The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-03-10
CONGR EsS.
IN SENATE.
THURSDAY, March 5,

! ~
Resolutions from the State of Mississippi faror o.
the Subtreasury Bill, and the Bill 10 graduate III,
price of public lands actual settlers and approving
The of ne late and present Administrations
On presenting these resolutions, Mr. HENDER-
SON made the following remarks:
Mr.. President: rise TO present series of reso.
lutions nine in number, passed by the Legislature oil
the State Of Mississippi. These resolutions recog
Mise the existing embarrassments Of the country
and express the sense Of that honorable body that
they are mainly attributable to excessive banking
As measure Of curing the evil, they commend
the Subreasury BILL with the specie clause and in
struct the Senators here from that State TO for
this bill As that bill has passed this BODY, and
against my vote will only observe that, apprehend-
ing the introduction OF some resolution upon this
subject in the Legislature Of Mississippi (and before
the bill passed here was advised such resolution
had been ntroduced,) voted TO delay the passage
OF The bill on every occasion presented that might
hear the result Of the deliberations OF the Legislature
OF Mississippi on the subject, intending TO conform my
vote with such result being fully decided, however
that unless that honorable body would assume the
responsibility of an affirmative vote that BILL my
own deliberate judgment, being against it, l should
vote accordingly, and as did vote.
In these resolutions the Legislature also express
an opinion in favor of graduation Of the price OF
public lands to actual settlers and, though formal
instruction accompanies this opinion, am happy TO
say here thai concur in this proposition and would
cheerfuy go much further in the principle IL indi-
Gates and would the home Of the actual set
tier on public lands before survey, not merely by pre-
empon, but by actual donation.
! These resolutions also approve the leading mea-
sureS of the late and present Administrations OF the
General Government, and express the confidence OF
the Legislature in the present Chief Magistrate Of
The United States; on which expressions vi opinion
and confidence do hot feel called upon 10 make any
comments al ,is time.
The last of these resolutions, purporting also to be
legislative instruction il did not know my silence
might be misconstrued, should forbear any parti-
cular notice Of here intending as do to respond
where.
/ have ever, Mr.. President avowed and praclised
the republican principles OF Jefferson and Madison
as my political creed, Including in these principles
The doctrine OF instructions as understand them,
and as the old Republican Party have heretofore
gdrded them. But modern mi>caed democracy,
practising Federal faith of implicit homage, II not
servllity to Executive dominion, and to accomplish
party ends, and not the Legitimate attainment OF a
measure discussed and deliberacd on by The People
in the place of their Representatives claims an I'M
warrantabe application of the doctrine OF nslruc-
TONS of which the resolution before is an illus
tralion.
This resolution assumes 10 instruct the Senators
from Mississippi to support in good Jaith, the lead
ing measures and policy OF this Administration, as
heretofore put forth by the President, d.e. DC.
manifest objection TO this resolution is, that il
is vague and indefinite in the objects of its reQuisi-
ton, and obviously dangerous in the same degree in
which il is indefinite II is also Unauthorized by any
power known TO our forms of government, and
without example in the practice and precedents Of
The old Republican Party. II Is anti democratic, as
yielding blind and savlsh Difference to Federal
Executive opinion. II is subversve OF political
morality, of personal integrity, of necessary tree
dom of debate, and OF representative responsibility
Ii is, in Short destructive Of the constitutional APP
port,onment Of rights powers, and duties, dsiii-
buied and restricted, and hence essentially revou-
,ionary in its tendency, as changing both The theory
and practice OF our Government
The Legislature OF Mississippi and myself have
common constituency-the People OF our Slate
There Is no principle Of our Government that con-
templates transfer by the Stale Legislature Of the