Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1832-08-24

delegated power they would be necessary Who said
he can be blind TO the consequences, that in the political
agltauons OF the times, may be fairly appehended from
the possession OF this power by the Vice PcsidcnH Who
cannot see what tremendous engine il may become in
the hands OF am ambitious and StW aspiring Executive!
lhati may give him, through the agency Of his political
friend and coadutor n this body, complete and rresisti
bic control the debates of mcnbers, and
quently the extent and character OF the information
on public affairs TO be given through to the peoplc'
The connection of the Executive with the Senate is
much closer than with the House of Representatives
Upon the subject ofiroatcs appointments aud the whole
range Of Executive business the Senate almost the only
check Ii is therefore, vital nporancc that IL should
be wholly exempt from Executive control This body
looked to by the trainers of the Constitution
uary for the federal and equal rights Of the States, aud
so framed TO cherish that sentiment the part Of its
members Is here alone that the federal principle had
been preserved principle valuable TO ALL but particular
~ to the small States for is in this department alone that
their perfect equality is recognised. But where Sir will
be its efficiency it the doctrine cOntcndcd be establish
ed' When, hereafter Senator shall feel be his
~ TO attempt in language which he may think the
sion requires TO arrest encroachment of the Executive
oseek redress by exposing abuses Oh its part
or That OF any OF It's subornatcs, lac may find his lips clos
ed, not indeed, rs OF Old by gag lar, but by power
far more enectual He may perhaps be told that al
though is his right freely the public acts of
the President and his cabinet, be done in manner
more decorous that their motives TO be rudely
scanned and tiscreted: that debates of a cbarac,c
having tendency unusty ALLEVIATE the confidence of
the people, ORDER that he will shape his periods
according to the prescribed form, and the extent
aud bitterness of his denunciaon by the administration
standard he may go on-but ii not, he must dcsist.
IT, said he it should hereafter become manifest 10 mr.
uon or even majority oil this House, that the third
oil the Federal Government created and supported by the
other two, is gradually though the great mass of the
people iprecephby subvcrng the reserved rights of the
States and undermining the Constitution of the United
States, in some OF tho most essential points, and if OH
subject OF such vital importance, the representative of
sovereign State should himself this noor i'm
manner calculated to suppress the mischief but vet with
out Just offence TO proprety, he expect TO he toll
from that Chair, that although the acts of coorina,
branch OF the government when coming properly before
the Senate, liable free examination; vet the srmne
oil Justice is not TO be thus rudey assaled within these
(Nnttl1 fharn Ia l.,
would more efecuay PROSTATE the independence of This
body And was it to be endured, that the members of the
Senate should hold the invaluable right of free debate bv
SO iran and Illuminating tenure' In his opinion the Sc
nate would be wanting in what owed TO lis con s,cns
ITSELF TO its true interests and dignity, f it could for
moment end ITS sanction to principle untenable and
so dangerous The Senate, heretofore he said had not
been nsensibe TO what belonged its rights IL was
but the session before the last that the Executive i'm
communication 10 us, advanced pretension ncompa-
ubie with the constitutional rights of the Senate
And how was received 1t was not the EXERCISE T.,
merely the assertion Of power on his partan assertion
tits true wholly unsupporabe; and he believed no one
would deny, most unwisely put forth And how he ask
cd again, had it been Observation-Disclosures were intro
duccd denouncing the unounded assumption as an Execu
tive encroachment that ought be resisted disposition
to do So and to preserve and maintain the Just rights of the
oou nor on our own account but in behalf of those who
sent us here, then manifested that in his
rejected ue highest honor on the body. The question
men aga'ed could not be compared, in point import
once, with that under considerations At most IL was
threatened teSpass upon the constitutional rights OF
this House What have here? A principle which
lays The axe at the root of the independence ohc Senate
and the personal and dearest privileges ofits members
In every point of view, said Mr.. V b. in which 1,is
subject had presented itself his mind il had projccJ
but one sentiment, and that unqualified opposiion IN
the prerogdfire claimed for the chair AIbnnh hi
claim OF power is for the first time made the y;c
pie in which il originates is old the government it,
self look upon it, Sir, the Legitimate offspring of
school OF politics, which has, in times past aeitaed and
greatly disturbed this county-ot a school, the leading
principle OF which may be that great source of
the political contentious which have pervaed every coun
try where the rights of were in any degree respect
ed ainde, Sir, TO that collision which seems 10 be in
scparabc from The nature OF between the rights of
the Jeio and the nldyto those conflicts
between the advocates OF the enlargement and concen
t,dtion of power the hand, aud its limitation and
distribution the other: Conflicts which in ENGLAND
created the distinction between Wings and Tories the
latter striving by all The within their reach TO in
crease the dominion Influence of the throne at the
expense oil the commons and peoples and the former TO
counterac the exeron of their avcrsaries by abGdging
that dominion and influence for the advancement of the
rights and the consequent ameoraon OF the condition of
the people.
Collisions OF opinion and of action of character similar
In principle have existed, although under different demo
limitations, with different limits and for different ends in
most countries, and in eminent degree in this Indeed
the history OF the Struggles the contests the alternative
victories and defeats of these restless and rival prin
cipes, is the history OF all republican governmens-in
fact OF all institutions formed for the protection of the Ii
berry OF conscience and opinion and the freedom of the
citizen No where can its operation be distinctly
traced than in our own early history. They were the
primitive elements and animating causes of those Wb
and Tory parties, which, from the first Congress of l765
down TO the glorious peace OF 1888, the hand la.
bored increasingly 10 consolidate all legislative authority
over these provinces in the single British Parliament and
place all patronage power and influence i'm the ha nds
OF the executive and Judicial repre- the Cyopn
and on the other hand, boldly and perseverngly but
happily more successfully, vindcated by reason elo-
quence, and hnay by arms the rights of the several
American States and the Just powers of the immediate
representatives OF the people, The establishment of mr.
independence put end 10 these conflicts in the form in
which they had before been sustained but what lis e
feet upon the spirit that produced them could he be
ter Judged from an attentive consideration our suisse
quent history Attempts said Mr.. Van Buren, have fire.
quently been made in later days. recently bv the
highest authority in the government trace the origin
oil the two great political parties which have divided fbe
country, from the adoption of the Constitution 10 the pre-
sent day They have, for motives too obvious 10 require
explanation, been attributed to which had either
become obsolete, been compromised by mutual CON
cession-such the early difficulties growing ont of
our relations with Great Britain and France tbe
expedency of navy, similar questions. There was
consideration, he said that could not fail to arrest the
attention of the most superficial observer Il was bis;-
II these party divisions have sprung from no other cause
than the temporary circumstances to which they have
been attributed, why have they long survived the
causes that produced thenl That they still exist and
exist in full vigor in great portion of the Union il woud
be an insult to our observation and understanding 10 denV
The explanation Of the mystery was to be found and TO
be found only in the alsity of the ascpion They arose
from other and very different causes. They are i'm truth
said he mainly 10 be ascrbcd the struggle between the
two opposing principles that have been i'm active
in this country from the closing scenes Of the evouon
ny to the present daythe seeking TO absorb as
lar as practicable all power from its Legitimate sources
and to cOndense 1t in single head The other an anita
gonst principle, labOrng assduousy to resist the en-.
croachments and limit the extent Of executive auths-
rity. the former has gT0tcn out If deem and SET
Of he ar H.