Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-06-10

independence, has struggled for the accomplish
ment of that single object. On the long list of
the champions of human freedom there is not
one name dimned by the reproach of advocat-
ING the extension of executive authority; on the
contrary, the uniform and steady purpose of all
such champions has been to limit and restrain
it. To this end the spirit of liberty, growing
more and more enlightened, and more and more
vigorous from age to age, has been battering,
for centuries, against the solid butments OF the
feudal system To this end, all that could be
gained from the imprudence, snatched from the
weakness, or wrung from the necessities OF
crowned heads has been carefully gatheredup,
secured, and boarded as the rich treasures, the
very Jewels of liberty. To this end, popular
and representative right has kept up its warfare
against prerogative with various success; some
times writing the history Of whole age in
blood, sometimes witnessing the martyrdOm OF
Sidneys and Russells; often oaff1ed and repulsed,
but still gaining, onthe whole, and holding what
it gained with grasp which nothing but the
complete extinction of its own being could COM
pei it to relinquish. At length, the great con-
quest over executive power in the leading west
ern States of Europe has been accomplished
The feudal system, like other stupendous fabrics
Of past ages, is known only by the rubbish which
it has left behind it. Crowned heads have been
compelled to submit to the restraints OF law; and
which make their voice resistless have been
able to say to prerogative THUS far shalt thou
come, and no farther" need hardly say, sir,
that into the full enjoyment OF all which Europe
has reached only through such slow and pain
full steps, we sprang at once, by the declaration
of independence, and by the establishment Of
free representative Governments; Governments,
borrowing more less from the models Of other
free States, but strengthened, secured, improved
in their symmetry, and deepened in their foun-
daton by those great men OF our own coun-
try, whose names will be as familiar to future
times as if they were written on the arch OF the
sky.
Through all this history of the contest for Ii
berty, executive power has been regarded as
lion which must be Gagged So far from being
the object of enlightened popular trust, SO far
from being considered the natural protector Of
popular right, it has been dreaded, uniformly,
always dreaded as the great source of its dan
ger.
And now sir, who is he, so ignorant of the
history of liberty, at home and abroad; who is
he, yet dwelling, in his contemplations, among
the principles and dogmas Of the middle ages;
who is he, from whose bosom all original infu-
sion of American spirit has become so entirely
evaporated and exhaled, as that he shall put in
to the mouth Of the President Of the United
States the doctrine that the defence of liberty
naturally results to executive power, and is it's
peculiar duty? Who is he, that, generous and
confding towards power where it is most dan
gerous, and jealous only of those who re-
strain it; who is he, that, reversing the order Of
the State, and up-heaving the base, would pose
the pyramid of the political system upon its
apex; who is he that overlooking with contempt
the guardianship of the representatives of the
people, and with equal contempt, the higher
guardianship of the people themselves; who is
he. that declares to u.s. through the Presidents
lips, that the security for freedom rests in eXecu-
tive authority? Who is he that bellies the blood
and lbels the fame of his own ancestors, by
declaring that they, with Solemnity Of form, and
force of manner, have invoked the executive
power to come to the protection of lberty?-
Who is he that thus charges them with the insa
nifty, or the recklessness, of putting the lamb be-
meath the lions pave No, sir. No, sir. Our
security is in our watchfuness of executive pow
er. 1t was the constitution Of this department
which was infinitely the most difficult part in
the great work Of creating our present Govern
ment To give to the executive department
such power as should not renderit dangerous; to
make it efficient, independent, and strong, and
yet to prevent it from sweeping away every
thing by its union Of military and civil authori-
ty by the influence of patronage, and Office,
and favor: this, indeed, was difficult. They
who had the work to do saw the difficulty and
we see it; and if we would maintain our system.
we shall act wisely to that end, by preserving
every restraint and every guard which the Con.
stitution has provided. And when we, and those
who come after us, have done all that we can
do, and all that they do, it will be well for us
and for them, if some popular Executive, by the
power of patronage and party, and the power
too, of that very popularity, shall not hereafter
prove an over match for all other branches of
the Government
DRAWS THIS DAY
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