Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Wayne County, Ind.) 1831-1837, 1837-05-13


the Treasury from duties On imports; spr.y %
,l,ese duties Just and careful discsiminalioa, -
favor Of articles produced at home, BY our own h.
hor and thus support. TO fals extent oag own
manufactures. These, Gentlemen. appear 70 me
10 be the general outlines Of that policy which the
present cond;.io" Of the oous''y requires y: q
dept.
see therefore, no political necessity for she an
nexa,ion Of Texas to The Union; % advantasss to
be derived from IT. and oSectioos to Il, Of strong,
and in my judgement, decisive characses
believe II TO be fos the interest and hsppiaeS
of the whole Union, remain - !: II without dim
mutton aud without addition.
Gentlemen, pass 10 other subjects. THO rapsd
advancement of the Executive authority = topic
which has already been alluded TO-
believe there is serious cause If danger from
this source. believe the power Of the Executive
has increased. is increasing, and ought nov 10 b
brought back within its ancient Constitutional l1@-
its. have nothing to do with the motives which
have led to those acts. which l believe 10 have
transcribed the boundaries Of the CONSTITUTIONS.
Good motives may alwaysbe -. umed, - bod no.
tiyes may always be imputed. Good intentions
will always be pleaded, fcs every assumption Of
power; bnt they cannot Justify a, even it Ne were
sure that they existed. 1t 10 hardly too stroag 70
say, that the Constitution was made to esepd Ne
people against the dangers Of good intention, real
VI pretended. When bad intentions arc boldly q
vowed the people will naturally take care Of them.
selves. On the other hand, they will always b
asked why they should resist, question. that ex
ercse Of power, which is 30 fair in its object, %
plausible and patriotic in appearance, and which.
has the public good alone, confessedIy In vsewv
Human beings, we may be assured, will gcnesally
exercise power, when they can get II; and they will
exercise it most undoubtedly, in popular Govern.
ments, under psetences Of public safety, or high
public interest. II may be veiy possible, that g0od
intentions do really sometimes exist when Constr
tutional restraints are dsregarded There are men,
in ali ages, who mean to exercise power usetulIy;
but who mean to exercise it? They mean to gov
iern " ell but they mean to govern. They promise
to be kind masters; but they mean to DC master /.
They think there need be hut little restraint spon
themselves. Their notion Of the public interest
is apt be qnte closely connected with their own
exercise of authority. They may not indeed al
ways undcrstsnd their own motives. The love Of
power may sink too deep in their hearts, even fos
their scrutiny, and may pass with themselves,
for mere patriotism and bcnevOencc.
A character has been drawn Of very eminent
citizen Of Massachusetts, Of the last age, which.
though think it does not entirely belong to hisn,
vet very well describes a certain class ot public
men. II said of this distinguished con Of Mas
chusetts that in matters Of politics and govern.
ment, he cherished the most kind and benevolent
feelings towards the whole Earth. lie earnestly
desired to see oil nations well governed; and 10
bring about this happy result. he wished that the
Uni.ed States nigh. govern the rest Of the world;
that Massachusetts might govern the United
States; that Boston might govern massachusetts,;
and as for himself, his own humble ambition would
be satisfied, by governing the little town Of bos.
ton.
do not intend, Gentlemen, TO commit 30 nm.
reasonable a trespsss your patience, a. 10 dis
cuss all those cases, in which think Executive
power has been unreasOnably extended. ! shaII
only alludc to some OF 'hem' and a. being earliest
in the order Of tme and hardly second 70 any 9TH
er in importance, mention the practice OF remov-
al from all Offices high and low, for opinion sake,
and on the avowed ground of giving Patsonage 10
the President that 10 to say, Of giving him the pow
er of influencing mems political opinions, and Po-
Iitics conduct, BY hopes, and by Tears addressed
directly to their pecuniaTy interests. The great
battle on this point, was fought and was lost, IN
the Senate of the United States, in the last session
of Congress, under Mr.. Adams administration.
After General jackson known 70 b elected,
and before his term Of Office began, many import
ant Offices became vacant, by the usual causes OF
death and resignation. Mr.. Adams, Of course,
nominated persons to ill these vacant Offices But
majority of the Senate was composed Of The
friends of General jackson; and instead Of actisg
on those nominations, and filling the vacant Offices,
with ordinary promptitude, the nomiasiions were
postponed, to . day beyond the fourth q Nascb,
for the purpose, openly avowed. otg'v'ng the pa
tronage of the appointments, to the President, who
was then coming into Office. And when tho now
President entered on his Office, he withdrew these
and sent IN nominations OF HE own
friends in their places was ofopinion then, and
am ofopinion now, that that decision Of the Sen.
ate far to un6x the proper balance Of the Gov
eminent 1t conferred on the Pressdent the power
Of ward. for party purposes personal purposes
without limit or control II sanctioned, manifest
". and olainIv that exercise Of power which Mr..
N adson had said would deserve impeachment;
and i, completely defeated one great object. which
Ne are told the trainers Of the Constitution conte0-
plated. in the manner Of forming the Senate; that
&. that the Senate might be 4 body. not changing
With tho election Of Q President, end therefore
kely to be able to hold, over him, some check a
restraint, in regard TO bringing his own friends and
,astisans into power with him, snd thss rewaFding
h. he