Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1839-07-26

administrations, aud Presidents jackson
and Van Buren,, the disciples OF Jefferson
while the opposition, struggling to maintain
the true balance Of the Constitution agains
the overgrown aud overbearing power %
the Executive, has been branded as tb,
revived federalism of '93. Never, W,
venture TO say, has a higher stamp of po
l,lcal deception been played off on any
people. ln The genuine spirit Of Juggling
executive cDcroachment has assumed name,
precisely opposite to It's nature. Thus
while carrying out, with n high hand, the
very principles which rendered the admin
,stratlon Of the Elder Adams odlous to the
Republicans Of that day It cooly takes it,
seat on the democratic platform" pro-
fcsses tn be the true cXponndcr Of Democ
racy, and, IN the name OF the people, hurls
anatbemas q, the Wbigs as fcdeIals,S o
the school of 03!
We have, fellow citizens dwolt mainly
on the subject of Executive power, because
the abns0 of that power lies at the founda
ton OF all The evils which have afflicted tho
country, IN the experiments Of the last ten
wears. II the President had KEEP, within
his Constitution sphere, we should have
had no rulnous experiments on the currency
- no specie cIrculars--no bank suspensions
no arrangement of the cXchauges--nu
defa lcntlons Of public olliCors---no wasting
OF The public money on Executive tnvotltcs.
| The grand fundamental mischief has been,
that the Presudent has undertaken To govern
NE country; and has perverted the whole
patronage OF his office TO the purpose OF
influencing the people to submit to his
government as the Constitutional govern.
ment, and to rely upon him as the great
Conservation OF popular rights. From such
an assumption OF power, aud such per-
version of Presidential influence. nothing
but mischief could result, or can ever re-.
suit
We regard It as the highest Of our polIt-
cal duties to stand by the Constitution,
and. TO the extent Of our power, to guard it
against every violation, especially to
guard it at it's weakest poin'--the point,
where It will forever be pressed and endan
gered by the ambition, from which nothing
bn, the purest and most exalted virtue can
exempt It's Executive Chief.
AS wings, we ask return TO the row
eminent of The constitutional government
of the people. acting through their con-
s'ltnt'onal organs, uninhuenced by patron.
aye and unawed by power. We are will
ling to trust the people, without the aid of
executive influence or dlctatlon. We do
not believe that the constitution created
the presidential Office that it's lncumbents
might operate through it on the popular
opinion. direct the popular will, and con-
troll the destnies OF the country. We be
lievc that It is the appropriate business Of
the President TO execute the laws made by
tho people through their representatives.
We want TO keep him in his place We
want the peopl" should be left free to act
without his influence. This, fellow ci,
zcns, VIC believe is genuine democracy.
II was empha,lcally the democracy of 'oS
II Is true democracy IN 1889. We intend
to MAINTAIN It against the democracy of
popular submission to executive usuyration,
and popular acqnlescence IN government
of executive influence. We desire, too, a
Congress free from that inlluence-a Con.
gress which shall be fair expression of
the popular villa congress whose mem,
bers should think more OF the people who
constituted them, and less of the President
who did not constitute them. We believe
1t Will be IN vain to struggle for popular
rights II the country is to be perpelualy
pressed down by the incubus of exr cutive
power, and vain to keep the fountain of
popular action pure, il there is to be per-
pe'ua'ly poured INTO 1t the polIuliug stream
Of executive influence.
From that influence, too, do we desire
especially to have the state governments
exempted. IL there is any such thing as
federalism, in truly odous sense, it is the
influence of the federal executive on the
action of the States. lfany thing can ever
PROSTATE stale rights, and annlhIale state
independence, it will be that influence
The federal executive possesses n power
which he can bring TO bear on almost ever,
thlng. His agents are every where
Through their inslrumentally, he can
reach every ballot box, and act on everv
state government in the Union Has con
gress any such power as this Has the
judiciary any such power, Can all the
other branches OF he government combn.
ed, exert thousandlh part of the influence
over elections, state and national, which
the President may exert, and which has
been excried by General Jackson and his
successor
VIII you censure us, fellow citizens.
tor beng jealous of such power as this ?
Shall we be called fedora lists, and aris,o.
Gratis, and monoPollsts, and lordIinus, be-
cause we raise our voices against it -
Shall we be denounced as the enemies Of
popular rights, because we endeavor to
MAINTAIN the true democratic republ,canism
OF 93. and are struggling IN the cause in
which Madison and Jefferson trumphed ? |
WIN not Vermont be the last state to yield
N TINS contest with power Where is |
there state ~ the confederacy. whose
freemen can draw from the examples Of
the founders OF its independence, deeper
inspiration for such a contest, than the |
ireemen of the Green Mountain state? -
wv leIG Is lAGIG u hsa..s,