Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1836-10-20

could not be- measure better calculated to
preserve harmony among the States them
selves. and secure their confidence IN il:c ma.
tonal government which thus confines the
public expenses 10 an economical adnlnlSira-
ton, aud returns the surplus To the people Ia
whom il belongs. Ii is the Erechire chiJ
that Mr.. Secretary and Mr.. V. B. mean by
SHE government" And does hr mean that
the Executive is TO quarrel with the States
for receiving back the excess of the revenue,
and not leaving it Ia be spent Ivy the EN'cu.
tive? This Secretary. in conclusion, clearly
maniiests his wishes to see the law defeated.
lie SAYS, ".MouM IRE Lec0me nrOired n rcm
or qi0S, rar tcjM .iIcric0, the surplus may
neper be Mrided. or will be soon rCcdttcJ. Al
all events, the whoie mW be raried "a 1912 u
not earlicr!" How come war, or qlrnSi war
with Mexico into the head of this Executive
Gtficer: There is 10 misunderstanding be-
tween our country and Mexico, and can be
none unless our Executive provokes il. ltis
the Congress of the u. 5. which has the sole
power Of making war; and that body has en-
pressed no dissatisfaction towards Mexico,
and has no cause for any. is it not pa!pablc
that the Executive is ready to involve the
country in war, or resort to any other des'
pcrate measure which might defeat the dis
trbution of the thirty millions surplus, and
leave it at his disposal?
!. But they do not stop here. The Govern
mcnt newspaper is calling earnestly upon the
States torefuse to receive the money which
is to be distributed among them; and it calls
urgently upon the people to turn out the rep
resentatives who passed the distribution law,
and appoint others to repeal it, and leave the
money AZ the disposal Of the Executive. 1t
has issued II general order announcing TO the
whole Office party that hostility to the dlStr'-
button law will be considered as the test OF
fidelity to the Executive. Ii inllmates broad
" that the President will never allow The
law 10 90 into effect; and, lest II should be M
fcrrcd that the President was in favor ot the
distribution, from his having signed and ap-
proved the bill, his official paper gives notice
that what he did was from necessity; and be-
cause il he had vetoed the law 1t would have
been SD by the Legislature without hlm.
Mr.. Van Burcn's letter before us Is full OF
:hc same indications, and appcnls to h's Pco.
pie. He hopes and pruys that if The diStrbu-
ton Of the present surplus revenue must take
, placc-and there is no help for 1.-THE peo-'
! Pile will put stop to "ihis species ot trgtsla-
4 tion;" and will not allow the future surplus
revenues whatever they may amount TOY to
BE- taken out of tire hands of the Executive.
In his opinion the present surplus OF ,hlr'y
millions ounh not to be distributed WithOd
an amendment 10 He Constitution. Which IL
mcndment (he being opposed to any dlstrbu-
tion) he would do all in his power to prevent:
employing. for that purpose, the additional
influence which this very surplus would give
him. Was there ever, in free country, so
desperate II struggle for arbitrary executive
! power; or over so barellcod an attempt to
grasp the means at perpctuating 1t, IN open
defiance of the laws?
! 1t is very apparent tn t faithful distrlbu-
ton of the excess o! the public revenue, be-
yond what the eXigcncies Of the government
require, is the only means left IN the power
of the people, by which, through their repre-
scntativrs in Congress, To ensure Il ialthinl
! and economical administration oi the govern
men, coniuing, at the same tnc,thc ENrcn-
| tive to the unavoidable and, at best, danger
D., ous patronage influence OF his Office; and re-
! licving the people from the deadly pressure
of that illcuitimate and blighting influence
over the freedom Of election which Is derived
/ from the control and disposition of the millions
of surplus public money, not wanted l"r the
public service. No wonder that the EXccu-
tive, and his adopted succcssor-asplrIng tl
succeed To all his honors, prerogativcs anc
, DO owers-tooether wih the whole host o
",
, trained, disciplined and paid out OF these ve-
ry revenues, should struggle, as we sec them
struggling, TO prevent SO wholesome re-
form.
N Fellow citizens, can We fail To see that the
present is IL contest between the people and
their own officers; from the result OF which
! We are to learn, whether the elective fran
chise, hitherto held sacred as the distinguish
ng attribute of ircemen, is any longer io be
respected, and the people allowed to ENJOY
and exercise it, free from arbitrary control
and corrupt influences; or, whether hereafter
the election OF all officers, from the highest
4 to the lowest are to be guided and carried
by the hand of power. Ii may be natural e.
nough that President in the full possession
Of more than kingly powers, but which he
can only retain III his own hands for limited
PERIOD should have n strong desire still t'
live aud reign again IN successor OF his owl
election anu it is Il matter Of course that the
r tens Of thousands who are enjoying the emo
luments OF all the public offices and favors al
|, his disposal should act III combination ana
, exert themselves to establish such success
Y sion. That this may become the ruling pas
4 sion OF an ambitious chief, we readily admit
ncain. But. whenever he shall accomplish
n his designs he will subvert the Constitution
p by destroying the freedom Of elections. Ana
D the attempt itself to execute such dtsign
. is an attempt to undermine the Liberties OF the
: people.
!, Almost from the beginning OF the present
! administration, we have seen Mr.. Van Buren
, held I'D TO the nation as its next PrcsIdent
and pIi possible means taken to accustom the
people TO look upon him as their future chief
; as undoubtedly as the people Of England lool
, upon their Prince ot Wales as the successol
; to the British throne. Ii was evidently {,
I keep the people from thinking, themselves, o
, candidates aud qualifications, that, Ivy pre-