Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-05-03

II
things, the rules require the interrupted MEM
Der "to sit down until the President shall have
determined whether he is in order or roI," and
when the cali is made for swords spoken" the
words to abe taken down in writing, that the
President may be better enabled to Judge OF the
| matter"
These rules are, manifesay, shield to pro-
| tect the dignity Of the Senate from the indeco-
rum ofunchecked calls to order, determinations,
and discussions on the floor. They can by no
decent argument, be tortured into doctrine
denying to the presiding officer of a dclibera-
tive assembly the power 10 preserve order:
power which is as much part OF his office, as
the power Of deciding cause is part OF the
Office of Judge. Is there any Ineligible prin-
ciple which can subject these rules to an opera
tion that would en,ite one Senator to commit
disorder until checked BY another, and thus re-
duce the very officer who is the appointed guar
dian Of decorum in the Hall, to the degradation
Of a useless automaton. The plain English Of
the doctrine of order, in any deliberative body,
is, that power in the presiding officer OF such
body, TO preserve order, is conferred by the
single fact Of his appointment. That the right
to call to order is the necessary conaequcnceot
this power; and that unless such body, acting
,oithin the sphere of its competence, expressly re-
stric,s this power and THIS right, no restriction
on them can be supposed The rules now under
consideration, are special regulations, adapted
10 given cases, but leaving the general, original
right of the chair to call to order, untouched,
and resting, where it should rest, on common
sense and usage.
In assuming the strange postulate, that the
power of the chair to call to order, on "ques-
tons touching the latitude or freedom of debate"
is appellate only, Mr.. Calhoun seems aware, that
he invites charge Of extravaganza, and at
temptS 10 parry 1t by an argument, appropriate
to his er-o6fci0 come xion, as Vice President Of
the United States, with the Senate. The
slightest examination of the duties incident to
this connection, will show, that the argument is,
if possible, more untenable than the postulate.
The President Of the Senate whom the Con-
stitution contempates, is the Vice President of
the United States; and it is in certain contin-
gencies only, that the Senate can elect their
presiding officer The powers, then, of the
Constitutional President Of the Senate, furnish
the criterion of the powers of the individual,
who in the happening of any of these contingent
cies, may be its elected President. Yet Mr..
Calhoun, with more than scholastic absurdity,
derives from the pre-exstins relation to the Sc
nate, Of a President whom it may possibly elect,
criterion for determining, and reason for
abridging, the powers Of its Constitutional Pre-
sident, who has no such relation to.it
AS the residuary legatee of General Jackson's
pretensions to the Presidency, Mr.. Calhoun, in
his memorable address, repeats the stale arti-
fee, which each Of them had often employed,
of identifying his own cause with the cause of
the people. "The Vice President said, he pri-
"ded himself on his connection with the Senate;
"but it was impossible that he should forget,
shat that connection was created by the ope-
"ra,ion ofthe constitution. In discharging his
"duty in this seat, it would be objectionable in
"him not to recollect that he was placed in the
'schair, not by the voice Of the Senate, but by
''that of the people, and that to them, and not to
ssthis body, he was ultimately responsible"
This is undoubtedly sound doctrine. But it
is here pressed into a service from which it
must soon desert. l: is distinctive beauty Of
the republican system, that as the people dele
gate 10 their agents no superfluous power, eve
ry power which they delegate, implies duty to
be discharged. The Vice President and the
Senate are both the creatures OF the people, ex-
ercising the respective powers delegated TO
each by the people. One of the powers thus
acquired by the Vice President, is to preside
over the Senate, and, by consequence, to pre-
serve order therein. How has Mr.. Calhoun
discharged the duties inseparable from this
power? By refusing to exercise it, ,cithom an in
uitation from some member Of the Senate! In other
words, one Of the servants Of the people renders
that homage 10 another servant Of the people,
which he denies to the people themselves. One
agent respects a coordinate agent, and disre-
CARDS the sovereign who constituted them both.
He obeys the depositos of delegated power,
and disobeys the paramount authority which is
the source of that power!-And yet, "the homo
rable gentleman bows to the majesty Of the peo-
ple''
The inconsistent and extraordinary doctrine
behind which Mr. Calhoun has sought TO en-
trench himself, is not only unfounded in its
principle, and weak in its argument; but is re-
pugnant to all accredited usage No precedent
for it was furnished by any of the former Vice
Presidents of the United States. Ofthese, even
Aaron Burr has left, in the firm and impartial
discharge Of his duties as President of the Sc
nate, an example to his successors, move wor-
thy, though, perhaps, more difficult of imita-
ton, than his inconstant, experimenting, and
reckless ambition.
| PATRICK HENRY
We are pleased TO learn that Mr.. Furman of
this city, whose wife and, we believe, Child,
were destroyed by the explosion Of the Etna
steam boat two years since, and whose affairs
| since we are told have mt been nros nP rous