Gazette Of The United States, & Philadelphia Daily Advertiser

For the purposes of laying out any townships, any lands, within the limits of this state—or for the

highly criminal; and the persons concerned therein as

principal, or accessory, are liable on conviction, to

heavy fines and imprisonment.

This law may be said to owe its existence to the high

court of commissioners which sat under the constitution

of the United States, at Trenton, in the year

1782, and which, on a hearing between Pennsylvania

and Connecticut, touching the question of boundary,

solemnly decided in favor of the former state. In

pursuance of powers vested in Congress by the old

confederation, they were declared to be "the last resort in all disputes between states concerning boundary

of

regularly made to that body, and judges appointed

or jurisdiction." Under this clause, the appeal was

agreeably to the directions of the constitution, who

after a full hearing, finally pronounced an unanimous

judgment, in behalf of the Pennsylvania claim. The

act again intrudes land speculators.

it: -

.cif of anun.

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doubted right, confirmed and ascertained by the de-

cision then given, and which it is utterly impossible

Pennsylvania should ever relinquish.

Some persons have indeed entertained an idea,

that the individuals whose interest was affected by the

decree at Trenton, have a right to a second trial be-

fore Congress, on the question of soil, or private title

18

between citizen and citizen. To my apprehension it

clause, will warrant any such inference. It contemplates

does not appear, that the genuine construction of the

states may have adjusted the question of jurisdiction,

places merely a special law, viz. that where any two

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as far as respects the lands claimed by them, and the

grants to the lands are claimed to have originated pre-

vious to the settlement of the question of jurisdiction

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between them—that in this case, there may be a trial

before Congress, concerning the private right of soil,

to be determined in the same manner, they might have

on the petition of either party (or state) which shall

had the question of boundary decided on appeal to

Congress.
Other persons, I well know, are propagating a

still more visionary scheme, of a second trial, on the

merits of the original controversy. In the ordinary

cases of private property, the laws recognize a right

to a second trial, under certain circumstances, and

therefore it may be had. But in the case of a great

national question, it is both trifling and ridiculous to

talk of it; more especially as the constitution, in con-

formity to which the trial hath been had, explicitly de-

clares the judgment of the commissioners shall be "fi-

nal and conclusive."

But perhaps you will say, why are these obser-

vations made now, and why are we at this time, called

upon to execute the act against intruders?

I answer you candidly, gentlemen. Very alarm-

ing reports are every where spread, and have reached

the government, of surveys made by men in arms—

of whole townships being laid off under an assumed

authority—and that a land office has been opened in

the county, for the avowed purpose of granting war-

rants and disposing of lands, in direct opposition to

the laws and government of Pennsylvania.

These are high charges, and of very serious im-

port; and there is too much reason to believe that there

are those amongst us, of desperate character and views,

who are fatally bent upon the mad scheme of a sepa-

rate state: and t attain their object, scruple not the

use of means which invariably lead to war and blood-

shed.

I beseech you, gentlemen, to consider cooly,

whither these measures tend. We will venture to

calculate, without the spirit o prophecy, what will

be the result, in spite of the sanguine projects of a

few deluded state speculators.

It is impossible to believe, for a moment, that

there is o little Sense and virtue in Congress, as to

suffer an enterprize like this to succeed.Every

member of that body, cannot but see, that what

happens here to-day, may happen elsewhere to-mor-

row ; and therefore we may be confident, they will

unanimously set their faces against the present law.

lesattempt to form a separate state. Should they

quietly give way to violence and usurpation here,

similar schemes will, doubtless de pursued in other

places, and our country warm with projectors,

who will ocn fritter it into as many divisions and

ub-divisions as ambition or avarice may devise.r A

common eue of danger will therefore unite all

Dats of the union against you. If the wetern in-

Fnrection was ubdued a few years ago, by the

pirited exertions of the people in upport of law

and liberty, how ean others latter thernelves with

hopes of ucces, and between whom there is this

difference? They had rien in oppoition to a law,

by many eeemed odious, and dangerous to free-

dom. But you are forming a projeet to eize the

property of other persons; an enterprize ininitely

mischievous, and which can have no advocates, ex-

cept the pattizaus of anarchy and plunder.

-It is truc, gentlemen, we goifeis very calight-

ened ideas of government, and boat much of our

republican vircue, and we are not paring in our

abue and contempt of monarchical conltitutions.

But what iguifv thee things, if they are not uf.

fi ient to induce us to ubmit to governments of our

own muking, and rulers of our own chooing ? Re-

publicans who openly oppoe themselves to the de-

erees of the upreme authority of the nation, are a

diggrace to the name and eharaCter The king of

Great. Britaio, in his ir peech to Parliament, af.

tery acknowledging our independence, dared to

prophecy, that our republiean government would be

of hort duration, and hat we should oon be glad

to exchange it for a limited monarchy. Take care,

gentlemen, that by your conduct you do not render

youelves the undeigning intruments of aecomp-

lihing, in part, this prediction. For reft a ured,

no position in the hitory of politics is more unque.

tionably true, :han that if mankind cannot find their

property protected under one form of government,

they will have recourfe to ome other that pofees

more energy and vigor.

Finally, gentlemen, your own immediate concern,

and the interet you have in common, with the other

parts of the tate, call loudly on you at this important

moment, to dicharge your duty as grand jurors, with

firmnes and integrity.. You are under the acred ob-

ligations of an oath, that you will diligently enquire

and true preentment make of all uch matters which

hall be given you in cbarge. And in order that your

attention may be the more pointedly turned to the ub-

ject, the court does in this public and olemn manner,

give the ait againk intruion in charge to you; and we

expecl, as you value your own happines, and the prof-

perity of our country, you will triclly and honeftly

preent every violation of this law. that may have fal-

len within the compas of your knowledge."