Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1837-07-28

millions, while the Executive patronage
was brought to bear with reslstless and
overwhelming influence upon the freedom
of elections and on the action Of every
department of the government. Thou
sands of public officers were removed
because they would not become the partl-
zans of the Executive, and their places
filed by men who were prepared to yield
blind and INSCRIPTIONS devotlonto his will.
Patronage thus found its way to the ballot
box; it seized the press-it entered the
halls of Cougress-con'roled the national
legislation, and what could not be con-
trolled in advance, was crushed under the
foot of an arbitrary Executive veto.
So notorious have become the abuses of
power these fragrant falslfcations of the
grand profession with which the admins
! tratlon began its career, that they are writ
ten as in letters Of living light upon the
| heavens above our heads, and the earth
! beneath our feet. There is not n city or
village or hamlet throughout the land,
where the sturdlest supporters of the adj
mnislra,ion do not stand confounded at
the evidence of FALslriED PROFESSIONS
and ABUSED POWER, which every where
surrounded them.
Nor is this ALL The GREAT RE
| FORMER was not content with bringing
his patronage into conflict with the free
dom of ordinary elections. and thus sub
lectng to his control, the action Of the
States and the legislation Of congress-
His own political life was to terminate al
the end Of eight years; but he was deter
mined to live in the person OF his successor
Into the contest of that election he there
fore entered. Upon it he brought to bear
his personal and oDiliai influence. Hav
ing, contrary to his most solemn professions
made himself the President OF party, he
now openly placed himself at the head Of
it, and boldly proclaimed his preference
for one of the candidates for the Succession.
That candidate promised to walk in his
footsteps and carry out his principles and
policy, and was, thereupon elected.
Thus much for the reform which was to
give us an economical administration, and
correct the abuse which it was ia Ise'v pre-
tended had crought the patronage of the
government into conflict with the free
dom of elections.
But it was not enough that the admins
tra,ion, with its loud professions Of horror
at extravaganza and abuse OF executive
power, should have made these professions
the cover Of eXtravaganccs and abuses I'M
prccedented in the history OF the govern
ment. II must all be done in tie name OF
Tue eople-- III for the sake OF main aiming
the principles of Democracy. As Wasteful
expenditure was augmented, and Executive
usurpatlon grew bolder and more reckless,
did the cry Of Democracy" become louder
and longer Every stride in this career
was accompanied by the eXclama,loD-be-
hold our hatred Of arstocracy, and our zeal
for the rights Of the dear people!
From the moment that the present dy.
nasty became ascendant in 1899 to the
present time ONE GREAT PURPOSE has con
: trollcd its movements and absorbed its en-.
ergles. That purpose has been THE
AU MENTATION OF EXECUTIVE
INFLUENCE AND POWER To &C
compllsh it, more than ordinary ambition
. would have been content with so using the
power Of removal and appointment as tc
convert the agents experimenting the vas
machinery of government into the mere
ministers of the Executive will, and agents
+ to superintend the machinery of party
! This would to an ambition of more than or
S binary grasp, have been deemed an agent
sufficiently powerful to control the press
3 to guard the ballot box to act upon State
legislation, and TO influence the delbcra
, tions of Congress. But the ambition of on
! modern reformers reached far beyond this
e and the grea, project was conceived of rein
: forcing these means, with the entire reve
t nues of the country, and of uniting to tn,
= POLITICAL, the MONEY POWER
And tins introduces Us To the "ENPERl J.
j MENT" under which the country Is now
2 grooming the beginning. progress and ter
t mnatlon of which we viii now, as brleil.
as possible describe.
: The great experiment embraced n sue
cesslon of experiments, which we vii
: glance at in their order. The first was TIT
= experiment of making the Bank OF the Uni
: ted States political engine. sIbservent Il
the will OF the Executive. This erperimen
: IfaHed The Bank had not mingled in tn
politics of the country, aud it would not. -
: 1t had not opposed the elevation of Gen
: Jackson to power, and it would not. wbe
= he had obtained it, bow to that power.
e The decree went forth that
:, should be crushed!
o The next experiment was, to create
4 doubts of the solvency Of the Bank-obta
a vote of Congress that the public monte
were unsafe IN its possession, and thus sus
tain the medltated measure of their removo
: from its custody. This experiment ais
C fdiied. Neither could the credit of tn
@ bank be shaken IN the public estimation b
d the flagilious attempt of the administrator
to impair it, nor could Congress be induce
: to declare the revenues to he unsafe in it
II custody. A direct effort to this effect, re
d suited in the report of a committee of tn
!. House of Representation majority G
| u, La u rn.loni e pulII.1al I...I.-