The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1838-07-26

aiure is shorn Of almost oil dignity and authority that
the reedom Of thought and action essential TO the very
idea Of representative assembly charged with the con-
duct Of hniiied government, is sssaea oil Sides
and has been seriously impaired; and thar our repub
lie is beginning 10 take the shape Of elective
chy, tempered in some degree by two Houses OF Par
lament whose occasional opposition 10 the will Of the
Executive is tresed revolt against the people. in the
person Of their only true representative. do not speak
Of his that administration; OF what the actual Pres
dent IL doing, what the late President has done
speak Of system becoming more and more established
every day. and Of what all future Presidents will do
q matter Of course, because systems strong for
and override the beat intentions speak Of what
10 the inevitable consequences Of The discipline party,
il is expessively called here by which all freedom
OF pr yac judgment Is sacrificed 10 the imaginary viii
Of the majority, and public opinion is shaped, with
view to future elections by few leaders debating.
one knows how TO muudes Of dissenting, dissatisfied,
and yet complying follomers--the whole body doing
what amost every member Of il disapproves This is
the mystery Of great masses, the perm OF
a vast hody polite, which every day Of future expe-
rencc will tend more and more to reveal fittings 60
they do.
do not. Of course mean TO deny. that the opinions
Of his continents entitled great weight with the
representative UnquestionAbly they are. and where
they differ from his they ought 40 give him pause
and awaken ia him deep Of the responsibility he
incurs in declining to comply with them. ] will even
eoncede that IN Of much doubt and difficulty, it IL
sale course 60 conform 70 Them shd that there
questions, OF very rare occurrences and very peculiar
character, where it would do more harm than good 10
resist them But the truth is, there is The least
for experimenting that they will generally have
their full effect On the contrary, the danger is all The
other way Il is, unfortunately but rare a thing
everywhere 10 see public man resist the passion or
prejudice Of the day, at the risk Of his popularity
and success, though he be il will pass away with
the day Even II ambition did not tempt, baser
tves dispose him TO yield, that which has well de-
scibed "the great maser-y'ce Of men Of business,
degenerate and ingorious soth. Incidence, the
dread of strife and censure would be enough to make the
duty Of resistance irksome and even odious one
With such preext to cover the cowardce Of doing
wrong" the people have nothing TO dread from the
rowadness indociy Of their representatives Their
,c'H their hamors, however pctnlent and caprcious
will be crossed by very few they will always have
coures enough persuade them they do no wrong
for power wants them, and OF all sovefegns the
people king" is surrounded with the most dangerous
because the best disguised parasites aud sycophants
But the ne friend the faithful counsellor the
who will dare TO disobey commands which his master
Will soon repent Of having gwen the representative
who will not sacrifice the deliberate sense Of his cons
tuen,s, expressed in the exercise OF high and calm
reason the laws ard constitution the false impress
sion or heeng excitement OF an hour the statesman
who ks to future consequences, and prefers
sien partial or imaginary advantage the real and per-
pair from the public service, and TO any
influence public opinion The standard Of political
morality will be degraded TO the level Of the lowest
bidder in the market every hing like fixed principle and
rigid republican virtue will 20 of fashion; will
have opinion to express until he ssks hat that Of
his official fugeman and 10 talk Of limited cons,ltu-
ton and government Of laws, amidst such universal
subservency, and studied self deuson will be the bit
terest Of all irony. .a....s
A moments reflection on Government so curiously
Al. l.
in question, reduced fully TO practice will make in its
spirit and operation. by is it difficult nay next
10 impossible to change the Constitution? Why are
there two Houses Of Congress instead Of one1 Why
10 The term Of the Senate less than six years. Why
the members of the other branch of the Legislature
elected for two Why has the Presiden, reto 10 pre-.
vent, and the Judges jurisdiction aside OF
Congress What is a Constitution itself, but denial
10 the Government and consequently 90 all Practical
purposes) for the time being, the people themselves
of some OF the most important attributes OF sovereign
yl What is the end and meaning Of all this array Of
checks and restraints upon the Of society," in
whole organzaIon-but TO control the passions OF
kind 10 give them locus pcn,fenfid; to inerpose
time for calm reflection: TO secure TO its eg
mate influence human affairs and lastly, 10 subs
tote deliberate and enlightened and well ascertsned
public opinion. ms,ured by comprehensive survey Of
It's subjects, fairly gathered from general discussion Of
their IN all their aspects, with full knowledge of the
state Of facts aud free interchange Of sentiments for
notions rashly taken up aud the ebu,ons Of monen-
ary excitement; for The blindness OF local prejudice
above all for doctrines boldly put forth by few pre-
Stunning men, the settled conviction Of the majority,
before the attention Of the people has been much
called with any scrio suess, 10 the points involved Ia
them This last consideration is one Of immense I'M
portance. The world has been governed by c0nsfrac-
lire, not real maorities, The great of mankind
have done nothing but SANCTION by tac acquescence.
what has been done by few bold and active spirits
without consulting their opinions The Jacohns who
ruled France despoicaly were always miserable
minority Even in the Contention as the 9th Their
mdor revealed. they might at any time have been put
down, had the majority understood each other, or had
there been any means OF asceralnng the real state OF
public opinion in France, sicken.d she was, at the
atrocities under which she was bleeding without hope
But there vas no concert among the people their
personalities, and single dcspotic Assembly, swayed
by handful Of daring consplrators against the laws
aud arming itself with the most terrible powers
tive as well legislative, TO be exer,ed under every
gust Of passion and every wild dcuson rose illus
traes by contrast, the wisdom of a form OF Govern.
men like ours wherein every thing has been studi-
ousy contiived TO control sudden impulse, and com
pei to serious and conscientious reflection 1t is this
humility philosophical Christian, so full Of true
wisdom, and Of the virtue which prays, is taught
to do that il may not be led into empationt this
sublime sefdenal Of our people deliberately limiting
their competence lest they should be BETRAYED by
it into doing wrong-that gives to democratic instr
tuons their only chance Of succeeding better than
that form OF government has hitherto DONE Dema-
gognes, indeed, hold different language. they are
interested IN dong-they treat all restraints whatever
upon the will Of the majority violation Of its inallen.
able rights They preach the nallbiliy the absolute
nfalblliy Of the people," every individual Of whom
knows by the daily experience Of his own errors and
blindness, that tho dogma basphemons fslsehood
They live by tbs very passions which il is the great OBJ
ect Of the Constitution to resrain.--by the decisions
which the " laws delay would nfslhly dissipate--
what wonder that they should find these sclfimposed
restraints Of wise and moral people. announcement
abrdgement Of their sovereignty, and that like oil true
courtcrs, they should 60 for d,rHe ghf aud disptns