Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1839-08-02

delivered IN the House Of Representatives, Feb p
| Continued
Manufacture Of public sentiment
But, Mr. Chairman, there is another
branch ofthis machinery which is not less
perfectly organized, and not less complete
4y within the control of the Central Power
| mean the affiliated party press Of the coun-
try Is il determined by the President,
with the advice Of the select political cabal
that any new party movement shall be
made2 A messenger is despatched
editor Of the Globe appears-(though he is
understoodlob be generally present as one Of
the advisersD instructions are given and
the Globe moves. Straightway there is
corresponding and Simultaneous movement
in the party press in Vermont in Pennsyl.
vania, in Georgia, and in the far West
Public sentiment is manufactured, as the
cotton is taken from the bale, in the lower
story, and comes out perfect web in the
upper. Every editor and every Executive
officer known his place knows what is ex-
pected OF him, and knows he shall be "shot
Tor .dsssrtiaep NaA.-mjlitay government
was ever more absolute No machinery
was ever moved with precision more per
| feet.
Wonder is often expressed that, with the
most powerful means--so far as there is
power in truth--(alas it is too often power
less,) the Opposition are able to make so lit
tie impression, and are so often defeated
when victory seems certain.
Here, sir, is the secret. The President
and his men understand it /; and, while the
the Wings talk Of principle, they laugh al
its inefficacy when brought into conflict
with their party machinery. Mr. Chairman,
how many illustrations OF this might be
drawn from the history of our political con.
| fiicts during the last ten years Suffer me
10 refer you 10 one Of them.
Ereeutire influence and the Expunging
resolution.
You remember, sir, the celebrated case
of the deposiles. The President took the
responsibility" ard the public treasure NOV
ed al his Kidding. The Senate, alarmed al
the high.handed usurpa,on of power, deter.
mipedto rebuke it, and passed resolution Of
ccnsurc. The President sentthem protest,
in which be asserted principles and set up
claims 10 power which made him little inie-
rior 10 an absolute monarch.
| But he was not content with protest.
He could moi rest on the sober, deliberate
judgment af his coun,rymen. He must
have present satisfaction The Senate had
offended him. and they must be humbled,
and the record of the obnoxious resolution
erPunged But how should it be done p
How should such a result be accomplished
Sir, The means were not wanting Party
organization supplied them. Instructions
from State Legislatures could accomplish
the end, and party machinery was adequate
TO their production. The President wiled
it and the result showed that his will, by a
mysterious process, became the law OF lenis-
| lative action in numerous States OF the Uu-
ion.
For three years was this process going
on. From year TO yeaI the expunging reso.
luton struggled in the Senate, under the
overwhelming arguments which were urged
against it, On one occasion March. 1850
were the e1punging words stricken from the
resolution by vote of39 to 7; upon which
Mr. WEBSTER, in addressing the Senate,
said: THE attempt TO induce the Senate 10
expunge It's journal has failed signally and
efectualy failed The record remains,
neither blurred, bloted, nor disgraccd"
Would TO Heaven sir, that it had thus
still remained The attempt 10 blot and dis,
grace it failed, signally indeed, but not final.
| ly. Executive influence was too strong for
the most unanswerable constitutional argu.
ments The State Legislatures were sur
rounded and pressed with it. Many resis-
ted, but many yielded and Senators who, in
1885, had voted TO strike from the expung-
ing resolution its material words, and render
il nullily, were, two years afterwards, in
duced to Weld 10 the Presidents wishes. and
vote TO expnnge record which the Con-
stitulion had commanded them to keep"
Sir was in the Senate chamber when the
final vote on that resolution was passed l
heard the responses to the call of the yeas
and NAYS, and saw the result of the three
years Executive war upon the independ-
ence Of that body II was disgraceful and
hum initiating spectacle. and seemed almost
to impress upon the very image of the Faith
er of his country, as it looked down from
The canvass, an expression OF mingled sor-
row, amazement. and indignation. There
stood the Senator who, SOLITARY and alone
had, three years before, "set that ball in mo-
tion," swelling in triumph at the successful
result of Executive influence and party ma
chinery and there sat the subdued and the
humbled, who had been made, through that
influence, the unwilling instruments OF ac-
comprising the designs oil the great expun-
gerl" The vote had passed. The
resolution was adopted. 1t was a moment
ofthriling interest. The Secretary brought
into the Senate the doomed record, and there
executed the sentence by which it was "blur-
red, botted, and disgraced,"