The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-05-04
DEBArE IN The sENAnI ,s,o
!. ra,pAy. F.b. 10 iss''
Iater(.rence hal EIefIIeNs,

vUh. tiers
d,s,uission from Office aud 70 Nv s,,,;on Of the
.";,h .sl.rv oG le.. lhsn 500 fro" 'ne y
hill ~. .u.n,ion Of Senators. Mr.. .
MT Preston 's 80, "a me hat divided aud conustd
ifesus"'' na ~ Inc nmlsrous aud important topics
49, i ~ been Introduced into this discussion wli
~"~a - a statement OF the case before US, as
-, 80 Presented, and as II 10 now Understood, that
mas $500 o,uls at issne again be made. for tho
,oa-e Of giving the discussion definite aud distinct
drrctioa to the subject really before US
The Senator from Kentucky, on his responsible
~ and as he had right TO do. has presented for the
of this body, hill that bill, in the ordl-
nary coarse referred a committee, aud that,
the committee have insde report Now. to under.
stand the points al issue between that gen,eDsn aud
committee, and TO ascertain the business aud precision
Of the proceedings on tho question by the COMMITTEE
themselves, rs necessary To ascertain both What was
snbinlei TO then and what they have reported. The
bull Introduced by the Senator from Kentucky MAS,
b, prevent the interference Of eersn federal officers
iu elections and there Is statement 10 us preamble,
that ls purpose and object is 10 the end thst The great
20 oi the Executive should not he used ~ utter
ference with The eecilos which ought TO hc free aud
ncorlot and Wa. therefore, To he enacted by the
bill that certain federal of therein enumerated,
should not, IL any manner whatsoever. enieavor per-
saade or dssuade any eiecior. ia relation To the
which he shon.d give, nor should such officers
meddle 10 OF the elections or use means wnh
inieat influence control them 'rn is the pnrport
Of the Senator from Ken.ieks, and the bill
out VI their proper sphere all reference any sbJ-ct
beyond Il, which did moi bear the merits OF lhe
inl. There were. therefore, t~o points 10 Which The
committee nigh, lgi,imatcy direct their st.n,ion the
fist Of which related TO the general principles Of the
b aud the second. the details according 10 which
the propostd io carry those rrrlpes and
TO III points their report Mas, y the of
The reference unnecessarily eo"6ed: and it is entirely
competent IN the committee Ia approve the principles
and reject the DETAILS the reject them
t.h. AZ tlnu ali Has
SATISFIED With the details, il necessary for them
10 fashion the details 10 give the principles their
due Practical efficiency. These two objects are tho
main design Of such reference and III the present
case the committee have decided against both the DE-
tails aud the principle.
AID nov, sir, ask 10 the first place, have the
m,tee decided wisely against the principle Of the bill
What Is i'll Iii prevent The Interference Of certain
federal officers in elections,hat is the principle; and
the object Of the bill. To provide the Of presefv
ing the purity and re cdon Of elections which ought 10
be free and ncorrupt Against both these propositions
the committee have reported They denounce both
the prncple and the policy Of the bill, and advise the
very opposite Of il, distinctly and emphacslly and,
therefore, il they had framed antagonist bill 10 this.
il would have been bill 10 enforce and encourage the
interference Of Federal officers the elections, tho
end that they may be used influence the elections,
which ongh, not to be free and incorrup Al all events
we have negstved these propositions Che prnr-
pie and policy Of the bi deliberately and in terms, and
have least declared that will not assert that
by the Executive their officers aud exertions shall not
be used for cleclioncering purposes.
