The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-04-17
DEBATE IN THE SENATE.
TUESDAY, FeBaAnY IL, 1880.

Nv iEhr EhcNIE IN EIEc ''ON
The Senate having again taken uPihe bill 'niiodueea
nv Mr. Cnenden. Ia prevent thenleiefehee W ss'a'"
| Federal officers la elections A4
Mr. RIyES rose ard said: The subject now n"as.
consideration was. ia his humble JnhRu's"" ~ r,.,.
most important ~ bearing onshs hpsias ~. a.
des,inles OF this country which mao oe."ps 80, .n,-
alterations OF Congress for wears past ~ "a .s,
| .d y, ,,,,,o,,.n,e indeed by any ~hich hsd siso"
,n.s ~ ss,bl,,bnsnr Of the Constitution ~ concerns
| The vial principle of free gosern'ne., nsen-m. ~
Of The people freely 10 choose ihsh nep'essHs
Iis, i ,Le fhrory least. Of all parties this great
,.nsdi.I rpl, Of The people had been held to be sa
c,,d ,,n al interference on the psn 81 the eoseen'
~ suy pretension Of the agents Of Executive po"ef 70
influence control its ezrrcise but now '"' ~. "s'
| time 10 our history, hve solemn snd esno'ss
MORT from one Of the leading committees Of TINS oouy'
The Jnd lci.ry Commslec.) boldly procaim,ng 70 DC
the rig and daiy Of Executive officers to busy 'n
selves in eleciions endeavor 10 shape sho o",e'
public opinion aud TO Influence aud conir" inc peoie,
as far as they can, IN the highest anu MOS '"'po
function OF their sovereignty
T confess said Mr. r.. when listened 10 the read
nu o. this pottentious report. some days non M'
table OF youI Secretary, was amazed ana pewhue,eu
could not b,s ask myself, whittier hath me nao uo
mon Of party carried US Where an J. ta' nc,i sun
d,c,rne. onenly proclaimed in the Senate hoase An
| il fee republican America, the land OF Jealous con-
/ s,i,utiousl freedom or in England, amid the
broodnq darkness" Of the seventeenth century, uhue
The arbitrary AID lawess Of Tho S,uart. or am
| ia Imperial Rome under the sordla uespous"' =. .lo
| Ca.arsl / must say, continued Mr. H.. that nothing
ha. aver impressed me with deep des9ondency as
~ tho fortunes Of our young and glorious Republic as
the doctrines of that report received and welcomed ~
I they have been, by majority OF this body -.
do not look upon il expressing merely the opt
MONS OF ils author or OF the committee IN whose
name il is presented hut am compelled TO regard 1t
rs the creed Of party-as the exposition anu deience
Of political system, which relies upon party organlza-
tion party discipline, and official patronage, 10 con-
.,.d ia ~ COun
from committee consisting with but single excep-
ton believe) OF gentlemen Of the same political party
friends and supporters Of this administration IL IS
sooner read Than IL Is hailed and openly appauded
on the floor by member Of The party and another
instantly to haveten thousand copies Of printed
for distribution among the people, which accordingly
ordered wthouta division. report treating Of such
high matter" and so sanctioned and endorsed by .
majority Of this body. cannot fail TO awaken the most
anxious attention the character aud tendency Of its
doctrines.
The honorable chairman Of the committee. (Mr
Wal fearing that his former political associations and
opinions might BY possibility prejudice his report IN the
eyes Of some. thought fit to inform us that solemn.
council had been held his admission into the Demo-
cratic party, and by that council il was determined he
had federalism enough TO spoil his democracy"
We 10 understand. then, that modern Democracy
admits Of an infusion Of more or less federalism and,
if Judge Of the orthodox democracy Of the day
b, this report should say 1t admits Of very large IN
fusion, for have yet the document which
thoroughly saturated with all the charae
elements Of the Federal faith than this.
