united states. those of them which are destined to become members of our great political family are compensated by their rapid progress from infancy to manhood for the partial and temporary deprivation of their political rights. it is in this district only where american citizens are to be found who under a settled policy are deprived of many important political privileges without any inspiring hope as to the future. their only consolation under circumstances of such deprivation is that of the devoted exterior guards of a camp——that their sufferings secure tranquillity and safety within. are there any of their countrymen， who would subject them to greater sacrifices， to any other humiliations than those essentially necessary to the security of the object for which they were thus separated from their fellow-citizens？ are their rights alone not to be guaranteed by the application of those great principles upon which all our constitutions are founded？ we are told by the greatest of british orators and statesmen that at the commencement of the war of the revolution the most stupid men in england spoke of “their american subjects.” are there， indeed， citizens of any of our states who have dreamed of their subjects in the district of columbia？ such dreams can never be realized by any agency of mine. the people of the district of columbia are not the subjects of the people of the states， but free american citizens. being in the latter condition when the constitution was formed， no
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