Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1839-05-11
SPEECH OF MIR. PRESTON, ----INTERFE-
RENEE IN ELECTIONS
(Concluded

st. Ga page Sd OF the report, IL stated u
fact, and an inCeptlTe principle which The com
mttee rested, that the State Governments hay c
made discrimination between the mass OF the ir
lcllzens and the office holders of The General
Government. Now, SIR, the fact exactly the
IopposiIe for such is the habitua jealousy OF the
SIatcs and their waIchfuincss OF our power, that
/ | believe in every State there Is tHndamen tai
law furbiddIng the officers OF the United Sta les
Government from holding any Office OF profit or
/ trust IN the gift OF the State. The very fac, OF
holding office under tins Government is regarded
As a dfsirauchisement in all the States of the I'm
! ION. Bat beg leave 10 quote the language OF
the report:
.'Happy institutions, resting upon the just founda-
ton of popular rights nehe demand nor will admit of the
mutation ct the the privileges citizenship.
requisite for office Under existing laws citizen
by accepting of the Offices designated
rights ahd privileges which belong 10 him as citizen of
Ssute.''
Forfeiis no right, Sir. he is DISTINGUISHED he
holds Office under this Government. And Whist
is the fact IN regard the Sodiery of the United
States? And on what principle you disiran
chse soldier any more than an office holder, If
these rights Inherent IN HIM Il citizen?
Enthusiastically YOU have IN that such
right. Yet United States soldier does not vote !;
and gentlemen from all paris OF the House,
roce, have declared that tho Office holders the
enlisted soldiers OF the Executive thus Identified
as the very persons Who are DISTINGUISHED. And
vet these persons, who thus charac terized as
enlisted soldiers, 1t is now declared not to be
DISTINGUISHED, which the whole army proper of
5000 or 10000 in fact.
Mr.. President, the report proceeds TO make an
other assertion which Is altogether at variance
with fact, and which is the fatal source of all the
evil principles which flow Of it, 81 TO tina beg
the attention of the Senate 1t is the alleged fact
that office-holders are appointed by the People,
that thew are emanatons from the People, and
tho agents of the People. But is that the fact?
No, SIR they hold their office in spite of the PEG
pie, by Executive power, and for Executive pur-
poses.
Mr. Clay. of Kentucky. And often against
their wishes
Mr.. Preston. VIGOROUSLY so. The People arc
nouted, and their opposition a reason why these
men are appointed and retained in office. Sir, |
look State, where iour-fifths of its CT
tizens on the other side. What is the in
respect office-hoiders with us? The very fact I
that the People wished certain ofice-hoders ap-
pointed was iha very reason why they were not
appoin ted. They were appointed against US, and
over u.s. to control us IN spite OF ourselves.
Another alleged fact IN the report Is, that the
have not known this power to be bro't
in conflict with the elections. Sir, let
pitulate little. In 1921 or lS22, by n distin-
guIshed Governor of State, ii was solemny de-
carcd to be fact. De Wit Clinton presented
it solcmuly as existing evil which required
under the administration of Mr. Adams
and it was proclaimed and blazoned forth in every
Of the cocntry, that the oiiice-holders had
nterfered with the freedom of elections, and Gen
Jackson received a torrent of applause in the
Dectation that he would crush this mass Of evil
y hich put the country in a foam and raved round
he land. And yet the gentleman never heard of
L. Mr.. Jefferson and Gen Jackson came in
Ter the same conditions, denouncing this
existing evil, and promising to correct it. And ,
now, as | have adduced the testimony Of JeiTer-
son, Jackson, and Clinton, what is the testimony
ii this repor Ii contradIcts and denies the truth
# their testimony. Even if il were admitted to
)e in its nature grievance, the report and the
committee deny the fact. and they also repu1iate J
he principle; and gentlemen have sen, abroad
0,000 copies OF report which SAYS they give Mr..
eferson tho lie, and further 1t declares them r
rulity of the enormous crime of giving Gen Jack
on the lie, declaring that all which both these I
Gentlemen asserted on this point is a lie. Mr. :
PRESIDENT this IS very intrepid report. Il bold c
Y marches up the fee of Mr.. Jefferson, and
enounces him at the very moment when it pro- t
esses 10 ground its doctrines on his principles I
dr Jefferson said this an evil; the report /
avs 1t is none; he says 1T existed; the report de-
lies lt he said he would correc, il; the report r
avs that 1t unconstitutional and tyrannical. =
ind this is all, but, boder than this, though it
night be supposed that the bones Jefferson were h
lot to be desecrated, passed By with lrrever-
nee, the report goes higher and further than this
I
alton to matter Of fact. 1t dares conflict with 8
he power of his opinion. g
And with whatface gentlemen tell me tina, b
he combined power of this Government, cannot ;
uppress a grievance which is acknowledged to d
xist, What did Mr.. Jefferson propose to do by y
is indiv idua power? lie pledged himself to sup |
ress this evil before he entered upon his office, v
nd ne did suppress it. p
| will rot read the report of the Senator from +
Iissouri. Mr. Benton,) but refer TO passage or
NO, and see how II squares with this report, in o
ihich honorable gentlemen say, regard to these e
Ulcers, that the People are delighted 10 trust 4
1em, in blind confidence with all their rights and a
auctions. And what said the Senator from Mis- v
ouri, when, different position from his pres g
ut one, he leader in the Opposition9 i.
THAT the whole of this great power 7
FilI centre In the President. The !,
king of England is the fountain ofhon- '
r; the President of the United States a
) the source of patronage. He pre-
ldes over the entire system of jobs and >
ontracts. He has power over the 8
upport of the individuals who admin a