Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1839-07-12

- tue purposes oil the ioules ambition
. but, SIR, will do them the Justice to sa,
= lna' 90 not believe they then contemplated
& the iull extent to which the power they wer,
!, erasping would be carried under the new
Administration II seems impossible the,
{ should have even dreamed that Gen JAG K
s son, the author ofthe noble sentiments | hav,
quoted, could ever be brought TO enact in hi,
: own administration, an utter Justification o
every profession they contained--a lalsfica
J lion so complete, thatther should moi be. as
IN truth, there is not, found single one o.
his friends whose face does not crimson with
bushes at an exhibition of the contrast. =.
But the fitting instrument for effectinp tha,
, purpose had not then taken the sta ore as cbiel
J actor. The time had not come for him N
spread his tolls and spring the snare.-But
II at length came Gen. Jackson was elect
ed. His cabinet was formed. The work
was commenced. Mr. Chairman, you know
its history. The country knows il. The
ans by which an ambitious asprant for the
highest honors gained the confidence of the
ola Chief and the unscrupulousness with
with which that confidence was abused. are
iamiliarto all. Gen. Jackson yielded TO the
subtle influence; and without seeming TO
have been at all aware that he had even dis
coursed OF probhy. virtue. aud capacity. as
quallhcations for office; without seeming TO
recoilect that he had ever denounced marty
spirit as monster. and recommended liner
AMY and disinterestedness as indispensable
ioi the Chiet Magistrate ola great nation. he
became suddenly and strangely metamorpbo-
sed into the mere President OF a party-es
aliing party devotion above the qualifications
he had so strongly commended, and conver,
ing the whole power Of bis high Office to the
llliberal and interested purpose of serving
party ambition. The history of inconsis,en.
cy from the beginning Of time 10 this hour.
cannot, fearlessly assert, furnish parallel
Gen Jackson aras 10 serre but one Term.
But this is not all. There were other
piedges. You remember. Mr. Chairman.
now slrenuously it was maintained during
The administration ofMr Adams, that Pres. |
ident should not be a candidate for second
election. ltbecaine a favorle doctrine oftbe
Opposilion. 1t was Just then discovered that
Executive power might be used ty Presi. 1
dent to secure his own continuance in Office
The danger of this was portrayed in strong
colors; and Gen. Jackson was the man in
ands Deirerec, nfia-easesas 10, h.. aesamAaaaa
would retire atthe end OF four years. Ele was
elected and SO strongly did he himself seem
10 be impressed with the danger Of giving
resident second election, that he actually
recommended in three successive messages
10 Congress, an amendment TO the Cons,itu-
ton, rendering the President Ineligible for
second term And vet when the four years
drew near a close, and The People looked 10
see him preparing to retire, behold, they
found him preparing 10 extend his iron reign
through another four years The humbug
had served its intended purpose. 1t had aid
ed in putting down pure administration,
and now it must be exploded TO sustain the
power Of corrupt one.
Members Of Congress ,rere not 10 be ap-
pointed 10 office.
leone now TO another pledge made ante
cedent to the election which put down The
pure administration. 1t was among the
earliest and oudest ofthe complaints against
Mr.. Adams that he had appointed Mr.. Clay,
a member of Congress. TO the Office Of Sec
relary Ct State. You remember, Mr. Chair.
man, the stereotyped charge of bargain and
corruption as connected with that selection. |
the sweeping effect Of which in the hands OF
its inventors. was as signal as the conviction
Of its utter grounGessness is now universal. |
II was used not only 10 bring odium on The
administration for an act already done, but
to ill the country with apprehensions Of fu-
ture danger from the practice of appointing
members OF Congress TO Office. The con.
spirators suddenly became great sticklers
for the purity Of the Representative bodies,
and eagIe-eyed 10 see the danger TO that puri-
ty from the practice in question. Upon the
People everywhere was urged the great and
indispensable Importance of a reform, which
should exclude the members ofihose bodies
from Executive appointments, and Gen
Jackson was held up as The man who would
enectually work out that reform. and secure
Congress from the corruption Of Executive
influence.
said that Gen. Jackson was held up as
the champion ofihis promised reform. Sir,
there was more than this. He held himself
up in that character at the very outset Of the
canvass which resulted in his election. He
was nominated by the Legislature of Ten
nessee in October following Mr.. Adams
inauguration and, on that occasion, in the
presence of both Houses OF Legislature, who
gave him grand reception for that purpose
handed in his resignation-olihe seat he then
held in the Senate of the United States.
j That resignation Il hold in my hand, and
beg leave to read portion Of il. The Gen.
u was not content with merely resigning into
their hands the trust he had received from
j them, nor, indeed. with an addition of reas-
ons for it. There were purposes connected
with that occasion which such paper could