The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-08-24
roLIrIcs OF fHE DAY.


own PEN my mind II naturally led to the inquiry each
o. these measures contains within iiseIf 50 many dan
| eerous and snnrepnbIcan tendencies how formidable
how dangerous andehow slarming The combination OF
the whole Ia their scope IL embraced every measure
which can affect the stability Of the Union the dura-
| bity Of our Republican institutions: the Federative
character Of our system; the rights Of the States the
purity OF the Government: and the liberty, prosperity
AID happlness Of the people, Add these sources Of
patronage these INSTRUMENTS OF power, and these
Of influence and corruption those Of that Executive
which has already the command Of the Army and Navy,
the unqualified and unrestricted power Of removal from
Office the superinte ndence and management Of all Jobs
and contracts AID the receipt and disbursement Of the
public money. and what more does it want, but the
name and dsraion, 70 make il absolute as that Of
Imperial Russia Nothing whatever for through the
fundamentally Of lis power, It's patronage, and it's
means Of corruption will be omnipotent and rressti
BILE. cannot undertake TO say what influences these
things may exert upon your mind; but TO myself,
when contemplate the advances already made by the
Federal Executive in power, patronage and the means
Of corruption, and reflect upon those proposed by the
leaders Of che dominant party TO be added to u,
honestly and sincerely say. that ell my jealonses
sgnally aroused and oil my fears most seriously alarmed
Without these additions TO the great and oyergtown
power and patronage Of the Federal Executive, what
was It's amount, and what it's danger, in 1926 Let
Mr. Van Buren,, who is now seeking to make these adj
di,ions, In The Senate Of The United States.
during that year, Mr.. Van Buren, said
Il
mousslion, that the Federal Constitution had worked
gradual If not an undue increase Of the strength and
control of the General Government, and correspon-
dent reduction Of the influence and, consequently, Of
the rcspectabili,y OF the Stale Governments TIL, evil
dence IN support Of this position abundant. and II
the matter should come under full discussion could be
readily afforded He thought, further, that existing
causes, which were every day gaining force, would
for the future, rapidly increase the operation. He
considered the qualified dependence of The General upon
The State Governments. their strong Of defence
10 protect them against future abuses"
| The late VIM B. Giles. a man whose transcendant
talents and genuine repnblicansm none will call into
question: in speech, delivered in the late Convention
Of Virginia, directly upon the question Of Executive
power and patronage speech which recommend to
the attention Of every true Republicanused this
| preston:
"For my part, consider the Executive Of the
United States as better suited TO Monarchy than
Republic. For Gods sake, let not initiate such
example that Il is the very last in all our Republics
that should be disposed to follow. Infinitely better
would be for the security Of the liberties of the Ame
rican people, il the trainers of the Constitution Of the
United States had followed example 10 framing the
| Executive Department of the General Government.
Its original patronage great but that has be-
come ten times greater now, and it will hereafter be
times greater than is at present II is constantly
cumuating, and il will become the same swelled and
overgrown monster which has swallowed up all other
upon the irresistible influence Of mass of accu-
mulative power in any single hand whatever"
These remarks were introduced by an attempt in the
Convention increase the power and enlarge the pa
tronage OF the Executive Of Virginia-and were made
by man whose opportunities Of Judging Of the truth
Of what he said from actual observation, were very
adequate, and al time when they could not be other
wise than entirely disinteresed. He had spent nearly
his whole life in the public service, and perform
ing his last public duties Are not tho sentiments
pressed BY these gentlemen sound, and are not the
facts stated entirely true! Will you question them,
| siri No you will not--you cannot--you dare not
This speech Of Mr. Giles was made 10 ls29--ten years
ago. How vastly this power and patronage increased
within that time, although then fearnlly great none,
particularly yon, sir can be ignorant Of and yet what
vast and fearful addition Is 1t proposed to make by
this administration, with which you, with much pa
otic boldness and dsnerestcdncss, propose to "snk
or swim" You must certainly calculate this po,oer
and patronage like the gum elastic life preserver, will
enable you to s,rim in despite Of the heaviest storm
and highest rolling bllows--for sir, am inclined to
think that sinking would be uncomfortable you
| to any other public man. You are constantly vocera-
ing your fidelity to the republican doctrines Of 9s 99,
and your devotion TO The rights Of the States and yet
you are now found fighting under the flag of those
leaders who according to your own testimony are as
sailing those very doctrines, and attempting break
down those very rights. This all, sir-you have
accepted the degrading commission Of ctor for the
co,lon of those who are CALAMITY defending your oon
| citadel
In the violent and protracted contests for mower be-
! tween the Federal and State Governments which
they heretofore have, and hereafter exist how important
il is, that the States TO be enabled To defend them
selves successfully and repel every attempted usurpa-
ton Of their powers and invasion Of their rights should
retain unimpared all their rights and all their powers
1 To this point let Mr. Van Buren, speak, In speech
in the Senate Of the United States the 7h of April,
1926, Mr.. Van Buren, said
| "With feelings for the General Government, as
humbly hope, purely catholic, firmly believe and my
daily experience confirms that conviction, that much,
pey much Of the present prosperity Of the country and
its Institutions depends upon the successful action of
the State Governments, and that the preservation Of
their rghtfu powers is the sine qua Of our future
welfare iriH not, therefore, gipe my assent 10 any
measure ,oheh may still further disqaahfy the States
10 sustain emseircs those collisions of porsr 7ohieh
are uaapoabic and in which tie situation of the par
Tics is already so unequal"
Is not this the spirit and to the letter. and
yet there is exhibited in 1889 the extraordinary specta
Gle Of Martin Van Buren, and Thomas Richie profess
sedly differing wide the poles upon questions af
lectng this very principle, harmoniousy uniting to de-
stroy whose only offence has been to defend this
once sacred but abured principle Of the one and
now beloved principle Of the other
Ihavs thus, sir, in brief manner exposed the Anti.
Republican and dangerous tendency OF each of the
branches OF the Sub-ireasury policy, and the
lated danger which their combined influence and action
would produce have also compared your own OPT
Mons upon these questions separately and commercially
with those Of w O. Rives and to my utter surprise
find an entire accordance. have not only found this
but have found that your objections strong
and formidable that Mr.. Rves, as Senator OF the
United States, compelled to act upon these proposed
measures, would have been false his OATH and reerc
AM 20 his duty, if he had made the most formda
BILE and vigorous resistance them in his power and
yet sir, lis strange, It's passing strange, that you hurl
ct this man. this able, This fearless and successful cham
pion Of your cherished principles, all the darts Of
your fiery Indignation, and seek TO annhilate him for
John Taylor, Of Caroline in the preface to that
very book, Construction Construed" which was
sheed to the public under your editorial auspices said
"As the brightest beacon may be extinpuisbed bv