Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1826-03-28

liberty is farther secured by statute of disribu
TONS by our prohibitions of nobility by absence of
standing armies; and other republican institutions at
war with those institutions the old world, which are
the support OF their monarchies.The gentcman's the
DRY, on the other hand nearly th,eory ofdespotism.
II hegentie'nan from South Carolina should go TO
acute and philosophical subject of an absolute govern
ment, he would find him the relation, in which
the monarch stands TO his subjects, very nearly the
same terms in which he has stated the relation between
Tue PRESIDENT and the people of the United States
The relation of almost indefinite power exercised on
principles of benevoence, love, and paterna feeling.
He too would disclam checks and balances power
cashing with power This is the motto of arbitrary
governments, since the world begun:
Nunquam libcrtas grafton extat,
Guam sub rege pio
This is the theory of our liberty: the trainers Of the
constitution did not provide kiugy Presidentthey
provided an Executive, IN the form of dependant,
concurrent, transitory and mpcachable agent.
The resduum, the greater part of the power, they
kept in their own hands.-TheTe sir, love to see
too; there will also idolze it. In the hands 10 which
it is constuonay delegated l will pay proper
honor be they the hands of Presidents, Senators, Re-
representatives., Electors. And for the very reason that
the honorable gentleman places confidence in Presi
dent chosen by the people, also will place confidence
in the Representatives, who claim it by the same title.
In this confidence in delegated power the gentleman
ought to go along with me, thinking and speaking as
he did OF the system of the ancient denocraces which
we all regard as inconsistent with permanent and IA
tional freedom. How have we improved on these de-
mocraCies? The gentleman SAYS we have created an
executive, indeed, of kirg!y power but have recon
ced that power with that liberty, through the elective
responsibility, and the mutual love and confidence in
sPired by it, which land not checks and balances J
are the securities of the peoples rights. Now have
shown the one hand, that this the principle of alb
soute desposm; WHILE on the other hand, by an unex
peced fatality, IT is the principle of unlimited democ-
racy, and goes to the root of delegated power. He
throws back the election, far possible into the peo-
pies hands, because, if they do exercise it them.
N will hos ofp
certainly nConssten he asks us, with tone of en-
phasis, whether the people not fit to choose their
PRESIDENT say they am not going to be plac-
ed on the ground of denying that the people, any
and every resort, from first to last every stage are
INT TO choose their President think they are most fit
and That is an answer to his question And allow
me TO propose my question 10 him. Are they not fit,
also, TO choose the four heads of departments The gen
teman answers yes. More fit than OF the most sa-
gacous of our Presidents to appoint hem more
m than the wisest President will be. Well, do not
let US stop here the argument gains by admission,
we proceed Are not the people fit TO choose the At
torney General the Postmaster General, the Judges of
the Supreme Court, the Officers of the Army and NAVY
the Foreign Minister'S the Collectors, the Surveyors
Whom are they not fit TO choose? Will anv gentleman
pretend to say OF this of that, of any Office that
Is one to which the sober of this people incom
petent for the election? answer for every gentleman
who hears me, there is not who will take upon him
self 10 say that there is such an office. Then sir do
not let us play with this subject let put hand on
the root Of the matter; let have an amendment TO
introduce universal suffrage under which every officer,
civil, military, executive judicial shall be chosen
by the people, Why will not the gentleman do this?
fis principles carry him TO this extent. will tell him
why he will not do it-why sound republican states
man will do it-beCause this would be the ancient de-
mocracy over agan it will be forswearing all the
provemens which have been made in political science.
1T would be giving up our representative institu-
tons; shutting eyes tile advantages of well re-
gulated system of delegated power. This hold to be
the and full and fair all that the gen
teman urged on the fitness of the people elect the
President.
word more, in this connection. The gentleman
spoke with great force and eloquence on the subject of
the art of printing, and of IFS power dusng intelIi-
gence and knowledge amongst all the members of the
community, all the members of State, throughout the
world; and he contrased our situation in that respect
in reference 10 capacity for free government, with
the situation of ancient nations. shall certainly not
be one TO contest the almost miraculous energies the
press III the application for which the gentleman him
self contends; and in which he is borne out by the
facts. Still IT is important to. the argument to draw
distinction 1t will not do for us 10 argue from what
we should be without the art of printing, after having
for four centuries been building whole intellectual
system upon It, to what the ancient nations certainly
were never having had it, They had other instruments
of Improvement: not, indeed so eficacious but by no
means contemplate. At The meridian of the refinement
OF Greece there was not considerable city in that
country not an important settlement the lonan, Sy
an Ly ban, or Italian Shore island in the Arch
pelago; in word, not place of note in the map of
ancient Greece, that had not made Improvements in
many of the most important arts of life, which we with
all our Libraries and all books have been able but
partly to initiate. Among the means and instruments
OF tins Improvement were domestic slavery, which de-
ivered the free citizens from all the of gaining
livelihood the itinerant mnstrels, IIomer who lived
not only before printing, but before wrtng-was no
morc,) the Evolutionary wisdom of sages-trayeIt TO the
seats of science and cultivation, and the living voice of
living instructors. These means of difTIsing and
transmitting intelligence and Improvement which will
not certainly put the level with the ofprining
but which were adequate to the existence OF free instl.
tuIions Sir, ii was not want fintegenCe-not W ant
of hght it was the want of something else which we
have; not the art of printing, but the representative
system; The plan of delegated power that great con.
cePtion Of modern times If Athens, Sparta, Thcbes
instead Of arrOgaing 10 themselves, SUCCESSFULLY des
pot'stn, not over barbarOus provnces-or that would
have been smaller evibut despotism over states as
enlightened as themselves, had entered into grand
electoral and representative system; if they had given
TO each province IFS relative power in the General Co
vernmeD, convened their electors from all those wide
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