Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1840-03-27
This il The nuesiion 10 lie decided.

IL tIC DOWCt hOW
ecutive had been embodied in an article headed-
" The President shall have power" and proposed
TO the convention OF 81, as a part of the %consti!u-
ton, who believes that II would have op'aiheo a
posed by the first congress as an amendment 10
The constitution, would it have received. a single
vote in a single state in this Unionl Nobody VIII
venture TO say that il would. And yet, now the
very same question is involved IN the question oi
continuing in power an administration which mas
used, and is still using, the corruption. OF It's own
usurpa,ions to gain for them the popular sanction,
and thus give them, to all practical purposes, the
force and effect of constitutional law.
II suits the purposes of some, however, 10 rep
resent the great question now in contest as one OF
" mere dollars aud cents,"-banks and currency
safe or unsafe keeping OF the public moneys; ana
in that light TO be altogether unworthy OF a com
parison with the question of human rights lhvol-
we'd in the cause Of abolition. Now, sir, though
as a mere question Of currency, il is a question OF
Importance, in its vast and complicated bearings
upon some Of the higest interests OF the people,
vet the question of power, Of a practical change
of the constitution by cncroachlmcnt and popular
ac1uiescence, | regard as of incomparably more
importance. And so does the administration. For
all the rash experiments which have struck, as
with a paralysis, the industry ana prosperity OF
the country, have Leen undertaken and pcrsevered
in for the sake of power-for the sake OF dong, IN
effect, lust what | have asserted has really been
done-changing, practically, the government and
the constitution of the country, 10y concentrating
all power Ill lnc ndnuS VI Onc hnuu' h"' SUN,
sir, Is now the great purpose of the administration
in It's perseverlng efforts TO carry the so often re-
jected snb-treaSury scheme, 10y an eXertlon OF eN-
ccutive influence, equal to any which has ever
signalized the most corrupt periods OF BRITISH MS
tory.
There are, | know, abolitionists who are deeply
convinced of the existing abuses and corruptlons;
but who, nevertheless, say that ii Is VAN to attempt
! a reform by exertionS 10 overcome the admlnlstra-
; ton that the only way TO accomplish 1t Is TO
abandon the present opposition, and rely ON ultl-
t mate triumph of abolition to purify all the parties,
I and restore the constitution. This, sir, seems to
G me very much like abandoning all IN APP
proved remedies for a disease, and giving mp the
G patient TO die, in reliance upon a restoration to
e health by a resurrection from the dead. 1t betrays
e an utter insensibIity 10 the real effect Of sanction
l ing the usurrations of which | have spoken, by
r e-clccting TO the presidency their chief authoi-
! an elect which involves not only a practical
change of the consti,ution-the final mischlet> OF
. which nobody can calcuIatc-but such a wide df'
y fusion ofthe leaven OF corruption, and such a con-
s~olidation of The power which has introduced 1t,
Il as TO place the country well nigh heyond the
!, reach of remedy. Where is the wing abolinonl>t
who is willing 10 give up and leave this leaven TO
act, and this power 10 gain strength, IN the nope
i of ultimately saving the country by abolition I! l
II have great confidence in the purifying power OF
abolition principles, but | cannot Re so blind as
not TO see that corruption may, in the unpreceden.
ted activity of its leavening process, reach the
|. very remedy " hich is relied on to elect its cure.
| have thus given, summarily, my views OF the
question and the crisis. And now, SIR, l am not,
n at the moment OF such a crisis, when the true
g friends of popular rights are buckling on their ar
NOR for a death struggle with corruption, to lay
down my arms and retreat from the tattle-tleld.-
am not, when the knife is drawn 10 sever the
- monster which has, for ten years, been winding
itself around the country, now to give mp, ana lay
= let him wind his last fold, aud crush the asst bone
~ No, sir: no. ] shall help to fight out this battle
re if Heaven spares me.
And now, sir, where is the man around whom
i we may rally ?-ihe man whose name shall lie t'
us a strong tower-lhe man who Is to lead us t1
r victory. There is, thank Heaven, such a man.
His name is waited 10 lis on tue winds that SWEEP
lg the Alleghanics, and comes Lack III thNnderlne
| echoes from the Atlantic shores. The West, The
Fast, the North, The South, unite to proclaim
IN WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON, as THE MAN.
We Aud who is WILLIAM HENRY HARRisoN'
l Sir, he is the noble sou If a noble size, wi.ose nan'
- stands mex, 10 tina, Of Thomas Jefferson on the De
,e, "i"."''"" OF i"de - ".ience. A man who has shown
en- that he has received The instructions Of such u iailhe
ny not in vain "a man WIN drew in. with his h,s
g breath The pure inspiration OF Revolutionary Pm
II. ciples, and who has through y long and eminent
-, useful life. exhibited those principles in The vel
n" proporiioned Developments OF ii Patriot and a Man
Yes, sir, a Man! MOI u s,rewd. cunning, plot
ting, scheming, selfish. leariless politician, but
M Mana man with u hearth hear as big as
*, world - IA heart unpracIised in political guile, or il
any guile a heart whose warm pnisaiions we'
as never checked by The chill OF selh.hnesss-a hear
of open, kind, generous, uncorrup'rd and incorrup'i
"a bic. Sir. this is no fancy sketch. II Is "a 'obe
nv truth, written oneve,y page of Harrison's history
o. the history OF a soldier. a scholar. Il statesman,
IL philanihropisi and an HONEST MAN.
MS Do you ask whether he understands The crisis
he and is capable of giving to his principles and ei
n forts a direction suited 10 il! Yes. sir, precisely
he His vigorous mind has struck, will, rema' kab'
discrimina, ion. upon The true points ofrff0rm de
~. manded bv the crisis Tor whic, he has been rails
zee ed M. Hear him. In a letter Of The 81 Of De
do cember, 1888, TO the Hon. Harmar Denny, o
he Pennsylvania he says:
e. "Among The principles proper to be adopted b
IN any Executive sincerely DESTROYS TO restore lh
~ Administration to lis o. isinal purity, deem II,
"- follow TO be Of prominent importance /:
ay 81. To confne his service 10 a single term.
al. To disclaim all right Of control over lh
're public treasure, with he exception Of such part O
il as may be appropriated by law 10 carry on ih
rts public service and lhat 10 be applied p'eciss'
IN as The law may direct, and drawn from ihe Urea
snry agreeably 10 .be long established forms Of lhs
Department.
we "lIl. That he should never attempt 10 in1urnc
on The elections, either by the People or State Lee
hal islalures ; nor suffer the Federal officers, under h
I'VE control, 10 lake any other part in Them Than b
"n giving their own, when they possess The right
a.. voting.
CIV. That, in The exercise Of The veto powe,
,ho he should limit MS election of bills 10, Isl, Sue
~, as are, in his opinion, Unconstitutional ID. Sue
% IA tend TO encroacl, on the rights Of The Sales c
i, individual ; 3D.. Suc, rs involving deep Interests
ia may, IN his opinion, require more mature deli6eI
nv alton. or reference 10 The will of The People, 10 l.
10 ascerlained al he succeeding elections.
md Nv. That he should never suffer the influence
ing his Office 10 be used ior purposes OF a purely part
character. .
H. "VI. That, in removals from Office Of those VII
on, hold their appointments during The pleasure OF ID
Executive, The cause OF such removal should b