Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1836-05-10

members to both Houses of Congress, is
not the Executive Chief Magistrate engaged
In the canvass, the open advocate and cham.
pion of the election of the Vice President 10
the Presidency? Have we not, in fact, q
Government candidate for the Presidency,
supported by the whole power and influence
OF the Executive? Are not the whole
train ofpublic officers, with all their depen.
dents in the field, in full cry, barking away,
and hunting down every man who dares to
lnterrpose his influence against the consum.
nation ottheir plans? there in my place
declare there is such candidate, who, should
he be elected, may be saidto have succeed.
ed to the Presidency, as truly and mani
testify through the power and influence of the
Government, as though he had been appoint.
ed to the succession, and actually installed
IN office by his predecessor. do not say
that every individual in Office is giving him.
sclfup to this service; know there are many
honorable exceptions; but Us a class,
corps, what have said ofthe public officers
| reaffirm. Sir, how long is this state of
things to continue before any solemn opin.
ion shall be expressed by this House in re.
gard to it This interference of the Govern.
ment in the election of a successor has been
open and notorious, for the last nine or twelve
months. A session Of Congress, in the
mean time, has intervened. More than
three months have elapsed since its COM
-mencement, and yet no resolution has been
offered-no notice Of any kind taken Of so
extraordinary state Of things. We have:
too, House Of Representatives, in which
there are said to be one hundred and forty
members who profess to be republicans!
the disciples and followersof Jefferson and
not One of them has lifted up his voice here
to denounce a,practice 80 dangerous and
obstructive, Of the constitutional guarantee
Of our liberties. =
How are we to account for this silence !?
1t is agreed by the party that there is no
method Of perpetuating their power but by
a regular line. of succession Is this silence
the result of deliberate judgment in favor
of the practice of employing the patronage
and influence of the Executive in behalf of
the regularly nominated candidate? Sir, /
hope for the safety Of the country that it is
not. But | have lately witnessed the rapid
progress of error on this subject not only in
the minds of ofindividuals, but Of a whole COM
munity-; and it is melancholy to reflect how
sudden and preciptate may be the overthrow
Of all those princi pies and maxims which
have heretofore been regarded as fundamen-
tai and, essential TO the very existence OF the
institutions and the public liberty. When
the first evidence was given to the public of
direct interference Of the Executive in the
election of his successor, scarcely an indi-
vidual Of the party would be heard to defend
lit. But in few short months every sup
porter of the Vice President in that com.
rnunity was ready to attest his sanction of
the practice as just and cxpedient under his
hand and seal, if necessary. ltis time to
oppose ourselves to this error if we would
save tho Constitution.
Mr.. Chairman, have spoken with great
freedom ofthe course of the party in power
and have not spared my censures when l
thought it was deserved. intend to con-
tinuc to exercise this privilege, in the course
of the remarks | yet propose to submit.
But it is due to- myself standing in the DELI
cate and difficult relation | now do towards
that party, that / should distinctly declare
the nature of that relation. l have, up to a
late period, given support to the present
Administration of the government. still
consider myselfa supporter ofthe Admin
istration, upon every leading and important
question which, has arisen, to the same ex.
tent to which ! formerly gave them my sup
port, except those which originated in, or
have been changed and modified by the ife-
gitimatc desire and purpose of the Execu-
tive, to secure the election ola particular
and favorite successor. AS to all the prin-
ciples and practices which have proceeded
from this source, ! am, / have been, and ]
am firmly resolved still to be opposed. II
any member efthis House can claim the in
diligence ofthe Committee in commenting
freely upon the present state ofpublic affairs
and especially upon the practices and ob.
iects of those in power, when it is remem-
bered by whom, and in what manner | have
been assailed, think | may do SO. 1t is
not only due to myself butt is due to the
public. owe it to many of those of the
| Jackson party who have united their inter.
ests and influence with the party WHICH is
attempting to bring in the Vice President,
and whom hope I-ulay still claim as my
personal friends, to vindicate the principles
which have impelled me to my late course.
It has been said that have abandoned the
party to which once belonged. | deny
that the party now in power is, properly
speaking and ifprinciplc be the test of party,
the same with which / once acted. But,
sir, if this be the party of which was once
member, am free to admit, and am