The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-10-23
MoNARCHICAL VIEWS OF MR.. VAN
BUREN,S ORGAN.

| MONARCHlCAL VIEWS OF MR.. VAN
BUREN'S ORGAN.
The pensioned advocates Of arbitrary power,
who furnish editorials for the Government off
cial newspaper, can never allow sentiment on
the side of popular rights, and of our I" firmly es-
tablished, deary-bought, MISUNDERSTOOD, and
long enjoyed american Liberty" TO pass, with
out an attempt to rebut il, and counteract the
effect which il would naturally have upon free,
disinterested, and ingenious voters Some days
ago, we took occasion to notice with commenda-
ton the noble sentiment of General Harrison,
in his speech at Dayton, that " The People ARE
THE BEST GUARDIANS OF THEIR OWN RIGHTS and
IL is the duty Of the Executive TO abstain from
interfering in, or thwarting the sacred exercise
of the law-makng functions of their Govern
mentn
This has called down upon US tempest Of
wrath from the official scribblers in an elaborate
article, which, like the famous decree of the
University Of Oxford, passed on The day Of the
execution Of Russell, that martyr in the good
| old cause OF human rights-condemns as hereti-
cal and unconstitutional the principles on which
| alone free constitution can be maintained in
any country. Shakspeare's town clerk in "Much
ado about nothing" gives definition Of fiat
burglary" not a whit more absurd and ridiculous
than the Globe has given Of the crime or THE
REPRESENTATIVES, OF THE PEOPLE, AND THE RE-
PERSONALITIES OF THE STATES, should they at
any time dare to oppose the pW of Tie Presi-
dent.
" Nunquam LIBERTAs grafton eXtat
Guam sub rege pio,'
seems to be the motto Of the Globe clique now,
as II was of the Court party when despotism
was established in Great Britain-when Charles
the First boosted of the confidence reposed in
him-and proclaimed that the CROWN would
be the most certain and secure support Of the
rights of the people
| We recognize in this article Of the Govern
ment organ an aspiration after the spirit which
dictated that anti-republican sentiment of the
PROTEST. "The duty Of defending the nte-
gritty Of the Constitution against the Represen-
tatives Of the States, and against the Represen-
tatives of the People results to the President
from the very nature of his Office"
We cannot oppose it better than by quoting
the following words recorded TO have been de-
livered in the Senate Of the United States, May
7th, 1884:
Mr.. President, the contest, for ages, has been to
rescue Liberty from the grasp Of Executive POWER
| Whoever has engaged in her sacred cause from the
days Of the downfall of those great arisocraces which
had stood between the king and the people, the time
Of our own independence, has struggled for the
complishment of that single object On the long list
Of the champions Of human freedom there is not one
name dimmed by the reproach of advocating the
tension Of Erecutire authority On the contrary the
uniform and steady purpose Of all such champions has
been 10 limit and restrain It,
Through all this history Of the contest for liberty
Executive POWER has been regarded as lion which
must be Gagged So far from being the object of en-
lghtene dpopular trust; far from being considered
The natural protector Of popular right-t has been
dreaded uniformy-always dreaded, as the great
source Of its danger.
And now, sir, who is he ignorant of the history
of liberty at home and abroad who is he vet dwell
ing in his CONCENTRATIONS, among the principles and
dogmas Of the middle ages who is he from whose
bosom all original infusion Of American spirit has be-
come SO entirely evaporated and eIhaed as that he
shall put into the mouth of the President Of the United
States the doctrine that the defence Of liberty natu
rally results TO executive power, and is its peculiar
: dutyl Who is he, that generous and confdng to-
wards power where is most dangerous, and jealous
| only Of those who can restrain t2 Who is he that
reversing the order Of the State and up-bearing The
base, would pose the pyramid of the political system
upon its apex Who is he that overlooking with
contempt the guardianship of the representatives Of the
people and with equal contempt, the highest guar
dianship Of the people themselves Who is he that
declares to us through the Presidents lips, that The
security for FREEDOM rests in EXECUTIVE AUTHORITY
Who he that bellies the blood and ibels the fame OF
his own ancestors, BY declaring that they, with
lemniy OF face and force of manner, have invoked
the EXECUTIVE POWER to to the protection of Kber-
ty! Who is he that thus charges them with the in
sanity or the recklessness Of putting the lamb beneath
me hon PaI! No. sir-No sir. Our security is in
nj eve cuflv II ~.
constitution of this department which infinitely
the most difficult part in the great work Of creating
our present Government To give to the executive
department such power as should make il useful and
yet not such should render it dangerous to make
il efficient, independent and strong, and yet to pre-
vent il from sweeping away every thing by its union
Of military and civil authority-by the influence of
patronage and office and favor This indeed was
difficult. They who had the work to do saw the diff
fculty, and we see it; and if we would maintain our
system shall act wisely to that end by preserving
every restraint and every guard which the Constitu-
ton has provided And when we and those who
come after us have done all that do and all
that they can do, it will be well for and for Them
If some popular Executive by the power Of patronage
and party and the power too Of that very popularity,
shall not hereafter prove an overmatch for all other
branches of the Government.
do not wish, sir to impair the power of the Presi-
dent it stands; written down in the Constitution
and great and good men have hitherto exercised it.
In this, as in other respects am for the Constitution
as Is But will not acquesce in the reversal of all
just ideas Of Government; will degrade the cha
racter of popular representation; will not blindly
confde when all experience admonishcs to jealous
| | WILL NOT TRUST EXECUTIVE POWER VESTED IN
| TIE HANDS OF A SINGLE MAGISTRATE, TO KEEP THE VI
| Oils OF LIBERTY"
II is remarkable the speaker was DANIEL
WEBSTER he who has been the object of the
abuse of the Globe, the Richmond Enquirer,
and the "minor ncapacties of the party, SO