Western Sun, Volume 7, Number 33, Vincennes, Knox County, 20 July 1816 — Page 3

and knowledge of our country, to shew him in all respects, the most deserving candidate, the man from whom rriost good mav be expected, because he can eiFeet most. Let those who wish well to their country, those who want their liberties secured and their rights asserted, lend their aid and influence to send Mr. gullivan he is- all they can desire, and will, if elected, effect

law. and sway the power that they while in convention delegated, in the quality of legislators ! I would solemnly warn the people to be guarded in this respect let them remerrther thai not only their own, but their ehildrens happiness and freedom depend Upon the event let no man be now elected to legislate for us or to rule over us. who served in the convention. Hereafter, when we see and know what thev have

more than they can now antici

pate, v done, and appro e;l of we will be I haveheard it said there was able to estimate them fairly, some iiitrkrueinsr at Corydonres u

pecting a representative to congress, and that Mr. A. D. Thorn was pitched upon by a party there, who pledged thetftselves to

support hini

nd their judgment to gratify a

L . - -.. -. . . I . , .4 . . . -.

W men won m.i navt: ulvimia

views in Mr. Thomas election? No, I trust they will spurn the thought. aol take Up candidate who will he pledged to none, but bound to all ; one who will leave nothing und me for the good of his constituents, & the happiness of the union and svin.ix v is the man. Mr. Hendricks who offers was I have heard, taken up at Gorydom by another party, who have their views also, no doubt. The peojple throughout the country will not suffer themselves to he milled thev will 1 hope ac like independent and intelligent freemen and if they do. Mr. Sullivan's election is se cure. 1 will siin myself, as I believe 1 echo the sentiments of INDIANA.

From the Oornicopia. The Constitution of the State of Indiana.

This instrument of our present

St"

thk wkstkum sum

-Will the people ft vrs and future hopes, at las

ic tnui Led blinaloided r convveteu. hut not vet laid be

loir the public m detail. From the outline, however, which has been exhibited, it nhist be grati: fying to every one to reflect that its general principles are truly republican. Yt t ii must be equally humiliating to know, that it at ihe same time, contains provisions contrary to every principle of true republicanism, and subversive oi the rights of the people This, indeed, is nothing more t' an was to be expe ted from the frenzy & intrfeue which marked the progress of the ftiedsures of a state government in even staffe, from their commencement at C ry don i;i December last, to Washingtoh cit ; from tVat'to your e'er lions on the 2dkJgRiday in Mai . till they aoain "m''ed. Cory don, where they received their legitimate a.'id prtematun! birth and from whence thev are now ushered Upon the people with all the traits bf folly and wickedness, which might have been anticipated from such a concatinUtion of connections. The people wen indeed de reived in the delegation of their rights They expected a spirit of health, not a goblin damned airs from Heaven, and not blasts from Mel! I But I will not weary their patience with unpleasant suggestions it has already been OCT . too much sported with by those to whom they had confided the most important trust that will ever devolve upon them in a civil capacity. The provisions of the constitution which J un e excited these animadversions are 1st. The fixing of the seat of government at Corydori for the term of nine years, and 2d. The prohibiting amendments to the constitution till the expiration of twelve years. Both oi vVhlch I will demonstrate to be a transgression of the power vested in the convention and a flagrant infringement of the rights of the people. As to te first objection that of fixing the seat of government at C Mvd n for nine years. This is a legislative act. a; id not a lixt principle of government. To prove which let us attend to the distinction, as had down by all political writers, between a constitution, which is the act of the people in their sovereign capacity defining the limit?- of the gover -ment, ami prescribing the duties of its fuo. Uonaries alterable only by the authority which created it and law which is the act of a trancient delegated authority and liable ij be altered by duy buc-

ceeding power. u The constitution says judge Patterson (2Dallas p. ;u)S.) is the wort: or will of the people themselvtes, in their origindl sovereign and unlimited ea;a ity. Law is the work or will of the legislature in their derivative and subordinate capacity. The one is the work of t'le Creator, the other of the creature The constitution fixes limits to the esfercise of legislative an thority and prescribes the orbit in which it must mow. In short the constitution is the sun of the political system around which all legislative executive and judicial bodies must resolve. IS then the provision in the constitution iixin; the seat of government at a particular place for a determined length of time, a legislative act, or an nriniovedble, and iixed principle of goYeriiment; If it be the lattter, it ought to have been placed upon the same footing with every other principle of the eonstitution and alterable only in th.e sathe manner, that is b the will oi tne people fdriiiaHy expressed For il is a fixed principle in a constitution that it can he re oked or altered only by the authority that made it. The legist latutt; of the stale at tlie end of 0 years, Will have the power to alter this provision and to remove the seat of government wherever they please r yet they will have none to alter or amend a sniffle iota oi the constitution. This is a traeit ftckh6wledgeihent then that the fixing the srat of srovernment at Oor don for 9 years is no part of the constitution and if no part of the constitution it wa an assumption of power in the convention to f;x it there ; for thev had no power to do an'V

