Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1840-08-21

! hSbs NuO dlC Will tuo
defence Of the honor and the interest oftheif
country, and with bearing its eagles in the
presence OF an enemy
But the Army and Navy are TOO small,
and IN composition are too patriotic to sub
serve oil the purposes Of the Administration.
Hence The recent proposition OF the Secreta-
( ~ oil War, strongly recommended by the
President, under color of new organiza-
ton OF the militia, TO create standing force
oil 100000 men, an amount which no con-
ceivable foreign exigency can ever make nee;
essary Ii is not my purpose now 10 enter
upon an examination Of that alarming and
most dangerous plan Of the Executive De-
partment Of the Federal Government Il
had justly excited a burst of general indig-
nation and Nowhere has the disa pprobation
OF ii been more emphatically expressed than
IN this ancient and venerable Common
wealth.
The monslrous project may be described
in few words. 1t proposes to create The
force by breaking down Mason and Dixons
Line, expunging the boundaries Of States,
melting them up into continent mass, TO
be subsequently cut up into ten military
parts, alienates the militia from its natural
association, withdraws it from the authority
and command and sympathy Of its constlu-
lional officers, appointed by the States, puts
il under the command Of the President, at-
thorizes him to cause it TO be trained, in pal
pable violation of the Constitution and sub
iects it 10 be called out from remote and
distant places, a; his pleasure. and on oc-
oasions not warranted by the Consiiiu-
ton
ludefensible as this project is, felow-citi:
zens, do not be deceived BY supposing that il
has been or will be abandoned. Ills prin.
ciple Of those who are now in power, that an
election or a reelection ofthe President i'm
plies the sanction of the People TO all tho
measures which he had proposed. and all the
opinions which he had expressed. on
public affairs prior to that event We have
seen this principle applied on various occa-
sions. Let Mr. Van Buren, be re elected in
November next, and it will be claimed that
the People have thereby approved OF this
plan ofthe Secretary of War. All enterisin
the opinion that il is important 10 train the
militia and render il effective; and il will be-
insisted, in the contingency mentioned, that
the People have demonstrated that they APP
prove Of that specific plan. There is more
reason to apprehend such a consequence
from the fact that committee OF the Senate,
to which this subject was referred, instead Of
denouncing the scheme as unconstitutional
ed apologize report, and The Administration
majority IN that body ordered twenty thou
sand copies OF The opology 10 be printed Tor
citc ulation among the People | take pleas
ure in testifying that one Administration
Senator had the manly independence 10 de-
nounce, in his place the project as unconsti;
tu,ional That Senator was from your own
State.
have thus lellow-citizens, exhibited to
you true and faithful picture of Executive
power,as ii has been enlarged and expanded
within The last few years, and as il has been
proposed further TO extend ii. 1t overshad-
ows every Other branch of the Government.
The source of!egislative power is no longer
TO be found in the Capitol. but in the palace
of the President. In assuming to be part
OF the legislative power, as the President re-
Gently did, contrary 10 the Constitution, he
would have been nearer the actual fact If he
had alleged that be was The sole legislative
power OF the Union How is it possible for
public liberty to be preserved, aud the consti-
tutional distributions of power, among the
Departments OF Government, to be maintain
GU, uHiesS tuS L-ASSetl'S career uS SASShSu
and restrained
1t may be urged that two securities exist
first that the Presidential term is Of short du-
raiion,& secondly,the elective franchise But
it has been already shown that whether de,
posiary of power be arbitrary or compatible
with liberty does not depend UPON the dura;
ton OF the official term, but upon the amouh.
Of power invested The Dictatorship III
Rome was an Office of brief existence, gener-
ally shorter than the Presidential term.---
Whether the elective franchise be an ade-
quaie security oil not, is problem TO be solv-
ed next November | hope and believe ii
gel is. Bul if MIR Van Buren, should be re-
elected, the power already acquired by the
Executive be retained, and thai which is in
progress be added 10 that department. il is
my deliberate judgment that there will be no
hope remaining for the continuance Of the
liberties oil The country.
And yet the partisans Of this tremendu'
Gus Executive power arrogate 10 themselves
the name OF Democrats, and bestow upon US,
who are opposed 10 it, the denomination OF
Federalists In the Senate OF the United
States there are five gentlemen who were
members Of the Federal party, and four Of
them have been suddenly transformed into
democrats, and are now warm supporters Of
this Administration, whist /, who had eS'
erted the utmost of my humble abilities TO
arouse the nation to yindica.ion oliis insul-
ted honor and violated rights, and 70 the Wig
orous prosecution Of The war against Great
Britain, 10 which they were violently oppos-
al 6nd n,vSplf h., a sort OF n,arSic influence