The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1826-04-12

able gentleman places confidence in Pres-
dent chosen by the people, | also will place
confidence in the Representatives, who claim
1t by the same title.
In this confidence in delegated power. the
gentleman ought 10 go aleng with nae, think
ing aad speaking as he did of the system of
the ancient democracies, which we all regard
as inconsistent with permanent and rational
freedom. How have We improved on these
democrscies? The gentleman says we have
created an executive, indeed, of kindly pow
or; but we have reconciled that power with
that liberty, through the elective responsible
ty, and the mutual love and confidence in
spired by il, which (and not checks AMI bal.
snces) are the securities OF the peoples rights.
Now have showa. on the one hand, that this
is the principle of absolute despotism; while,
on the other hand, by an unexps cted fatality,
1t is the principle OF unlimited democracy, and
goes to the root of de egated power. He
throws back the election, as far as possible,
iato the peoples hands, because, if they do
not exercise ii themselves, 1t will not he safely
exercised. 1hr gentleman is certainly incon-
sisiellt. He axis Us, with ton7 of emphasis,
whether the people are not it TO choose their
President? | they are. | am not going to
be PLACID on the ground of denying that the
people, in any and every resort, from first to
last, IN every stage, are fl TO choose their
President. think they are most fit, and that
is an answer to the question. And now allow
me 70 propose my question TO MIN. Are they
not fit, also. to choose the our heads of de-
psrinents The gentleman answers, yes
More Of than one OF the most ssgaciou> nur
Presidents was to appoint ihem-more fit thar
the wisest President ever. viii be Well, do
not let US stop here the argument gains by
admission as we proceed. Are not the people
fit to choose the Attorney General, the Post
master-Gen raj, the judges of the Supreme
Court, the Officers of the Army and Navy the
Foreign Ministers. the Collectors, the survey
ors? Whom are they not fit to choose: Will
any gentleman pretend to say, OF this, OF that,
or Of any office, that 1t is ore to viii b the So
Der sense OF this people is incompetent for the
election? answer for every gentleman who
hears me, there isnot one who will take upon
himself to say that there is such an Office
Then, sir, do not let Us play with this subject
let us put our hand on this .lion's name let
US have an amendment which viii go to the
root Of the matter; let US have an amend
ment to introduce universal suffrage, under
which, every officer, civil, military, executive,
or judicial. shall be chosen by the people,
Why will not the gentleman do this HIS
principles carry him to this extent. | will !
tell hn why he will not do it-why no sound
republican states uan will do tt-bt cause his !
would he the ancient democracy over again
At would ne fors wearing all the improvements |
which have been made in political scicnce-
1T would ne giving up our repre- sentative insiI-
tutIous; utting our eyes on the advantages
of a well regulated system OF deleg9 ted pow
e.. ihs hold TO ne the reason; and fuil
and fair lnswer to all that the gentleman urs-
ed m the fitness OF the people 10 elect the
President.
wnrd more, in tas connexion. The
genren poke with great force and elo-
queace On the subject OF the art of printing,
and of is power in dffusing intelligence ANA
kno vie lge amongst all the memhers OF the
community, all the members Of State.
through 'ut the world ami he coutrasied our
situation IN that respect, IN reference to a
capacity for a free gverameat, with the ST u
alton OF ancient nations. | shall certainly
not he o1e to contest the almost miraculous
energes u the press, 10 the application, for
which ihe gentleman nlnscf contends, and in
which he is born out by tle facts. Still - is
important to the argument 10 dra ~ distinction.
1t will not do Tor US TO argue from what We
should be without the art Of printing, after
having, for four centuries, been building our
whole Intellectual sysien up;u it, to what the
ancient nations certainly we're, never having
had it. They had other instruments Of i'm
provement: not. Indeed, 50 eff cacious, but by
no means contemplate. At the meridian IT
refinement Of Greece, there was not a cOnsid
cradle ciiy in that country, not an important
settlement on the ionIaD, Syrian, Lybiin. or
italian shore, not an Island in the Archipelago;
IN word, not a place OF note in the map OF
ancient Greece, that had not made improve
Enents in many OF the most important arts OF
life, which we, with all our libraries, aud all
our books, nave heen able but partly to initiate.
Amo' the means and Instruments OF this I'M
Prcvement were domestic slavery, winch deiiv-
cred The free citizens rom all the cares OF
gaining livelihood: the itnrraui ministries,
(Homer, vino lived not only belore printing
bat before writing, was no more. the tradition
AIRY wisdom of sa yes. traze tothessa,s Of science
aud cultivation, and the living voice Of living
instructors. These were the means Of diffus
ing and transmitting Intelligence aud improve
ment. which will NOT certainly put CO the
3evel with the art Of printing, but which were
ADEQUATE to the txistea Of Tree Institutions.
Sir. il vas aet want OF inteiigence-not want
OF light; 1T was The want OF something else /
which we have; not the art If printing, but
Che representative system; the plan OF dele
gated power; that great conception of mod
ern times. II Athens. S.'arta, hcbes, instead
of arrogatng to themselves, excessively, a
despoisn, Lot over b4r5arous proyinces-foT
that wound have been a smaller eVil--hut
despotism over states as enlightened as thesl-
selves, had entered into grand electoral and
representative system; if they had given TO
each province its relative power il the Gen
erai Government, convened their electors
from all those wide spread states, from every
part Of the wbrid, where Grecan liberty had
taken root, AMI Grecian letters had spread,
had they thusdone as we have done, if il were
not Idle and pedantic to talk Of what might