The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-05-04

admission is known TO he unworthy 10 exist for though
IL the eormp, motive Of Office seeking :. not 'ne
less 10 be received anc lie even more 70 be ,soed me"
. regard for the People.
Aud now, Mr.. President. have rightly characterized
this report I have used perfect freedom With It's DOC
trims. not 10 wound the gentleman hni The repon "
self sets example of strength Of language and tone
OF denunciatIoo which douhly sDfasses all 10 when
may have been excited aud IT, 10 the execution OF THIS
document drawn up ia the closet under sense OF the
responsibility Of sending il abroad as the manifesto o.
The leading principles 81 the party. Il IN all tbs what
wss due 10 czndpr and decorum forgotten. surely
! may be indulgsd IN some ireedom OF remark on 80
uncommon production. But IL ]. for words used ~
de,onncing H. should fail OF excuse. and with The hi
itself and the Senator from Kcp,ucky should sso he de-
nouced w at least ask the indulgence 81 the Senate
whe, say that freedom Of d, bate ought To he SLOWED
document which 10 itself covered oil over win inc
spirit Of viuperatlon. !.
have now proved sir that the principle and policy
of ihs l is not ony comiradced aud conirsveDed by
the reporr ht that il iisties and ealopizes The inter-
ference Of Executive officers 10 elections. and no, only
So but prcscribes duty TO be performed by them
all
The report saws further:
II Is fhe discrimination made by the hih between
one set VI fnncousnes OF the Federal Government,
all those Of the State Governments. the officers OF the
corporations Of assorst wealth. and few proscribed
men upon whom this bill puts gag and letters 70
guard against the corrnplg mfhenca and psronage oi
the Federal Administration lf so. the effect OF the
bill would he stlI more objectionable as, ~ degrading
them by taking from them the rights common 10 I'll
Others it would prepare them to become the willing IN
siruulents VI coTruipon or ambition.
Aud VET, (said Mr.. p il is setedhy the report that
these officers in their behalf act as instruments
81 corruption. because is for the public good and sure
" ambition is moi less prsiseworihv. But further:
Tins Till would create a cast among office holders,
deriving their authority from the high source. the
People and requiring the high qualifications TO
discharge their duties Those enumerated would be
degraded by the very psnce Of office. which would
cut them Off from al identity Of feeling, interest, add
sympathy with their fellow. citizens. hy the voluntary
nu,alion Of The very manhood Of citizenship IT COP.
vers those officers into II enforces temporary
ouIiawry Of the dearest aud inesnale rights vi
citizenship with penalty suspended over their heads
during the innance OF office, which NAV he cnf nv
word. message, writing even look, and dooms them
10 become ouicas's-p political lepers They wonld be
dshonored by the very Of surendcring such rights
for The necensry motives Of pecuniry gain aud rewards
Of office aud proclaim themselves slaves, and the III IN
strumc,ts for making slaves Of others They would
find the badges Of slavery aud dishonor written upon
their commissions"
Wen nov, sir, (sad Mr. P the officer is not TO be
thus degraded and prevented from interfering IN cleo
tons; and if he does mol reject his Office under snch
conditions with disd.n. he Is mercenay snd corrupt,
aud he is fit instrument for power To use IN etectln2
It's corrp, ambitious purposes. If he will consent to
he appointed IN office these terms, Yet the report
says that If he endeayors to control and nac the
polls for the purpose Of attaining office, il does not dis
qualify him all this is innocent and praiseworthv,
the motive is the acquisition Of office " but he
would be q nercenary and corrupt tool If he would
forego the privilege Of interference.
/ will make one remark to the intention OF
the committee in This report TO contra,ene the bill, =
On the 9Th page they say, The committee will onlv
advert 20 other objection TO The pnlicy OF the bill"
Aud what. SIR is the policy Of the bali Il is TO pre-
vent interference ~ elections And what do they say
against that policy Of the bill !
Its obvious tendency is to ALLEVIATE the People FROM
the Federal Government, by infusing jealousy OF It's
powers and its officers. by UNJUST discrimination between
The two sets Of unctonares chosen by the Peoples to
carry the two Innate departments OF the ono
single and integral Government formed by the compact
Of the States the State Goscrnnelts and its
fnc onares sgains, the Federal Government aud its
fupciionares aud thus gradually to undermine or weak
II, by treating aliens IN the State Governments
those who accept office under the Federal Government,
In Short its tendency would he TO alienate portion
Of the country from the rest, aud enfeebe the sacred
ties which now Ink together the various parts and
therefore. in the opion Of the committee it ought to be
resisted in The beginning"
Mr.. Presi cnt, The report proceeds to make an
other assertion which is alt gether at variance with
fact, and VIII CHI Is The fatal source OF all The evil
principles which flow ont Of it, and to that beg The
attention Of the ssas's y i |he slsEed rR ast 'hs'
are emanationS from The people, and The agents Ut
| The people But is that the fact No sir, they hold
their Office IN spite of The people, by Executive pow
er. and tor Executive purposes
Mr.. Clay, of Kentucky. And often against their
wishes
Mr.. Preston. VIGOROUSLY so. The people are
fouted, and their opposition is reason why these
men are appointed and retained il. flee. Sir look
al my own State, where four fihs OF its citizens are
on the other side What /, the case IN respect 10
-bnIfiPrS H. ynry lnYif hat ihs
pie wished certain ofce-hoderS appointed was The
very re son why they were not appointed. They
were appointed against us and over us 10 control
in spit OF ourselves.
mittee have not known This power 10 be brought in
conflict with The elections. Sir, let US recapilulale
liale In 1921 or 1872, By distinguished Go
vernon Of SAFE, il was solemnly declared TO be
iaci. DE Win Clinton presented il s'lemny as
an existing evilwhch required correction under the
administration Of Mr. Adams, and il was procl i'm
ed and baZoned flrh in every corner Of the coun-
try, thal the oice-holdes d interlered with The
freedom Of elections, and G neral jackson received
torrent of applause il the expectation that he would
crush this mass Of evil which put the county in a
Foam and raved around the land. Aud vet the gen.
tlelnen never he I'd of III Mr.. JeT Tson and Ge-
neral Jackson came IN under the same cond lions,
deDounring this an existing evil, and promising to
correct l.. And now, as have adduced the ie>ti-
ony oil Jefferson, Jackson aud @ nton what is the
testimony Of this repor, II conlradc and denies
the truth OF their testimony. Even if il were ad.
United to BE- in lis nature grievance, the report and
the committee deny The fact they ais, repudiate The
principle; and gentlemen have sent abroad 10 600
copies VI report which saws that they give Mr.. Jet
terson The lie and further il declares them guilty of
The enormous crims OF giving General Jackson the
lie, declaring that all which both these g .nemt n
asserted on this point is lie. Mr.. President this
is very intrepid report. II boldly marches up 10
the face OF Mr. Jefferson, and denounces him al The
very moment when II processes To ground its doc
rines on his principles. Mr. Jee rSon said This was
an evil the report says il is none he says il ex-
listed; the report denies il he said he would cor
rect il; the report says it Is unconstitutional and
,yrannical. And this is not all, but boder thanihis
though it might be supposed thai The bones Of jet
frson were not 10 be desecra ed and passed BY with
rrreverence, The report goes higher and further than
This; il denuunces Jackson and gives him The lie in