The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-06-09

change hut ii has only been change for those vhs
We're IN Office 10 the yest and most lawless crew thai
raised up under the dspensations Of Prosi
dence TO scourgc degenerate and ungratefu people
Sycophancy and servty have taken the place Of all
the heroic and manly virtues. The rocks, together
with obscene birds, have perched themselves in the
high places OF the land and sit here beneath sur
rounded daily with their filth and purified corruption.
Oficc-hoders (now become miserable dcpendcnts) and
iniest every turn and corner and let u
be known that any man has influence from his being
the tool OF those who have patronage TO confer and
he Is overwhelmed with the bowing and cringng Of
those slaves and bcggar Crowds Of miserable hungry
beings creep and crawl in the darkness Of midnight,
through the hidden and gloomy that
lead up the throne Of royal favor These creatures
generated as they are in despotism, pervadng the
country, and becoming oathsome than the creep
ing lice or Shiny frogs of Egypt ever were in the
days of Gods judgment This, sir is the reform with
which arc blessed" fn.
Mr.. Van Buren, and his present party Except
ing the honorable member and his Southern al
lIes) are the same party, protesting the same
principles, and carrying out the same policy,
which the honorable member thus spoke Of
and denounced. Yet he and they are now to-
gether as band of brothers, laboring in the
same cause, he clarifying them, and they mag
nifying him.
In the same speech the gentleman EMPLOYS
the following language:
The Executive, without this check, necessarily
becomes the source Of all honor and power, and alb
serbs all other interests.
Is this not the fact now Is there practical man
here who does not know that the Executive at this
moment the controlling and unrestraned power of this
confederacya Is i not proclaimed with triumph that
he has majority in both Houses Where, then, Is
the practical check?
E" maintain sir, that the Government, in fact is
changed, and has become absolute"
Still pursuing out the idea that this Govern
ment was an absolute despotism, as administer
ed by the party in power, in another part of his
speech, in allusion TO the defeat Of the S3,000,-
900 appropriation of the last night Of the pre-
ceding Congress, the gentleman spoke thus:
II then that the President, with the first Off
Ger Of his Cabinet and the second officer Of the Go
sernment came into the dark Of this Capitol
and through his vile minions and miserable tools de-
cated measure Of vast importance before this House
for the notorious purpose Of waging popular war
upon the Senate Cromwell went into the House OF
Commons at the head of armed men, and ordered its
dissolution. But here, sir, we have President who
comes, like soldier but at the head of his servc
courtiers and sycophants, and practically asserts his
ascendancy both branches of Legislature by
management and duplicityp
speech, he thus spoke
Sir, it is the reign of Caesar and we are towards,
dastards, slaves if we submit to this state of things,
and shall deserve have children raise before us
their little hands and shake their manacles saying,
Thou did it Thou did it
Mr.. Chairman have said that this is the reign of
Cesar Sir, have read the history of the Roman pco-
pie to little advantage if am TO he deceived at this
late day in what see passing around me. We
now where that people were when the empire was to
be divided between Anthony, Octavus, and Lepidus.
Cesar had folded his robes and persisted under the
dagger Of Brutus. And, although we may have
at present with the fine talents and requirements of
Anthony, yet we have many with his private prohga
cy and abandoned principles. As to Lepidus, need
only to point to the gentleman from Kentucky; (Mr.
r. M Johnson) hut he is member of this
House, forbear to trace the parallel at present The
beardlcss Octayius had done nothing TO identify him
self with the glory of his country but he became pro-
mnent from the fact that he supposed to inherit
the sympathy that running strong in favor of
the fallen Cesar. Wary, artfu and sagacious, he
saw his position, and made the most of it,"
In speaking of Mr. Van Buren,, and the let
ter he wrote when at the Court OF st. James, in
reply TO one written by coincidence committee,
he thus spoke in the same speech:
:" Mr.. Chairman, l am perfectly aware that many
man might have uttered such sentiments without any
extraordinary degradation. If they had come from
one who had forever retired into private life would
have been of no great Importance If they had come
from one who was humble and lowy, and had receiv
ed private favors from bencfactor it would have
tracted attention but coming they did from
who artfiil and sagacious-who had fixed his eye
the first Office of his country with ambition that
has varied who was gazing with eagerness for
partizan support say sir that under all the circum-
stances of the case they base vle degraded and
degrading sentiments which freeman con-
ccved in his heart, and but fatterer utter
ed If am to have leader in the name Of all that
is lofty and honorable, let him be one who has the
feelings, the independence the heart of man If
to follow let it not be who cringcs before and
fawns upon the hands of master. Every feeling of
my soul rcvots with scorn and Indignation at such
sentiments.
n r
in the history of the day These sentiments have
had their weight Is not the whole patronage and
power of this Government at this moment welded for
the open purpose of rewarding their author Is il
he disguised that the Baltimore Convention assembled
to nominate successor under the dictation of the
President Is there man, who has sagacity enough
to perceive consequences that doubts it Let these
things succeed and is idle to talk about free Go
vcrnmcnt. We may have the exterior of freedom,
but it will be whitened sepulchrc, fair and beauti-
full 10 look on but full of corruption and rotcnncss
within.
commit no man. party, but | here take
opportunity to lay down the doctrine that he who
comes into power under such circumstances in,
to all intens and purposes much usurpcr If he
had come in by the sword of revolution Such Go
is to be obcycd merely for political eypedi
ency and not constitutional obligation. What diff
ference in fact is there between government brought
upon the country by Presidential dctation fraud and
patronage, and one forced upon us by the arms of
conqueror
In those countries where the succession may be
fixed by the hereditary laws of the land where things
have grown up from time immemorial and become the
fixed principles Of the Constitution, people can make
claims TO freedom, if the succession takes place
siscnt with their institutions But in this country,
where we have written Constitution every line of
which maintains the freedom Of the elective franchise
from the highest to the lowest if VIC submit to dicta
ton and appointment directly indirectly from any
earthly power we are slaves in feeling and in fact
and shall deserve our destiny. The janissarics OF
Turkey could, at one time, bowstring a sultan, and
enihronc his successor Roman despot could, at
one time, make his horse Consul while his dcgenc
ho,a II.