Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1834-02-20
From the Pos,on Patriot Of 18th.
THE CRISIS.

IN me Same proportion as lt c0mpasses ITS
ends. One dangerous pre'ension, suc-
cc-siully maintained, becomes a source
and precedent ot'nany olhcrs. Wh,.iev-
'er mny he the motive for which power is
'coverted, the effect upon the public well
fare is very much the same. Whether it
spring from the spirit of wantonness, or
a settled enmity to liberty, there is no
essential difference in its results. The
rights Of the citizen will be of little worth
when the powers, wisely in,rus'ed bv the
Constitution to different departments, in
timately connected but mutually inde-
pendent, shall be, from whatever mo-
tive, grasped and absorbed hy one of the
number, aud that the most powerful o! all
for the purposes of evil.
We are told, and there is little rcas, n
20 dlscrcdt the assertion, that there Is at
this moment an influence behind the
throne, greater than the throne itself that
the posscssors of this influence weld the
passions of the President, now that age
has hluntcd his physical energy, aud the
vigor of his intellect is gone, to accom-
plish their own selfish ends; and who can
snch hands for such purposes, is even
more demoralZing ard more ca!amious,
than its concentration in the hands Of
enc?
In tho case Of the individual, there is
some restraint, though seldom COM
plete one, Arising from sense of char
acter and personal responsibility. But
ha nf
pursue their operations in the dark, shell
tered by the broad shield Of a popular
name, and using him who bears that
name az The unconscious instrument of
their designs, the sense ofrcsponsihility,
the sense of character the sense Of shame,
alike are wanting. There is nothing in
this world so hard, as the heart Of ii po-
lHical adventurer Ills whole soul is
bent on the attainment of his sordid pur-
poses; and the very consciousness that
they are sordid, makes him desperate -
The heart of such person has no room
for any manly sentiment; it is the exclu-
sive residence of the prime pie of real
and unmtigated evil. Ambition has
something in it Of the grand and lofty; it
Perverts the soul, without destroying eve
~ trace of its original brightness; dark
and fatal as it is, it is not wholly lost -
But one might as well look for healing
waters in the very heart of the rock, as
for compnnctious visItings in him, who is
cOvetous of Dawer only To promote some
wretched speculation, or to keep firm
er grasp of the golden keys of Office
t'e it, then, that the accumulation Of cx-
ecutive influence is To be welded by
such hands, and for such ends; the mis-
chief thus becomes tcnioid greater than
before; a tenlod darker fate awaits our
country.
Were not the subject quite too serious
for mirh, it might make stole smile, to
observe for moment the consequences
of this influence. Mr. Burke, in his Gel
ebrated speech on Economical Reform,
illustrated the evils arising from the fact,
that the turnspit of The Kings kitchen,
was member Of Parliament what
would the eloquent orator have said,
could he have seen that august person
age ensconced behind Tie ti'rone of ma
jesty, uttering its DEGREES and denuncia-
tions, rousing il to vengeance, lifting ITS
arm or putting its unconscious head III
motion like the frame Of a little painted
mandarin The dignity of government
is something; its vast and rolling system
is imposing to the moral eye; but what be-
comes Of that dignity, when the che
bodies of the system shine wih lustrc
not their own, and only reflect the bor'
rowcd light of the great central CRIB %
Mr.. Amos Kcndall' What becomes o
the majesty of the assembled de''les
when all Olympus trembles at the nod %
Mr.. Reuben VI hitucy? a well arrang
ed Republican System, with all lis chcck
and securities, each in its place and or
der, is noble and imposing spectacle
hui how does its beauty came to noughf
when the movements of the whole are
iorrinu and confused, aud sing'c por
ton gains supreme dominion over all ih'
rest! Where are the Con>riiu,ionai nd
viscrs of the Executive; No matte
where; the Executive advises them; h'
takes the whole responsibility. 80 IN
considerable is their. real influence, g
small the space they occupy III the pub
,ir eve. that ono almost needs rcgistc
10 ascertain their names; they ar" com
o,sicly covered aud idst in the hroa
shadow of Executive supremacy. lher
j., indeed, one exception, and only one
the Secretary of the Treasury redeem
himself from nsigniGcance, by the zet
with which he obeys the mandates OF th
authority, which created him.. because h
was submissive. Where are the Repre-
scnta,ves of the PcopIe' Translorme
almost into Parliament Of Paris, wit