Southern Planter

From the Charleston Mercury.

Mr. Editor—Of all the valuable productions of Mr. Jefferson, I know of none more perfectly and thoroughly applicable to the present state of our General Government, than his celebrated letter to Mr. Giles, of December 1826. It appears to me, Mr. Editor, that you could not do better than to make it a standing matter at the head of your paper. It is as follows: "I see, as you do, with the deepest affliction, the rapid strides with which the Federal Branch of our Government is advancing towards the usurpation of all rights reserved to the States, and the Consolidation in itself of all powers, foreign and domestic; and that too by constructions which, if legitimate, leave no limits to their power. Take together the decisions of the Federal Court, the doctrines of the President, and the misconstructions of the constitutional compact, acted on by the Legislature of the Federal branch, and it is too evident that the three ruling branches of that department, are in combination to strip their colleagues, the State authorities, of the powers reserved by them, and to exercise themselves all functions, foreign and domestic. Under the power to regulate commerce, they assume, indefinitely, that also over Agriculture and Manufactures, and call it Regulation of Commerce, too, to take the earnings of one of these branches of industry, and that the most depressed, and put them into the pockets of others, the most flourishing of all. Under the authority to establish Post Roads, they claim that of cutting down mountains for the construction of Roads, that of digging Canals, and, aided by a little sophistry on the words 'general welfare,' a right to do not only the acts (to effect that,) which are specifically enumerated and permitted, but whatsoever they shall think, or pretend, will be for the general welfare. And what is our resource for the preservation of the Constitution? Reason and argument! You might as well reason and argue with the marble columns that encircle them. The Representatives chosen by ourselves, many of them, are re-elected in the combination, some from incorrect views of government, some from corrupt ones; sufficient, voting together, to outnumber the sound party, and with majorities of even 1, 2, or 3, behold enough to go forward in defiance."