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

-
your two hundred and ten. Do you impeaeh !
functionary of this government. and demand |
justice on him, by vote OF one hundred and
ninety TO twenty? When you carry the inn I
parchment up TO that House, the Senators OF
the States represented on this floor by twenty
members, can deny you the justice which you,
and the people through you. demand, in a
proportion of nine to one. Fall into state OF |
war let the country be reduced to the last |
point Of exhaustation; let treaty at length |
appear with the olive branch of peace let
there be faction in the Senate from States |
which stand in the proportion of one to ten in |
this House ; and they may reject that treaty. |
IL the very last convention which that body |
did reject, the convention relative to the slave
trade, one article was stricken out, though |
the vote stood, twenty-nine for retaining, and |
sixteen for striking out; yet it was stricken |
out, because there was not constitutional
majority for ratifying that article. Consider
| The power of the Senate over the Judiciary
branch Of this government, which, in the late
debates, Was justly called the sheet anchor OF
the Constitution. II is probable that, on the
bench OF the Supreme Court, there may soon
be four vacancies. The Executive OF this
country might be prevented from sending the
| best man of the country into either of these
vacancies by an union of the Senators from
the States, whose representative poweris only
| orty-ive out of two hundred and ten while
this House would be prevented from driving
the most undeserving individual from that
bench, in the supposition that any one could
be there to whom such a character belonged
though he united the yenality of the Chapcel-
lor, with the cruelty of Jsffreys, by the com
bination of the Senators from States who pos
sess but a tenth part Of the representative
power on this 6oor. YET the gentleman tells
us that the majority Of this people will not be
governed by the minority.
! Sir,disguise az you will this is Constitution
al question. 1t goes to the compromise be-
tween the States, on which the Government
rests, as on its corner stone, as on its founda-
ton. In this system, there are some features
which are purely federative, some which are
Of a mixed federative and popular character
not one that is purely popular, yet, all that
part of the honorable gentleman's argument
Il do not certainly mean to represent it,
which insists on the right of the majority of
| The people to govern-Would be applicable
only TO a system that Was purely popular
throughout. really think should not have
to vary this part of the gentlemah's argument
a hair, if should adduce it in support OF an
alteration of the kind have mentioned in
opening my remarks, which would 60 to take
away the equality of the representation OF
each State in the Senate. What more IN
just, on abstract principle, than that your
State, sir, Oelaware,) would have as much
power as Virginia, and my state should have
as much power as feW-YoIk tut these
abstract principles here go for nothing. 1t is
q cotSo,ent by parties whn said they would
not agree to any else. When this ConsIitu-
ton was drafted, Governor Randolph propos-
ed to have a proportional representation III
the other House, a, well as in this. What
did the small States do: They said, we will
not take tive will not agree to it, and,
rather than accept such a Constitution, we
will break up the convention. They said
, more sir-that they would sooner take for
eign power by the hand, than have Consti-
tuition on the principle by which the honora-
BILE gentleman supports his resolutions. The
election OF President and the adjustment OF
the two principles in that part OF the Constr
tuition, was the other most difficult point.
MIR. " ilson informs US, in his speeches in the
Convention assembled in Pennsylvania TO rat
lfy the Constitution. that this Was the point
on which the Federal Convention most labor
ed; as it was also the point on which they
thought themselves, and we're thoGght by
contemporaries, to have met with the most
perfect success. Now, sir, it is on this most
delicate adjustment, that the gentleman lays
, his hand. In tue primary election, he pro-
poses to take from the State the RICH. TO ex-
ercise their own voice without division and,
in the secondary election, 10 take from the
small States their equality OF power in this
House. AS far as this goes, sir it is making
new Constitution il is opening the question
from the foundation it is breaking up every
compromise which the Constitution contains,
and, as was observed by the gentleman from
Virginia, Mr.. Stevenson,) when this is done,
I, it is not a matter Of question, it is a matter
Of certainty, that you could not renew any
of these compromises. At all events, any ar
gument addressed on this subject to the Com.
mttee, in order to have any power, must be,
not an argument on general principles. as 10
the right of the majority 10 prevail over the
minority, but Constitutional argument, to
show that The adiustme::t of the federal and
popular principles in the government, requires
to be revised and settled on different footing.
But, sir, will briefly follow the gentleman
into some Of those arguments by which he
urged on the House the adoption Of his first
resolution, which goes TO prevent the election
from devOlving on this body. accompanied
the gentleman, with unicisued delight, 10 the
broad and philosophical views, clothed in most
eloquent language, which he took of many
important subjects in general politics; and
If ever felt Obliged to differ from him, it was
not so much in establishing his principles, as
in drawing his conclusions.
His general train of thought, in this part o.
his argument, appeared to be somt what as
follow A vast extention OF liberty has TAX
en- place in modern times, particularly in the
United States of America. The great polit-
cal problem to be solved has been, TO recon-
Gle this great extension OF liberty, with the
strength Of an Executive sufficiently powerful
TO administer the Government. This es.
peoiaIly was the problem to be solved ny the