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

cause oil corruption, but IN of the pures and hottest
causes politician ever maintained; if he will only give
me his aid TO procure just indemnify for those fellow
citizens who, some fifteen, twenty wears have
been knocking at your door-sone of them rs the ren
ueman from North Carolina, Mr. Saunders1 forobly
expressed IT, shverIDg beggars at boled door asking
Just compensation tor those claims foreign Govern
ment which Tor your own political purposes YOU re.
nounced, and others equally strong on the same roy
ernment which you now neglect enforce; if he will
give his vote, and those of twenty of his friends IN
procure fellow citizens this bare Justice when
TO call his attention TO this subject as hone ere
long To do, will send him home in a coach end four
believe there are about thirty mllo stake in that
controversy, which will undertake for the claimants
pile up ten millions in that ca for every gentleman
fill his pockets, till, he stagger from the Hall
with the weight Does the gentleman object TO the
publicity Of the profer. Sir, we will do il with the
silence of deatl the contract shall be sealed at deep
midnight; the conscious stars shall not look down upon
III and the gentlemans left pocket shall not know what
his right pocket receiveth.
do jest, sir in truth, and, per haps too broadly on
subject So serious as this yet what have done? have
supposed the gentleman TO do, in a single case what
he supposes the House always prone to do
have supposed him TO do in Just cause and for for
tune, what he says all prone do corrupty and
FOR dinner. But perhaps the gentleman thinks am
doing him injustice III pushing his argument IN N ex
treme which he never contemplated and in speaking of
kind of corruption he disclans | own sir that he
did state that he did not mean say that the corrup
ton was OF direct and pecuniarv kind, although he
emouments OF Office, that created the temptation He
said, however, will grant, that the temptation was TO
in the guse of honorable station and confidential
trusts.
In this part of the subject which is somewhat deli
cate the gentleman very handsomely dsclamed all his
torlcal ausIon TO what was passed lie did however
allege, if did not msapprehcnd him. for took no
of his Speech that this House had been warned by
perience, that corruption the threshold and he
did make somewhat significant auson TO that Mosaic
Cabinet, which Burke has so happily and SO mcmorabIy
described.
In reference to this, and to ascertain BY practical
example the extent of this danger which our puritv
is here exposed desire 10 ask what were the
in political opinion which divided the various candidates
for the Chair, at one time five or six in number and
their friends during the late Presidential election
had thought that in the subsistence of the great nart;es
which formerly divided the country the choice L,d no
come, IN great deg rec, of personal preferences
that every citizen was free to give his voice for the in
diVidual whose success he most wished to promote
know, IN the part OF the country with which am host
acquainted, that differences of political opnon were
assumed to exist among the candidates or their friends
There wasindeed, an attempt made to enlist under the
banner of that eminent statesman of Georgia TO whom
tribute feeling, and, doubt not so lust flor have
not the honor of his personal acquaintance was I.teI
paid by the gentleman in the Chair the remainder r
me Ola edera party against whom the gentleman from
New York, (NIr Cambreeng,) saws his civ h.d 10
throw the shield of the country in the last war Rat
never heard it suggested, that those who proposeJ or
those who acced d TO this arrangements had sacri6d
their principles did any thing unbecoming fhonora
bic men to PROPOSE to do They gave their sunnort
to the candidate they preferred.
Besides sir, consider the necessity of the case Tho
candidates for the Office numerous; and but one of
course, succeed. Is il necessary that no ,uI
succeeds should take TO his confidence some nj boso
who In some stages of the controversy have been his
rivals and competitors the active supporters of lis
rivals and competitors If the distinguished citizen to
whom man in the country feels greater rratitndo
than l. the hero of New Orleans whose services M ono
heartily, ticaI Ia
had succeeded in this high contention, would he have
driven from his councils ecey one who in any stare of
me canvass had been competitor, leading friend OF
competitor, or IT he had acted in concert with any ono
who had at first been his competitor would il have heo
proof of corruption against them both? And if to
avoid the suspicion of corruption, he had driven from
his confidence, and excluded from his councils every
one OF Ills four competitors and all their LEADING f;ard
would he MT both have stopped the wheels of The
try's progress, and acted in direct opposition to bt
manly advice which honorably TO him the oiver en-
honoraby to him who was the object of it. the gentle
man near me, (AIr Drayton he pressed upon the lae
President some nine years ago.
w lille am on this topic, will beg gentlemen TO re-
member, that there is diversity of opinion on n II those
matters. OF political questions may, with special
propriey, hold with Sir Roger de CoyerIy fiat oresi
deal may be said on both sides.
The gentleman from South Carolina saws il is mi.
Versay admitted That the favourite of the people was
not chosen at the late election. The gentleman from
Virginia, Mr. Archer, says that the people
demand this amendment have only on the otho,
hand, to say, that II is universally admitted that the ia
vorlte of the people was chosen land trust some zen
tleman IN tins debate will bring forward the facts which
believe to exist though in DOS essior nf or
TO prove that as far plurality votes is in the ndex
the favorite of the people was chosen. have only 10
say that the people call for amendment yVbateycr
l What does 1T all prove? That the gentlemen think one
way, and that am so unfortunate differ from them
Before this case OF compatibility made out the gen
eman ought TO take into consideration one element nj
political responsibility, 10 which he alluded at large IN
another part OF his argument, but which he seemed
wholly TO omit here where its most direct application
exists mean the responsibility of the Representative
TO his constituents. This is test from which no man
escapes pledge of the integrity of every leading
statesman, at least beyond the power of any Executive
| patronage to counteryail. Coming from the people
must he not go back TO them None is so high thai can
be raised above this Standard and none is so obscure
that he can stink away and creep below it. lie must
come up or come down to it, the case may be- If a
Representative of the people, member of this House
on trying and critical occasion, has defed the will
and bareed the interests of his constituents think sir