Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1839-05-25

to be retained by electoneering actVIty-tndf
partisan service is the required return for office
as office is 10 be the reward of partisan service
and you Law, at once the foundation of the mos,
odious and fatal. despotism which the mind OF
man can conceive--of sOrdld despotism, far
worse than a military despotism, because, though
less fatal to human life, 1t would be infinitely
more destructive to human, and to every manly
and generous sentiment Your ofiice-hoders,
through all the ranks of venalty and degrade
ton, would be banded together by one common
principle of servity and devotion to their chief;
they would vie with each other only in the merit
and efficiency of their electloneering service;
and amid the din and hustle of the official can
yass of committees, caucuses, and conventions,
all organized and directed, secretly or openly, by
the agency of office holders, the voice of the
People would be stfled, or, to the more ex-
pressiYe language of Mr.. Jefferson, ''smothered
by the enormous patronage of tho Government"
You would have your Prfrtorian bands of office
holders at the Capital, and your Leg onary armies
Of them in the Provinces, for your sovereign
States would become dependent Provinces) who
would dispose Of the Presidency as absolutely as
the Pretorian bands and Legionary armies OF
Rome did of the Imberial Purple.
The forms of your Government would still be
preserved; but Of what avail are the forms with
out the spirit of free Government? A high au-
thorty, indeed, has told US ''ihat the greatest
masters of tyranny have judged the form without
the spirit of free government moro favorable TO
their schemes Of oppression than all the thori-
ly that absolute monarchy give" Rome,
under the dobasing despo,ism of the Caesars, had
still her Senate, and comtia or assemblies of the
People; public affairs were, for long time, still
conducted in the name of the Consul. the Censor,
the Augur, and the Tribune Of the People. The
forms OF popular election were still kept up, and
the Emperor himself was an elective magistrate.
Bat the spirit of liberty extinct The Sem
sunk and the spryItIty OT the
Senate at length infected the mass of the people.
Warned by these examples, it becomes to
keep alive in our bosoms that watchtul jealousy
of power, and that sturdy spirit of freedom,
which fired the breasts and guided the councils
of our glorious ancestors. The doctrines OF po-
itical morality Inculcated in this report, repeat
Mr.. President, a. with all the cherished
principles of our republican fathers; and if they
once strike root in soil, they will be fatal to
the best hopes of American liberty. You have,
hastily and without due cons ide ration given them
an apparent sanction at least, by ordering
usually large number of copies of the report to
be printed for dissemination among the people.
Let now, in some way or other, perform
solemn lustra,ion," to cleanse ourselves from
he contamina ton of doctrines at once so hateful
md so dangerous. We can do manner
more appropriate and effectuaI than by a
olemn rc-affirrnation of the principles OF Mr..
efferson, in the face Of this report. With this
enate will perceive, is expressed in the very
lords of Mr.. Jetferson's letter to Governor Nc |
lean, and Of his memorable circular, Zone OF the
roudest monuments, IN my OPINION, OF his prIn-
pes and fame,) which commits no one on the
question that has been raised, but |
aves that open for tho deliberate investigation
n committee, and the future decision of the
enate | trust, then, that all who profess them
lives disciples of the democratic faith will be
,pDv in having this opportunity afforded them
subscribing theft adhesion to the doctrines OF
m whom the Senator from New Jersey himself
Is styled ',he great apostle OF democracy" {
T Mr. Rives then submitted the following res
utions, which were subsequently acted on, were
tied against by all those members of the SEN
e claiming to be the thourough friends of the 1
ADMINISTRATION, and were consequently rejected by (,
strict party vote!1 c
Whereas s.the constitutions remedy by the e. {
:tive principle becomes nothing, if it may be /
bothered by tho enormous patronage of the Gen v
al Government ~ and whereas, also, "treedom
elections is essential to the mutual indepen- 4
nee of the State and Federal Government, and =
the different branches of the same Govern !,
snt so vitality cherished by American institu-
mss n
Resolved therefore, That, in the opinion of the ~
nate it is highly 'improper for officers depend :,
: on the Executive of the Union TO attempt to q
atrol or influence tho free exercise of the ,
ctve right n
RESOLVED. also. That measures ought to be a 9
,ied by Congress, so far their constitutional n
vcrs NAV extend, to restrain by law the inter ;,
ence of Federal officers with elections, other ,,
re than by giving their own votes; and that the i
ort of the Judiciary Committee be committed 81
, select committee, with Instructions to new ;,
del it according to the principles declared in r.
foregoing preamble and resolutions. &c
- 70
From the Bangor (N1ane) Courier. h,
FREEDOM OF ELECTIONS. OF