The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1839-07-23

bors 10 Executive officers. This purpose he accom-
pshed by embodying, in his resignation dSser-
uon on the subject, which will now read.
Having descanted the importance of the
amendment to the Constitution fthe United States,
proposed by the Legislature Of Tennessee, whereby
the election of President should be made directly
by the people, without the Intervention OF ELECTORS
he says
"With view to sustain more effectuully, in
practice, the axiom which divides the three great
Glasses of power into independent constitutional
checks, l would propose provision rendering any
member OF Congress ineligible to office under the
General Government, during the term for which
in cases of judicial office. The effect of
such constitutional provision is obvious. BY it
Congress, in Il considerable degree would be free
from that connexion with the Executive department
which at present gives strong ground OF apprehen-
sion and ealousIy on the part of the People,
Members, instead of being liable to be withdrawn
from egisatng the great interests of the nation
through prospects of Executive patronage, would
be literally contded in by their constituents
while their vigilance would be less interrupted by
party feelings and party excitemcnts Calculations
from intrigue or management would fall nor would
their deliberations or Investigations of subjects con
sumo much time. The morals of the country
would be improved and virtue, uniting with the
labors of the representatives, and with the official
ministers of the law, would tend TO perpetuate the
honor and glory of the Government.
''But if this change in the Constitution should
not be obtained, and important appointments con
tinue TO devove the Representatives in Con-
gress, i t requires no depth of thought to be con
WINGED that corruption will become the order ofthc
day, and that, under the garb of conscientious sac
rifces to establish precedents for tho public good,
evils Of serious importance to the freedom and
prosperity of the republic may arise. 1t is through
this channel that the People may expect to be at
tackled in their constitutional sovereignty, and
where tyranny may well be apprehended to spring
up in some favorable emergency. Against such
inroads every guard ought To be interposed and
better occurs than that OF closing the suspect
ed avenue with some necessary constitutional re-
srictou. We know human nature to be prone to
evil we are early taught TO pray that we may not
be led into temptation and hence the opinion
that, by constitutional provision, all avenues To
temptation the part of Our political servants
should be closed
"Aly name having been before The nation for
the Office of Chief Magistrate during the time /
served as your Senator, placed me IN situation
truly delicate but, delicate as it was, my friends
do not, and my enemies cannot charge me with
descending from the independent ground then oc'
cupied, with degrading the trust reposed in me, by
intriguing for the Presidential Chair As, by a
resolution of your body you have thought proper
again TO present my name to the American People,
| must entrcat to be excused from any further
vice in the Senate and to suggest, i'll conclusion,
that it is due to myself to practise upon the maXims
recommended to others and hence feel CON
strained to retire from situation where temptations
may exist and suspicious arise of tho exercise oil an
influence tending TO my own nggrandizement;
"Accept &c ANDREW JACKSON"
1t peeds, Mr.. Chairman, but slight acquaint
ance with The history of ihe Presidential canvass,
from 1895 to 1929, to the drit ana beurins Of
this extraordinary re:2gndtt0n MIR clay nau Deen,
by the appointment of the President, transferred
from the House of Representatives to the Depart
ment of State and thereupon the ciamor OF cor,
ruption had been raised and conspiracy formed
to "put down" the Admin stralion. AT the Crisis;
Gen. Jackson brought out, and presented to the
country as the who to put an end TO the
appointment of members of Congress to office, and
dry up his source of corruption. Under his Ad
ministration, Legislative purity was to be maintain
ed Congress- TO be free from that conneXion
with the Executive department which then! gave
Strong ground of apprehension and jealousy leg
islatve Independence to he strictly guarded !;
calculations from intrigue and management were
to fail : the morals of the country TO be
improved aed ho honor and glory of the Gov
eminent perpetual ed = But this was not all. If
the interference ofExec utve influence with lcgis-
lative independence was suffered to 'continue, by
the appointment of members Of Congress to office,
it was the Generals most solemn opinion that
corruption would become the order of the day )
that 'the People would he attacked IN their con;
stitutional sovereignty and that tyranny would
Spring up in some favorable emergency ! Human
nature then, in his opinion Gerry prone TO evil;
and the proprety of the prayer lead lis not into
empation' was presented to his mind in a rery I'M.
preSsiue light His situation truly delicate !!
He could not descend from his independent ground
by intriguing for the Presidential chair ! and felt
constrained 10 retire from situation Uhe Senate
of the Unit ed States) where he might be tempted
to act with view to his Town ACKNOWLEDGEMENT -
What modesy and decay What purity and pa
triotism Who could refuse to vote for the man
who put forth such sentiments, and gave to his
countrymen such pledges
Mr. Chairman, it is no idle "reminiscences that
calls up these pledges. They throw tiooo otlight
upon the Administration Of the present dynasty
and set it forth in bold and embazoned relief be
fore the country if they had been faithfully full,
filed, what praise would not have been bestowed
upon the purity, patriotism, and consistency OF
their author But, sir, they have not been fulfl led
Every of them has been violated. Instead OF
striving to maintain the Legislative purity, this dy-
nasty has, from the momen: of its accession to
power, sought assail and corrupt it. Instead OF
laboring to sustain the independent, constitutional
checks, they have been trif ed with and uampled
on. Instead of avoiding conexion between the
Executive and Congress- which it was pretended
gave such strong ground of apprehension and jeal-
ousy, that connexon, in the most odious forms OF
Executive interference and influence, has been
carefully cherished and maintained Instead o.
legislative independence, there has been Legislative
subserviency. Calculations from intrigue ano
relied on and corruption has, indeed, became Thu