Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-11-06

doubt the wisdom Of the peoples menu!
There are, TO be sure, some slight inconve-
niences, such as the possibility that some States
will be unwilling, or unable, to furnish their
quota: this may be iemedied by draft. Again:
the number can never be increased, however mr.
gent the necessity, without new census and
apportionment of Representatives, and then,
perhaps, it might be required to make new al
olment, so as TO have each district represent
ed Peradvenrre, The representation o. some
ofthe States in Congress may be reduced, which
would require corresponding reduction OF
boys representing them in the navy and the mi
litary academy. But these inconveniences are
! counierbalanced by the advantages, which are,
that there will be precisely as many boys in the
army as in the navy, and as many little daggers
in each as there are tongues in Congress--thus
equalizing admirably the military, naval, and
legislative;de To complete the plan,
Lit will only be necessary "to commit the cleo
ton Of the boys, "to the direct vote ofthe peo-
| pie.
The last Of the committees bills, provides,
"that the officers of the army and navy shall
hold their Offices during good behavior, and that
| no officer Shall hereafter be dismissed the SER
] vice but by the sentence Of court martial, or
/ upon an address to the President by both Hous-
es of Congress" To justify this measure, it
ought to have been shown, that the power Of
the President, of striking officers from the
! oils, has been, or is likely to be abused. Il
certainly has not been exercised by the present
Executive, and never by his predecessors, ex-
cept in fragrant cases, that of Gen. Hull, for ex-
apple. Indeed the very power OF arbitrarily
dismissing an officer has been Justly denied by
III Of aruIuc I he
army. If their proposed plan prevails, super
numerary officers could certainly not be dis
banded, otherwise than by sentence of a court
martial, or an address of both Houses OF Con-
| gress.
| The committee inform the Senate, that the
"natural remedy for the evils Of which they
complain, would be, "to place the election OF
President in the hands Of the people"--tiiat,
considering the present mode Of electing the
President, as the principal source of all this e.
vii, (namely, Executive patronage,) they had
commenced their labours by recommending an
amendment to the Constitution in that essential
and vital PARTICULAR Despairing Of success,
however, they say, "not being able to lay the
axe at the root of the tree, the constitution,
they must 90 to pruning among the limbs and
branches: not being able to reform the Consti-
10 work upon his powers, and trim down these
by statutory enactments." The meaning oil all
which is, simply, that these six bills are but
temporary expedien;s to ''prune" the patronage
of the present Chief Magistrate, and divide the
trimmings among themselves, by way OF stay
ing their slomachs, until the happy period
when the feast shall be ready, at which they ex-
pect TO crafty their appetite for office, and re-
vel in the rich honors which are 10 reward their
disinteresed labors; the happy period, when
"the axe sh.ll be laid to the root OF the Con-
stitution-the compromises on which ltreposes
unsetted--lhe principles OF the government
subverted-and, as the natural consequence of
anarchy or consolidation, the military chieftain
(miscaled the people candidate" y elevated to
the Presidency. Then they promise US TO re-
store all ''limbs and branches" Of Executive pa
tronage which, in the meantime, shall have
beer, Topped off. Then the "people's men" will
apprehend &c danger from "Executive patron
age" although it may be operating son fifty
millions Of revenue" and "the civil and militia
ry officers Of the Federal government shall be
Quadrupled," increasing "not in arithme:lcal
ratio, but in geometrical progression" The
great evil, they say, Of "an election by the
States" is, that it corrupts he successful can
didate that he peryerts the Executive patronage
exclusively to the preferment of such as are
either kraves at the time of their selection, or
become such as soon as they are appointed, and
devote themselves, and their Offices, to the SER
vice of their patron. On the other hand, san
election by the people" SO pwifes the object of
their favor, that his patronage is confined to
men of integrity, or, if by chance he should APP
point any who are otherwise, they are imme-
diateIy made worthy, and we'll qualified, by his
purifying influence, and apply themselves exclu-
siyely to the duties of their Offices, carefully a
voiding any interference estate orFederal cleo
TONS" AS instances of the rectifying effects of
"an election by the people, the same commit
tee has assured US, that members Of State Lee
gislatures, chosen by "the direct vote of the
people," are generally traitors to their constitu-
ents; that the members of the popular branch
Of Congress cannot safely be trusted; that they
are capable of being tempered with, and were
lately actually corrupted Truly the "Report,"
in the language of Lord Byron,
IDS fine sample, in the whole,
Of Rhetoric, which the learn'd call rigmarole.
After ALL it may well be doubted, whether
they ever intended seriously to urge the pas
sage of any of these bills, and certainly they