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Washington City 20 Septem: 1840
Sir, The late convention of delegates from various sections of the District of Columbia, including the City of Washington charged me, as their chairman, with the duty of transmitting to you their remonstrance against the abuses of the power of exclusive legislation over this District, as excercised by the now ruling majority in Congress; and of requesting you officially to communicate this remonstrance to the two branches of your State-legislature at their next sessions, in order that they may take such measures thereon, as, in their wisdom, may be deemed just, under the circumstances stated in the remonstrance.
Considering that the Senators & representatives of each State, in Congress are responsible to their respective constituents for their Conduct in legislating for the District of Columbia, just as necessarily & directly as for their conduct in any other department of legislation; and that upon the State legislatures,
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as electors of the Senators, has devolved such authority of practiced control and direction as is incident to the relations of elector of elected, the convention deemed if no [illegible] their duty than their right, to address their remonstrance both to the legislatures & to the people of the several States.
I have therefore the honor to place in your hands this remonstrance, which you will find herewith enclosed; not doubting that the disposal of it, according to the request of the convention, will be compatible equally with the official duties of your station, as with your own inclination. I am, Sir, With all respect, Your Obt. Servt. W. Jones
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To His Excellency The Governor of the State of Tennessee
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The Remonstrance of The Citizens of the District of Columbia, by Their Delegates in Convention, to The People of the United States, and to The Legislatures of the Several States, against Oppressions, Manifold and Grievous suffered from the Misrule of the Now Ruling Majority in Congress August, 1840 Washington: National Intelligence Office 1840.
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The Citizens of the city and county of Washington and the county of Alexandria, in the District of Columbia, by their Delegates in Convention Assembled, to the People of the United States, and their several Legislatures.
Fellow-Citizens: It is on no common occasion that we address you. Our feelings have been outraged, as our rights trampled upon, and our interestes sacrificed by men acting as your Representatives, and directly responsible to you for all their acts in that character. Deaf to the voice of justice, regardless of the bind man to man, seeking to promote their party interests, and to gratify their private passions, they have, in the wantonness of an ephemeral power derived from you, dared to treat us as slaves.
From the unrighteous exercise of this power we appeal from them to you, from the servant to his master. Redress is, thank God, yet in your hands. The spirit of tyranny that would crush us has not yet, with success, raised its parrici-dal arm against you.
Hear, judge, and act upon our unvarnished statement. With you we are the descendants of men who achieved their liberties against foreign tyrants with their blood; with you we are members of the same glorious confederacy which guarantied these liberties by a Constitution established by the People of the United State, "to form a more perfect union," establish justice, ensure domestic tranquillity, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty."
With you we bear the same burdens, and enjoy the same rights, subject to the exclusive legis-lations of Congress. Exclusive of what? Clearly of the States of which the District previously composed a part; State jurisdiction, as such, was displaced, and simply supplied by that of Con-gress. It was not intended, it could not be intended, without a monstrous political anomaly dis-graceful to the verable framers of the Constitution, to confer on Congress the sweeping powers of a despot. The powers conferred were indubitably, therefore, limited by the rights uni-versally enjoyed by the whole People of the United States, and more especially by the safeguards and bulwarks provided by the Constitution itself Within this sphere. Congress, taking the place of the State Legislatures who had ceded their jurisdiction, may rightfully, act; beyond it every exersice of power is tyranny.
Under the inviolable safegaurd of this broad aegis, had the rights of the People, over when exclusive jurisdiction was ceded by the States to Congress, been placed, when the District of Columbia was established as the seat of Government, and the city of Washington founded: such were the essential conditions of the compact of cession, necessarily implied and understood by the States who made the cession, by the Congress who accepted it, and by the People of the District who asquiesced in it. All the States and all the people of the States became virtual gauranties to the faithful and just fulfillment of those conditions; and as they retained in their own hands the plenary power and the efficient means of executing their duties as fuaranties, through the control reserved directly to themselves alone over their own servants and representatives, to whom they held that power and those means in sacred trust for the benefit of the People, over whom they sent delegated servants and representatives to exercise the power of legislation. When they bestowed upon the infant city, founded by themselves, the name of the most illustrious of the as-serters and defenders of public liberty and independence, they raised a visible monument to his fame and virtues; but it had been no better than an opprobrious insult to both had it been set apart from all the wide limits of the Republic to be desecrated as the chosen seat of despotic and lawless power, or, what is practically the same thing, of unlimited and irresponsible legislation.
Citizens from the several States repaired to it in full confidence that their rights and interest would remain inviolate; nay, more, in the firm belief that those rights and interests would be the last to be invaded which were shileded by the collected wisdom and virtue of the nation. For a long tract of years they had no respon to complain of any disappointment to these golden hopes. They did not acquire wealth, but they were contented. Industry was crowned with its usual reward, the state of thinfs was progressive and promised gradual improvement. Govern-ment, it is true, did no do many things was progressive and promised gradual improvement. Govern-ment, it is tru, did not do many things which the People expected; but as its members, Executive as well as Legislative, were highminded men, of exalted character, there was little di-satisfaction; and our community formed a common family, over which simplicity, hospitality, and friendship presided.