riNCRNNBSt Jvlt 20, 18! 6. "We republish the following essay from a print lateU establish ed in New-Lexington, called the u Cornicopia," and have only to hope it k a horn filled with wisdom, that it mav be deal! out freely, with the same4 spint as this well e6nceived, and well written piece. Our vvise contention, i i ther, to delay ih.e publication, or seeure some extrt ngie support. sent their constitution to Ren tucky to be printed we are therefore unible to judge wliether the remarks (hi wri er makes be predicated on a fair construction of that premature instrument One thing, however, we all know, that the political freedom of the people depends upon their safely, and if the objectionable traits remarked on hv this writer, be really embodied in the constitution, we are not, we cannot he safe. Twelve years depriced of a right that is inalienable, hv a body of nu n called a Convention, elected to secure our rights, not to deprive us of them ! 'Tis preposterous. These things mav in some measure account for our not receiving the constitution, probably not until after the election, for a number of the very men who composed the convention, are now soliciting the people to fill thf offices they themselves have created. They wish n hecome governori1 of the state x incnibers of the legislature 8tc. &c. They want to execute tiie

thing but to iVaine tVe constitution and to provide the means of putting it into operation. All their acts beyond these are consequently null and void ; and the first legislature Wilhhave the riacht 1 ' ris provision to the contrary notwitiistandinff, to remove the seat of srovernment to any part of the state which they may deem more eligible than Corydon. The fecord objection is to the pro v iii on prohibiting any amendments to the Constitution until the e&piraion of 12 years. This couid made neither by the convention nor the ordinary leg llature. t4 or the rght of making, altering and amending the Conftitution oi a ftate refines alone in tiie people In empowering the convention to frame a coniiitution for them they del not piift with tin; right ljut relerved to thetnfelves the privilege cf deciding on the merits of tlie conttitntioh, and confequently Ue hberij of accepting or rejecUnng, of altering or amending it at any t niv what v t r I he people never Have and I truftin God never vp: pan with tliis right It was dele- : itf (1 to the com ention only r t definite time and for a specific purpofe and the right of delegating it to one convention fuppofes the right of delegating it to another wheofer a majority of th.e people ftiill it t xpedi: nt. It is the ;nTpifrcence of he people fays judge mTo' r, tinder the coi (lioition or fnrn of govnrhment which continues its obligation upon them d w ,m right in their agents or prrcfectff rs to hind them They haVc al all tintes a rcht tn amend it deh els, and corr its ahules. Ihe declaration of i depend nee is thll more to the point. It is the riht ot the people to abohlh their

government whenever it becomeSi OeltruCtive of their Tilety ami ht;p. pinefs, and to inlinute tuch tonn as maj feem moil hkeSy to feci. re tht m. But accord!' to the convention no matter how deflru&ive ofthe(eeuds tht prefeht coniUtion may be j no matrtr h(iW & feclive inadequate or contrary to the ill of the people ; thr fhail not have the power to remedy the evil until it fhall have completed tieir rum ! w hich according the political arithmetic oi the convention is fixed it 12 years. Th' had as much nht to fix it at 12000 ! If thc could fusfjend the right of h? people lor one rfa they might d, it foever. But the idi a is too abfurd to dwell on, and the argument in fu pp or t of it too futile tpdefrrve refutation The folly and wickednefi of the convention In adopting fueh i pr mciple can only be equalled ' vacity and wickedut fs w 1 tared it. O ! 'tis glorious mi iii When vtce turns holy, puts ; ill gion on, A flumes the robe pontifical die eye Of faintly elevation, blein h (in, And makes tht fouls of! wee t offende d heavi n A Rfn of hlood. rl tu have iOde cl formed a con. Ritution for themfi Ives and they are now coming forw ard glove in hand to fohcit our fnffrages to the enjoyment of the honors and emoItlrnents of it. You willfooner vote th m a vl dark room, water grewel and depletion" than the right of of comph tinp: the f h me d folly &. wickednefs which they already begun. I warn you therefore agatnfi vot'h for any man to ofhee, uh. voted in conventi t f reiiher t f tliefe abfurd and wicked provifions. There were njen however, u!io opp. frfi with nergj and t Soqiience die m afures complained of; and wfcofi-good fenfe virtue & zeal enthle ihem to yoiir patronage But st is all important to disrum.inate t)etwecn thofe who have fupported, ;uk! thofe who have abufed your priH ges. In the pr lent da w hep pohtictans ate to cheap and have likf o4er articles o ti fnc their mrk t price, the cnfii 'e manrlsthat their characters fhould he fpr ad bt f re the public in all their details that the people may f e the aw nil disparity between the genuine and tlv counter! ;t HOR TKNSIUS. For fke list of Candidates Advertisements, tyc, see supplement.

TO DEBTOKS. ALL thofe indebted to rr.e ny note nr book account are reqocArd 'o tn kc pyrhent by Ihe !5nS of Angufl nxt. Th fr whofe accounts or notes are rf kiog) landing, may depend oo bring fufd if they negltcl this noticr. CHARLES SMITH. July 18, IS 16 CHARLES SMITH HAS jnft receiVrd in addition to farmer

K 0

GOODS

1 q?vntity off Nrn Orleans Sugar cf the quality Imperial lea Green Coffee h axsons Almcnds, Logwood, &tc alio a fiandl -inr airor'mnt of Domestic Plaids all of w hich he clfcrs very low for cafti.

Read Tliis. THEsobG ribn h -.s Ltely opned in the corner nr t r nrrly occupied by Mr, B. J. H rnf n rjt! door to N. Breading's 8t Co a handfome fT.irtmrnt ot "cods fait ble for hc nrrl- nt frason. COO G ft ill g of, Dry-Goods, Hard Ware, Queens Warty run. Castings, $ Groceries. Which be will fell i x n re i font Mr If mil m Also Bottli (! Porter, by the dozen, Vinegar, &fc. $c. Arthur Patterson. Vincennes June 77 1816. 27-tf