Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1839-07-02

hcamf, inst ifrfocnt tboulu nut DC VshUioetc
Tor second election. !: became a iavoriie doc
irirc o. the Opposition. II vas ws, thea discov.
cred that Executive poSer Nigh, be uscd BY
President 10 secure his own continuance IN office.
The danger Of this wss portrayed 10 strong COLOR;
and Gen Jackson was The man 10 whose person
reform was In be commenced. II The People would
honor hm with their confidence. The suggestion
took. Thousands believed and voted for the man
who would retire al The end Of four years He
vas elected and So strongly did ho himself scem
to be impressed with the danger OF giving Presi-
dent second election, that he actually rccommen-
ded 10 three successive messages to Congress, an
amenjmcu, to The Constitution, rendering the
President ineligible for second term. And yet
when the four years drew near close, and the
People looked to see him preparing TO retire, be-
hold. they found him preparing 10 extend his iron
reign through another four years The bumbug
had served It's intended purpose. II had aided in
putting down pure administration. and now it
must be exploded TO sustain the power Off corrupt
one.
Members Of Congress icre not 10 be oppoiahd
10 qbGce.
como now to another pledge made antecedcnt
TO the election which put down the pure admin
istrstiop. 1t was rmong the earliest and loudest
of the complaints against Mr.. Adams that he had
| appointed Mr.. Clay, member of Congress, TO the
office Of Secretary Of State. You remember Mr.
Chairman, the steroiyped charge OF bargain and
corruption as connected with that selection, the
sweeping effect of which, in the hands of its lnven
tors was signal as the conviction of its utter
rroundessness is now universal. 1t vas used not
only TO bring odum on the administration for an
act already done, but TO ill the country with APP
prehensons Of future danger from the practice Of
appointing members of Congress TO office. The
cons prators suddenly became great stlcklers for
the purity Of the Representative bodies, and eagle
eyed 70 see the dagger to that purity from the
practice in question. Upon the People everywhere
was urged the great and indispensable Importance
OF reform, which should exclude the members of
those bodies from Executive appointments, and Gen
Jackson was held up The man who would cfec-
tually work out that reform, ard secure Congress
from the corruption of Executive influence.
| said that Gen. Jackson was hed up as the
champion of this promised reform. Sir, there was
more than this. He held himself up in that char
ac,cr at the very outset of the canvass which result
ted in his election. lie nominated by the
Legislature of Tennessee in October following Mr..
Adams's Inauguration : and, on that OCCASION in
the presence of both Houses Of the Legislature,
who gave him grand reception for that purpose,
handed in his resignation Of the seat he then held
in the Senate of the United States. That resg-
nation hold in my hand, and beg leave to read a
portion Of it. The General was not content with
merely resigning into their hands the trust he had
received fIsm them, nor, indeed, with an addition
of reasons for it. There were purposes connected
with that occasion which such paper could not
Presidency, and fell in with T6 tee pfaSss fSF he
conspirators against the pure Administration, thai
he should seize that occasion to give countenance
TO the charge against il of corruption and set forth
IN due FORM the danger to the independence nd
purity of Congress from the appointment of IFS
members 10 Executive Offices. THIS purpose he
accomplished by embodying in his resignation dis.
serlation on the subject, which will now read.
Having descanted on the importance of the
amendment to the Constitution ofihe United States
proposed by the Legislature of Tennessee where.
by The election of President should be made d.
rectly by the people, without the Intervention of
electors,'h proceesed to say:
"Wiih a view to sustain more effectually in
practice, the axiom which divides the three great
classes of power into independent constitutional
checks, would propose provision rendering any
member of Congress ineligible to Office under the
General Government, during the term for " hch he
was elected. and for two years thereafter, except
IN cases OF Judicial office. The effects
OF such constitutional provision is obvious. By
1t Congress, in considerable degree, would be
free from that conDexon with the Executive de-
partment which at present gives strong ground of
apprehension end jealousy the part ofthe People.
Members, instead Of being liable to be withdraw
from leglsa,ng over the great interests the ma.
ton, through prospects of Executive patronage,
would be more literally conhded in by their con.
sll,ucnis while their vigilance would be less in
iefru2ted by party feelings and party exc,emenrs
Calculations from intrigue or maaag cement would
fail nor would their deliberations or investie a,ons
OF subjects consume much time. The morals
of The country would be improved md virtue
uniting with tie labors of the representatives. end
with the official ministers of the law, would tend
to pcrPetuale the honor and glory of the govern.
meDi.
Bat If this charge in the Constitution should
not DE Obtained, and important appointments con.
time 10 devoye the Representatives in Congress
II requires no depth of thought to be convinced
that corruption will become the order of the day
and that, under the gsrb Of conscientious sacrifices
TO establish precedeots for the public good evils
OF serious Importance TO the freedom and prosperity
OF the republic may arise. II is through this that
The People NAV expect TO be attacked in their con-
siiiutonal sovereignty, and where tytaunv ms.