Is not elaborate plea. throughout, for the rights
and prerogatives Of Federal Executive power; for the
influence OF Federal patronage not merely on those who
its immediate benefciaes hut, through their party
services aud eeconeering activity. upon The great
body Of the people themselves! While Federal pa
rronage aud Executive power are thus excited. The
Stale authorities sludiouy dIsparagcd aud held up
special objects OF jealousy and distius The func-
tionarIcs Of the States spoken Of hsbilnaly in
nexion with .the officers Of the corporations Of asso-
cstcd veal b." evidently It would seem. with the
view Of directing against them porion Of the odn,n
ahich It has been the policy Of The purify to excite
against the banking institutions OF the country In
passage Of the report The unseemy case, even, is sup
posed Of " the STATE nc,ionaries uniting with The
potations Of associated wealth IN party struggle to
obtain the power Of the Federal Government"
There time, Mr.. President. in the better days
Of the Repnblcthe days Of Jefferson aud Madison
when democracy. rather repnhlcanisn, as It was
then called, sgUfed for The rights ct the
States respect for State authorities aud STATE insti-
iions Jealousy Of the power and Influence 81 the re-
dersl Government, and especially Of the Executive
branch Of il economy IN the public expense; sup
preston Of useless offices; curalment OF patronage
sacred of The night Of election by the people,;
and absolute scluescence IN the dec,sions Vi e ma
jori,y the vital prin iples OF Republican Govern
MT. These the great principles Of democracy
taught and practised by him whom the report Justly
styles :. the great apostle Of democracy" But demo-
cracy s-davsi are TO Judge Of u by tins report
and other practical exposons of the moderh democratic
creed means disparagenent OF the state oovern-
mepts; war upon State institutions enlargement Of
the powers aud influence Of the Federsl Government
extension Of Executive patronage multiplication oil Of
fees augmentation OF the public expenditure; every
thing Left 10 Erlcutipe discretion, instead OF being
regulated by fixed rule OF iar--a virtual nullIhcaon
consequently Of the Legislative department, the true
Representative branch Of the Government; the dec
sons Of the majority" of the people, as pronounced in
their elections and through The medium of their repre-
senlalves, wholly dlsregarded by the Executive and
the sacred "rghi Of election by the people itself now
openly sought be " smothered (to the language
OF Mr. Jeferson) "by the enormous patronage Of the
General Government, and by the licensed interference
Of Federal Executive officers. IL modern democracy
has espoused doctrines such these, 1t wonder
that the council which sat the democratic preiensons
Of the honorable Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Wal)
should have pronounced "he never had federalism
enough to spoil his democracy =!
But, let come now said Mr. R., to the report it.
self; and here give notice to the Senator from New
Jersey, that it is TO the doctrines Of The report aught,
consider them to be, with the greatest danger to
h. liberties and public morals Of the country and in
vested, they have been, with fearful importance by
the solemn sanction and imprimatur Of majority Of
this body, that intend mainly to address myself
Interesting and important the questions involved
in the introduced by the Senator from Ken
lucky (Mr Cri!tenden) undoubtedly are, ! hold them
but dust in the balance" compared with the por,enous
doctrines nculcated by the report The gentleman from
New Jersey complained that the honorable Senator
from Kentucky, in his able and eloquent speech with
which he instructed and entertained this assembly, had
not confined himself TO showing the constitutional po,o-
Of Congress to pass his BILL instead Of assaing and
commenting upon the doctrines Of the report, Bot, !
would * the honorable Senator from New Jersey, If
the constitutional question, of which he makes much
now, was not the least Of all his topics dwelt the
report The report consisted, | Think of ten printed
pages and Of these ten pages but single one de-
voted to the suggestion Of any constitutional impede
ment to the passage Of the bill all the Of the
given up TO an elaborate defence
Of the right and duty Of Office holders take active
part IN popular elections, and Of the tyranny, injustice