And here, Mr.. President is the general summing
ND of the whole report in the last remark which
embraces and cont avenes the whole policy and Oh
ject which l. at the bJtom OF the bill itself. And
what Is that? II Is 10 prevent the jealousy Of the
people against ofice-holders. And what is especial
ly taken for granted in this report is that the Office
holders aud The people all one, and this is done
10 prevent that very jealousy Sir what is the price
Of our liberty and Of our free government, and how
are we to snsain them' lis By eternal vigilance
alone that public liberty can b. maintained; and il
is by this very Jealousy, denounced and deprecated
by this report-by this jealousy alone, unslumberng
and undving, that our form of government can be
preserved II is passed into proveib, that only by
j-aluu,y. and wachtuiaess can free sovernmen, be
long IN iinlaaed Sir, what Is government in its
very naiurel Is il not the concentration Of power
fro n The many into the hands Of The few, which is
ever more or less liable To b. turned BY them against
the pubic libenyl Are not supply part Of the
o-rnsib'e ground Of the JEALOUSY Of nowsr the one
siie denoRscng the bill tyrannica and The 81 her
Justly reg riding il as ssulary anl necessary mea
sure 10 Wing effect toihs very jealousy of power
And yet his report insists that The people must Re
luled, that they must NOT be separated or alienared
from their fellowcitiZens The holders of office by
any kind OF jealousy; bat receive them 10 their
bo,oms as equal bfother, common interest
ana oe cir'itd along ON one common stream Of sym
pi'hy win ofhceboldefS, and as unsu ,pecing Sacri
hces, perchance 10 the iron embrace OF despo
'r does This, even, give full and Suiiicient view
OF the argument OF The report which is that We
should not be jealous of ours Ives nor divided from
our tlyes; and what more than this could b. SAID 10
lnll US into security in regard 10 he Guverna ent
and 10 close the eyes OF the people ag ,in>t The eler
nally encretching spirit OF power? SIR, what sort
oil an argument Is il 10 say that this i to divide one
rorIion OF the people from the other and 10 enie. bic
the sacred lies that link them l,ge,he,! WHAT Ian
gu &c Is mist The Glvs rnmant Is 10 b. pres rived
ny me strong do,nli.ion OF asplra ions, being
Corded as simple por ions Of The re"ple OF The coln-
Try; and This argument Is pressed for the purpose of
blihd folding the people to the nrvenen If Exccu-
i've power rs u L were also far The purpose Of
rendering oar rights Bind tose,h.' plrtons OF the
counir And what por,iu.,s2 The Off .e-hold Rs,
ine pos m serS, and the people; the e are 10 b.
b)uad ioye'h and they are 10 lis, n unanimously
II The sly oice-h hold .rS al elections e brace hen
US bro1h-iN, and give ih'n their confidence aud
wish them prosperity; and, If nj, is no done, HE
tehieGcy Is - vide pur IN 1T The ,untry from
Tue RS. and enie bic the sacred ties that now link
together rs various p'rt>! Az, sir these are The
stcred lies Of The Office holders and peotle which
are b,und around US and il onsh, TO cover our
cheeks WIN shame thai We have permi ted these
!!Ss mus 20 b. put AROUND But LEI these lies and
ihose who make them beware. The lin. may
come when the people peIceivng The kind Of brother
h"nd IN which they are linked will snap III, Sc ties
asundep.
Nov think, Mr.. President and Senator's | have
SHOWN lh"l, he pocy OF this measure is distinctly
con'rVened by The report and hat int, ference in
Tue eiechns mas, by the highest considerations Of
honor and dlly, been incucled on Office soders--
Ihi' Result 1T been reached in an obl,qus manner
pV me com niltee, father than by any direct action
o. The bill itself. And allow me to remark though
IN no spirit OF giving offence that have come to
the conclusion that this whole report is absolutely
incoInpa b'e with lhs opinions and principles Of
some gentlemen Of the Republican party; and it is
not in the p2iure of things that gentlemen Who in
The earlier PORTION OF their lives have been devoted
to principles different from those Of the resolutions
OF li03, hSuld come 10 a inst conclusion on the
principles oil those resolutions or understand the
premises from which they derive their deductions
Gentlemen who were Federas,s in ancient times
now propose 10 build up new theory of government
on the doctrines Of repubcanism.
II has been repeated IN Tho ,o,J. -. 49,, A.