The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-10-05

agents, as Il may see a. but 70 absorb most mpor-
tant power essentially legislative In It's character,
from its legitimate and constitutional depository
the Representatives. of Me peepls-and 10 eondens IL
into sfagts head, the Ezecaiipe, thereby giving 10
thai single head dangerous dominion the EhOe
poneyed Institutions Of the country1 What, finally,
Is the bold and alarming doctrine recently proclaim
ed, and sanctioned, both in theory and practice, by
the highest authorities Of the Goyernmeni,--ihalt Is
both the right and the duty Of Exc, uiive ocehold-
ers to busy themselves In, and to influence and con-
troll popular eectionsbul to absorb from the people
Themselves The vital attribute ofiher sovereignty, and
virtually 10 invest II In this single head the Ezeft-
hrs for The elective principle" as Mr. Jefferson
has told Us becomes absolutely nothing II il may
be smolhered by the enormous patronage OF the Ge-
neral government" Mr.. Van Buren, himself, then,
being witness and Judge Task, gentlemen, on which
side OF the old and tue line of party division, as
marked and delineated by his own hand, are he and
the advocates and supporters OF his measures Are
they on The Republican side" laboTing 10 resist the
eHeroaeAaienfs and 10 limit The eaten 81 Executive aa
horifyI or are they on the FtderaI side, seeking
10 absorb power from its legitimate sources and TO
eoadense IL into single head which head he now Isl
II Is almost mockery 10 ask Tor with the porer
oper the public money the poper orer TIE moaeyed I'M
situations Of he country, and the poirer oper popular
elections which his different measures are calculated
to absorb from the legitimate source OF the people
and their Representatives. and ITO c0adcase into the
single head" of the Ezseuiire, il is difficult 10 con-
ceive what other powers would remain 10 be absorb
u
any art of political dstillation.
Rights submitted would leave him none to seize"
Truly, then, in the language OF the President, has Il
become question between the "monarchical, and
the denaoeratieai spirit of society"
But one power could be wanting TO establish
absolute and despotic supremacy IN the Executive
power over the freedom Of individual opniop and
conscence-and is not that power, fellow Citizens al
ready supplied through the medium Of that savs sys-
tenn Of party discipline which has received so fearful
and portentious development under the auspices Of
the present administration Has il not come 10 be-
recognized fundamental maxim Of political mo-
raty, that man must 60 with his party, right or
wrong at the sacrifice Of the most solemn convictions
OF his Judgment aud at the humiliation Of be-
lying and going counter to his recorded opinions de-
lbcraeiy proclaimed TO all the world Have we not
this principle of party obedience enforced by the
rack aud the gbbe the denunciaons Of the press, the
deprivation of Office and the nterdction even, Of So
cia communion by afxing the doomed offender the
foulesl epithets of moral and political disgrace! And
who and what, fellow citizens, the parry! will
tell you The President and the President alone, is
the party. He in the mysterious solitude Of his own
will determines what measures are to be proposed
and which the party are to be required to support
These measures are then brought forward by one or
two accredited organs, whose introduction Of them is
considered warrant that they have received the Pres
dental sanction. II any member of the party should
his own judgment on The merits Of the measure pro-
posed, it is Immediately intimated TO him that the Pre-
sdent means TO stand or fall by H. and with most Of
those to whom this appeal made, all incpent scrupes
are at once merged in the great iaerest Of sus
tanning the President and preserving the unity Of
the party. III however, enough OF the recusants,
under solemn Of their responsibility
to the country and their own consciences should
persist in their opposition to defeat the measure, the
President has nothing to do but to hold and to
commend il again and again, till finally the whole party
with the exception Of few unterrifed outiaicy come in
and surrender their opinions TO tho supremacy Of the
Executive will. This is no fancy sketch. fellow c
zens. wish for the honor and happiness of the
try it were. | could appeal to my honorable and
able friend and your former representative who sits
near me (Mr Patton,) whose lofty Independence Of
character less than his emnen. abilities commended
him to your confidence and support, to say if what
have both seen, in the highest councils Of the nation,
does too mournfuly verify the picture have pre-
scented to you. could cite to you the eloquent and
recorded testimony Of another gentleman Mr. Legare,
OF South Carolina, who has graphically described the
operations Of this system Of party discipline in the body
OF which he was proud and redeeming ornament
system under which, to his expressive language, "a
few leaders dictate knows how to mnlttudes Of
dissatisfied and yet complying followers
the irhoe body doing phat almost every member Of IL
disappropes." And is this gentlemen Representative
Government. in which the will Of the people prevails,
is It monstrous party despo,ism, in which all power
being virtually surrendered to the President as the bead
Of party, he proudly gives law to the people!
1t depends upon you fellow citizens, and your
patriots say whether this fatal and pernicous system.
which is taking such deep root in the public bodies Of
the country, and if not checked will silently work a
fundamental revolution in the Government shall spread
itself through the great mass Of the community. We
have now and then seen melancholy indications Of its
insdlous and progressive entertainments the great
spirit Of popular independence itself We have seen.
for example, honorable and intelligent men, expressing
their deepest convictions Of the runous and destruc
tive tendencies Of the SubTreasury scheme, and yet
practically surrenderng these convictions the bidding
Of party by cooperating in the choice Of candidates for
public stations, who the known aud jealous advo-
Gates Of that measures and this forsooth because they
must go NTH ,chat they call their party! Is then,
principle, the highest interests of the country euery
thing. to be sacrificed to this bloody moloch Of party
ascendancy! am far from saying that party founded
upon principle and looking steadily to the good Of the
country as It's sole end and AIM is thing to be depre
Gated by sober. minded and rejecting men. Show me
party according to the definition Of celebrated pot
cal writer, united for promoting. by their Joint endea
vors the national interest upon principles in which they
all agree" aud pursuing this lofty and patriotic aim
with faithful regard to their pofessed prime ask
ing and expecting no cooperation which is the
suit oil perfect freedom Of opinion and to that extent
and IN that sense am, as | have been, party man.
But when banded together, without regard 10
principle and for the sole purpose Of keeping power in
their own hands, or when united originally on princ
Piles proessed by them in common and with the honest
view Of promoting the general good by carrying out
those principles in Practice they shall afterwards aban-
don their principles, or lose sight Of the public good in
either sucha party rather party leaders or the
great body of every party is honest and wentention-
ed can have claim the support Of any good man
or patriotic citizen. And If for the desperate purpose
OF maintaining its ascendancy, after had fallen from
its principles, it should arrogae to itself dictatoria
authority over the consciences and opinions Of
bers, 1t would become unhalowed despotism which
every good and patriot should resist to the last
extremity as he values his moral responsibility and
freedom or the liberties and happiness Of his country
There is another topic, intimately connected with
this, fellow citizens, to which desire to invite your
serious consideration. Il is the attempt which is
made TO hold up, every occasion, the Presidential
election the sole and exclusive Of uoltical