Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-04-24

uegeneatcd from the spirit OF their since
ey osew the broad distinction between the value Of
y t,hng yea TAX, and tho great principle involved
IN ~, tncy VIII cxclaiia with us--'toho an the Offices
IN the country during the of your President; hut
restore TO us our constitutional 6ertcs sacrificed e
screen rash President and Cabinet from Tho light Of
.uqury, oy this portenous declaration OF Executive
Iuresponsibility, and dark inqusiiion.'
Let IRE now examine the substance. OF the arcu.
ments oy Which tins despotic principle is supported.
Anu INST IL order is the President himself In hi.
Hrse message, he labors To propagate the idea that
ohices' IN Tins country arc no, private property, but
public trusts.
We admit il. The President is right Win Inc
aunt, ntorn our propositions, above Ibid down, ant
more especially that offices the private prop
etty OF a President Cabinet. with which to buy
popularity aud votes, to reward for votes OF
infiuence, or as Instruments with which to punish op-
ponents for their votes and opinions. His argu.
ment Is two-edsed sword. and cuts both ways with
equal keenness and force unless indeed be sinful IN
tue Cardinal and Bishop TO eat pig and lamb, in order
that has holiness the Pope may monopoizo the ma
kct OF Rome, and cat them all himself The Sena-
tor from Tennessee SMr. Grundyl has disappointed oil
my hopes IN him upon those momentous questions.
had been taught-and now discover greatly mis-
taught-to look to him star of constitutions
Liberty, in the West.
In our need cast my eyes and hopes upon him but
he vanished like meteor from my view and left me
standing disappointed and in the dark
In the discussion OF 'Foots resolution, he intro
uuced the argument upon this topic OF the removing
power OF tho President and estrainng power of he
Senate, and told he OF, as citizen, in favor
oil removals for opinions sake for votes given or
to make room to reward followers by the public Off
ces OF the country and then my hopes were brio ht
and drew the most favorable differences: but-yes,
then came the hope destroying out that in the lat
ter branch OF sentence has spoiled so many glorious
ouises, In this world, held out in the fret member
OF i.-but you shall not inquire whether the remove
we're Tor such causes or not! aud then my hopes in
him di"d within ME.
We asked bread and he -,,r ne , e,nn,- We IL
sired fsh, and he gave us a scorpion We cannot
cat either OF them. Let this administration digest
both, If IL can
Constitutional Liberty expelled from most govern
monts upon earth, faint with wandering the descr,
and scorched by the vertical rays of domestic tyra
NY bchcld The Senator afar off, like the broad top of
an gcous tree, promising her shade and protec
tion she fastened, heated and fatigued herself the
more, TO aP reach him and rcpose under his shadow;
but she found his roots surrounded by many sods of
impossible, pesential morass of Executive will, SO
that she could not enter the circumference OF his
shade aud she looked III ano, her direction. ~.
In approaching the argument of the Senator from
Virginia, Mr.. Tazewell,l VIII not permit myself to
suppose that the late Consul 10 Algiers lIr. Leel
against whom vo cd with reluctance, arisinp from
an acquaintance in l82I, thai gave exalted
opinion OF the sPlendoi OF his mind; and from the dou-
bic expense Of outfit, and customary present to the
Dey OF Aiglers, represented to US by the Senator
from Virginia, as If he would persuade US 10 vote for
HIM; as we'll as from the arguments urged h- ~ a
Senator from tennessee Mr.; Wh:.SI;- will not sup
's Consut IS 10 ~ made the scape goat to bear
this administration, and that the ma
orty, having established their reputation with the
pubic by his rejection, about to turn round
and swallow all that huge batch of nominations living
on your tabe-even oil the hireling printers and ed.
itors or party papers, whose nominations were eau
tiousy held back for the arrival of the Virginia SEN
ators from the late cnnvention-as If it were taken
for sruI - that modern Virginia produces a race of
men, good ana true, with such elastic and ds,cn
rump OF the green rnountans-pinus nondum secta in
suis montibus-with all its Pnes oaks and hcmlocks
unfeilcd upon its sides!
Old Virginia did once produce rare OF men capa-
BILE OF distinguishing between the value of tea tax,
andthe great principle o. regulated liberty involved
III the deiland;-a race apt to revolt at any arbitrary
or improper use Of Executive power. and Jealous of
tn. encfoachments of Executive will.
The Senators from Virginia and Louisiana rMcssrs
TaZewcl and Livingston have pointed out the pow
or Of :mpehching the President rs our only remedy
for an abusive exercise of the power of removal
a'id the Senator aom Missouri Mr. Bentonl concurs
with the former in placing these matters upon the
high responsibility OF the President! --neanins i'm
parchment as remedy, or that the King can do no
wrong! and the two former also urge auxiliary arru
ments which shall notice separately.
Upon this common doctrine of the majority that
impeachment is our only remedy, we contend they
Rre wrong upon the reason and utility Of the thing as
well us upon the authority Of the case.
Mark the gradual approaches of despotism-
OHuer inc last administration all the majority, who
werc then in the Senate, held to Numerically oppo
site creed; 9nd, within few days past there has been
great consolidation Of pialanx among the ralternp
and oscillating ranks of tho majority. Men who
through their lives have taught and practscd the re-
yerse-men who have been doubling during the ses-
sion, seem suddenly To have been converted and con
filmed in this new and monstrous faith Of Executive
dark iDqustion and four Yeas des-
p,t;sn. Not hereditary as yet--the people are not
ready for that. Not even for life as yot-the people
arodE for hat ghnr H.. 2
years, with other restraint but to impeach the
dominant party in the person Of their leader whose
popularity they abuse! Consul for years, with SER
vile Senate! Then Consul for Iife with more SER
vile Senate! Then Emperor of France with abso-
luto power!
All history warns that such arc the regular era.
dations by which the Liberties of mankind have been
successively assailed and overcome. They seldom
fall by grand coup dc Uai1, OF the first assault
The yampart of written constitutions is seldom over
leaped at the first effort, Remus ovcrlesped the
mimic walls Of his brother RomuluJ, at the rude
foundation Of Rome
II j. more usual and practicable 10 approach IL nv