hitchcd to the Baron's car, he will be well
able alone, in the plenitudc Of usurped pow
crs, to draw OH the chariot Of State
But holder doctrine than even that Of "'rhe
Preccdcnt." has been recently preached in the
Senate chamber One OF the sworn supporters
Of the Constitution (Mr. Pugh Of OhioJ Is re-
ported rs having said that "the progressive en-
crgy of the American people was not to be re-
pressed by any government; and when our
system Of government should fail to respond
to the spirit of the people, it would inevitably
give place to something noblcr." Something
NOBLER than our system Of government
The Senator. it is to be hoped. for the happi-
ness of mankind, will give lis his new system.
All mus, acknowledge the grandeur u the con-
ccption.
Who are the people so cnamored Of Cuba
for the acquisition Of that island was the
matter in dcbatc-that if the constituted a,l.
thorities shall not respond to their spirit will
be ready to explode our system Of government?
Take out those who may expect some special
advantage in the way Of traiiic-thc clamorous
patriots who hope to feather their own nests
the friends Of the poor Cubans who, at not
much more, perhaps. than double the cost,
would save them from Spanish oppression, and
teach Creoles and Catholics to govern them
selves. abolish slavery. and establish religious
frcedom-takc out these and the revivins fill
busters, and few would be left, apprchcnd, Of
the great body Of the people who would
voluntarily pay out Of their ewn pockets five
dollars to insure ,annexatlon let the friends
of the measure talk Of hundred millions to
be replaced with usury insome way, God knows
how. TO Gil the Golfers of our empty treasury
and the pocket, Of the ProgreSsivcs. Two
hundred millions, and a bargain at that sum
the interest OF our proportion Of which, II |ir-
GINA contribute, Is she must, in some way Or
other, charging hor with an average rs one of
thir;v-thrcc States. will amount annually for
ever to largely upwards Of half a million Of dol
lars. We must respond to this demand, with
the prospect Of war with France and England
and the certainty Of deadly domestic irud on
the .titus Of Cuban slaves, or yield Up our pre-
sent system of government. But then We are
promised something ncbler, something CORES
pondn. with the progrcssir6 energy OF Young
America. What is the precise idea entertained
of government nobler than the frcest ever
cnioved on Garth, know not; unless il he TO
government at all.
But to conclude Admitting that the opinion
of Mr. Jefferson against the constitutionality
of purchasing foreign territory. may De justly
controyerted, the most confident Of the few
who. will venture TO assail it L,ay surely some
what distrust their own judgments. 1t will
hardly he said that the opposite opinion is free
from doubt. The doctrine Of the Old Repub-
lcan party was. that the Federal Government
should exercise no doubtful power. The Fede
ralis,s were reproached BY them for indulgng
in too bro1d construction. But even the
Federalists conceded that Federal power had
some limits According to the practice OF the
strict constructionists OF the present day it i;
shoreless and bottomess ocean While the
former could scarce venture TO extend the Con-
stitution over post-road from village to vii
lagc. the latter can stretch it over a railroad
from sea to sea, and vote millions in the shape
Of public lands to the iobbers who shall under.