words used in that instrument could have been intended to deprive them of that character. if there is anything in the great principle of unalienable rights so emphatically insisted upon in our declaration of independence， they could neither make nor the united states accept a surrender of their liberties and become the subjects——in other words， the slaves——of their former fellow-citizens. if this be true——and it will scarcely be denied by anyone who has a correct idea of his own rights as an american citizen——the grant to congress of exclusive jurisdiction in the district of columbia can be interpreted， so far as respects the aggregate people of the united states， as meaning nothing more than to allow to congress the controlling power necessary to afford a free and safe exercise of the functions assigned to the general government by the constitution. in all other respects the legislation of congress should be adapted to their peculiar position and wants and be conformable with their deliberate opinions of their own interests.
i have spoken of the necessity of keeping the respective departments of the government， as well as all the other authorities of our country， within their appropriate orbits. this is a matter of difficulty in some cases， as the powers which they respectively claim are often not defined by any distinct lines. mischievous， however， in their tendencies as collisions of this kind may be， those which arise between the respective communities which for
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