Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1839-07-26
MR.. SHADES ADDRESS.
IFno,Iu,IeJ

How long viii II be, before the cons,itu
ton will, under such n course Of admins, u
ton, be practically and Wrevocabiy chan
gcd- changed IN tue worst possible man
pcr--by encroochmcDt and acqulescence
without fair and open discussion. aud with
out the direct and Intelligent acton Of The
people
Who that looks with the eye of true
political philosophy AZ this subject. doc.
not zee in the power which is capable o
thus leading The people to acquiescc IN a
practical perversion Of their constitution
ground Tor the most seriors alarm The
people rose in their might forty years ago,
and put down an administration TINT had
only entered on the threshold of the present
abuses of power. The first manifestation
OF them was the signal for an onset which
resulted IN Triumph; and yet they have
now been fastened on The country for ten
years
Do yon ask MS, fellow clizens. for so.
luton OF the :Dys,c,v OF 'h,r Chnnge9 II Is
at hand. IN the frs, place, the active
Republicans of '93 are gathered to their
fathers. They carried into the contest Of
that period The stern virtue of the earlier
aud better days Of the Republic. The
men who frnmeh the Constitution then
lived, and lived To some purpose. They
saw. at glance. the tendency of The al.
vancing power Of the Executive 10 a sub
version of the Constitution they had aided
20 establish; and lhov he'd TO the rescue.
The confllct was short. and the triumph
complete. We need not say. fellow cill.
zens. wha. would have been the fate Of II he
present Dynasty, If It Ind opened its career
Of nsnrpation aud corruption in face of the
whole body of the PATROLS Of 76, and the
Constitutional fathers Of 81. II would
have been Frustrated and swept away BY
an overwhelming tide of popular Indgna.
ton.
We cannot here forbear referring TO n
single example of the spirit Of the Fathers
touching The subject Of an abuse Of Exccu
tive patronage.
Mr.. Madison has been Justly denomina.
ted the father Of the Constitution In a
debate in the first Congress, on the subject
ct the Presidents power of removal from
othce, IN reply TO arguments against the
existence OF the power. drawn from it's
great liability TO abuse, he said
1.-The danger, then, consists merely 10
thls:-the President can d,splace from
offlce. man whose merits require that he
should be continued IN it. Want will be
the motives whIcI, the President can feel
tor such an abuse Of his power, and the
restraints that operate to prevent IT. 10
the first place, he will be lmpeachnbIe by
this House before the Senate for such an
act OF nal administration; for | contend
that the wan!on removal of merltorious
officers would subject hun to impeachment
ana removal from his own hugh trust. But
what can BE- his motive for dlspIaclnr
worthy NAM"
Abiding afterwards to the Presidents
dependence upon The "popnlar voice" his
Liability to impeachment, and other re
n.raln's connected with his station, Mr..
Madison said--"Will he bid defiance to n u
these considerations, and wsn,onlv dismiss
a merltorIous and virluous ofiicer' Such
an abuse OF power exceeds my comprehcn-
SION"
Here Is sample of the spirit which
petvaded the country in 1900, aud gave to
the Republicans Of that dav so triumphant
victory. Could James Madison now rise
from his tomb and walk into the Preslden
ilal Mansion, how lnstinc,lvey would its
tenant NY from the presence Of the man
VINO, IN the simplicity of revolutionary pa.
trolIsm and purity, could aek-"Whal can
be his motive for d'splacIng a worthy MANI"
and could add-"Such an abuse of power
exceeds my conception"
In further reply to the enquiry whence
the difficulty Of re enactlny the triumph of
1900, over similar abuses of power, we re-
mark. that new and extraordinary means
means unknown TO the administration OF
the former period, have been. and are still
resorted TO. to sustain Executive usurpa.
TONS The union of the Fox aud the Lion
's rare combination. While one has Gun.
nngly and cautiously pulled the wires. and
moved the machinery, the other has stood
forth with reckless daring and taken the
responsibility" While one has operated
with cautious mystery, the other has as
tonlshed by the suddcnness and boldness
Of his movements.
BY an adrolt and skllul movement, Gen.
eral Jackson, al The opening Of his admin.
'siraton, was placed N the attitude of
protested reformer. The abuses of the
administration of the Elder Adams were,
without shadow Of truth, impu, ed to that
ct his son; and tho Republicans of '9G
were invoked TO sustain Gen. Jackson. as
they had sustained Mr.. Jefferson, TO put
them down. Never were high and hollow
professions more thoroughly test ed or more
successful, than they have been during the
last ten years. Every movemen, to extend
Executive influence and enlarge Executive
pywer. has uniformly been preceded by
snme extraordinary pre,ens,on of regard
tor popular rights. The President has
been lauded as The patron saint OF Democ.
Tacy, even at the moment of assuming
powers which set laws. constitutions. leyls
'atnres and courts of justice at defiance,
and shook the very frame work of the gov.
eminent to its foundation.
To blind the people to the hagrant u.s.