OR THE QUESTION OF EXCLUSIVE POWER, THE TRUE ISSUE IN THE PRESENT MONETARY AND POLITICAL DISCUSSIONS IN THE UNITED STATES. Abstract Truth is an "air line" drawn by theorists, which often cannot be followed 42 386 .K53 TO ALL TRUE PATRIOTS, THE FOLLOWING NUMBERS ARE INSCRIBED, WITH THE REQUESTS THAT THEY WILL "Read, think and reflect-Read, reflect and think," And then pass them in succession to all WHO WILL DO LIKEWISE, AND OBLIGE THE AUTHOR. Entered according to an act of Congress, in the year 1841, by U. P. JAMES, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, in and for the District of Ohio. R. P. Brooks, Printer. Life. Todd 10-12-420 76459 FEDERALISM. NO. I. MR. JOHN C. WRIGHT :-Sir-You must be amused, for surely I am, at the great solicitude which is so frequently manifested of late by many of the friends of both the candidates for the chief executive office of this Union, for the ensuing four years, that their respective aspirants shall not, by any means whatever, be considered Federalists. But in sober earnest we should not be amused. If by Federalist you mean one who believes that our general government has the exclusive and "supreme" right under the Federal Constitution, to exercise all the powers especially delegated to it by that instrument, and all the auxiliary and incidental powers which, in honesty and good faith, shall be deemed "NECESSARY and PROPER" to carry these special powers into efficient and benificent action; "provided they are not forbidden to the General Government, or reserved to the States or to the people ;" then we all should be Federalists. If Whiggery means not that-if Democracy means not that-if Restrictionism means not that-if Nullification means not that-then I am neither Whig, Democrat, Restrictionist nor Nullifier, but a Federalist, "and the most offending soul alive." Why then all this deep solicitude not to be thought a Federalist? Are we determined to generate and keep alive feelings inamicable to the happiness and to the durability of the Union of these States? Are we determined to educate the people in each and every State to be Nullifiers in feeling? Are we resolved that our young men shall be raised up with an habitual indisposition from early life, to concede to the General FRR Government the free and full exercise of all its legitimate powers, for the fear of being branded with the odium of Federalism? Is the mad dog epithet of Federalist to be perpetually held in terrorem by knaves and fools, to excite the fears and to warp the understandings of the young and inexperienced-to pander to the ignorance and prejudices of the many, and finally to bring your system of "E Pluribus Unum" back to the rope of sand of the old confederacy? Sir, our system of government should in its action be eminently educational. If it was founded upon too high a scale for the moral and intellectual standard of the people at the time of its adoption, continual efforts should be made to bring them up to the standard which was assumed for them. Can terrifying appeals, catch-words and political humbuggery do that! Do these produce an enlightened discussion of the principles of your form of government, or a dignified and patriotic vindication of its true policy? No, Sir, no. On the contrary, as "ye sow shalt thou reap,” until the "confusion of tongues" shall become worse confounded, and our "Babel" confederacy, which aspired to heaven, to be a "beacon light" to all nations, shall be given up to destruction, and be scattered into its original elements. To ward off this dreadful catastrophe the press should be reformed. It should no longer be the retained council of party to make virtue look like vice, and vice look like virtue. It should cease for party purposes to throw dust into the public. eyes. It should abjure all humbuggery and political jockeyship. It should, every where and with "trumpet tongue," proclaim Truth! truth! alone, "Bear witness earth and heaven,' The writer pretends not to infallibility in his political opinions" to err is human.” But no man should "love darkness rather than light," because it is the true interest of no man, and most certainly of no nation. Otherwise heaven would be false. That in mere matters of opinion there should be honest and patriotic differences of sentiment, was to be expected. In fact, it rarely happens that truth can be ascertained by a "balance or a two foot rule." Like many things very valuable, it was ordained to be procured slowly and by hard labor in many instances. The toil of patient investigation and the collisions of mind, and the inspirations of spirit-stirring debate, were made necessary and for wise purposes to evolve it. But with these, proscription, humbuggery and catch-words have no alliance; they are employed to excite prejudice—to gull the credulous-to mislead the foolish, and not to release the understanding from the shackles of the one or the frauds of the others. Yes, Sir, our government being eminently in its practical administration, a government of public opinion, these malign influences should be discountenanced which mislead and corrupt that public opinion-which convert it from the true faith into political heresies, and necessarily place it under the lead of the very worst men in the nation-the desperate and unprincipled who are willing to generate popular ignorance, prejudice and corruption, in which only they can live, move and have an infamous existence. It is in this way that a bribe comes in effect to be offered to every man in the nation to become a scoundrel in conduct, if not in principle, and a rebel to the constitution of his country. It is in this way that error begets error, and corruption begets corruption, until it becomes absolutely unpopular to advocate virtue, good faith, the rights of property, the continuance of this Union, the dignity of the law, the supremacy of the constitution, or the obligations of an oath to sustain either. It is in this way that we distinctly see the potency of the press for good or for evil, for weal or for wo to this nation. Yes, it was assumed by our forefathers, when they ordained that it shall be free, that it would be patriotic, that it would be honest, that it 1* |