The pilot and transcript. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1840-1841, 1840-10-10
LHT CAA
MIR. WEBSTER'S SPEECH.
AT THE RICHMOND CONVENTION.

(Coacluded)
Well, there are still other modes by which ex-
ocutive power IS established and conirmed-the
FIRST thing it seeks to do is to draw strict lines of
party opinion, to appeal to the party feelings Of
men. This is topic which might lead me
very far into enquiry as to the causes which
have overturned all popular Governments 1t
is the nature of men to be credulous and confding
toward their friends. If there exists in the
country powerful party, and il the head Of
that party be the head of the Government, and
avowing himself the head of that party, gives
thanks for the public honors he has received, not
to the country, but to his party, then we can see
the causes in operation which, according to the
well-knoWn character and tendencies of man,
lead us to give undue trust and confidence to par
ty faveriteS. Why, gentlemen, Kings and
Queens of old, have had their favorites and they
have given them unbounded trust. Well, there
are sometimes among the people, persons whO
no wiser than Kings and Queens, who have
faVorites also, and give to those favorites the
same blind trust and confidence.-Hence it is
very difficult, nay, sometimes impossible, to con-
vince party that the man at its head exercises
an undue amount of power They say, che is our
friend; the more power he wIelds the better for
us, because he will WELD 1t for our benefit
There are two sorts of Republicans in the world ;
is a very good sort, the other, | think, quite
Indifferent The latter not what power
persons in Office possess if they have the election
of those persons. They are quite willing their
favorites should exercise all power and are per-
fectly content with the tendencies of Govern
ment to an elective desPotism, if they may
choose the man at the head of it, and more
pecially if they have chance of being chosen
themselves. That is one sort of Republication;
but that is not American ibertyj that is not the
Republicanism of the United States, and es-
pecially Of the State of Virginia. Virginians do
int hat avtr autco in
them; they are for restraining power by law;
they are for hedging in and strictly guarding all
who exercise it. T4ey look upon all who are
in efIice as limited agents. and will not reposs
toe much trust in any. That is American Re
publicanism. What was it that Thomas Jeffer-
son said with SO much emphasis? "Have we
found angels in the form afmen to govern us?"
However it might have been then, we of this day
may answer no, nc. loud laughter) We
have feuud them, at least, like others, ga little
Io,per than angels" (Roars of laushter) In
The same spirit he has said an elective despotism
is not the Government we fought for. And that
is true. But our fathers fought for limited
Governments Government hedged all round
with securities-or, as l heard a distinguished
son Of Virginia say, one fenced in with ten rails
and top rider cloud laughter)
Gentlemen: A distinguished lover of liberty
of our own tune, in another hemisphere, said,
with apparent paradox, that the quantity OF lib
srty in any country is exactly equal to the guam
tity of restraint; because if Government is re-
strained from putting its hand upon you, to that
extent YOU are free, and all regular liberty Con-
sists in putting restraints upon Government and
individuals-so that they shall not interfere vita
your freedom OF action and purpose. You may
easily simplify Government; shallow thinkers
talk of simple Government; Turkey is the siAl-
plest Government in the world. But IF you wish
to secure entire personal liberty, you mast multi
ply restraints upon the Government, so that it
cannot go further than the public good requires.
Then you NAV be free and not otherwise.
Another great power by which Executive in
huence augments itself, especially when the man
who wields it stands at the head OF party, con-
sists in the use of names .Mirabeau said that
words are things,-and so they are. But be-
Iieve that they are often fraudulent things, and
always possessed of real power. The faculty OF
taking to ourselves popular name and giving
an unpopular name to an adversary, is faculty
ef very great concern il politics. put it to you,
gentlemen, whether for the last month or two,
the whole power of this Government has not con-
sisted chiefly in the discharge Of shower Of hard
names. Have you for month past heard any
man defend the Sub-TreasuryP Have you heard
any man during that time burn his fingers by ia
king hold OF Mr.. Poinsett's Militia project. They
whole resort has been to pour out upon US lido
Of denunciation aristocrats aristocrats: taking
to themselves Tine mcanWnllc Jne ueol5hd-
ton OF true Democrats. How cheering,
how delightful, that man independent of any
regard to his own character worth, may thus
range hinseH under a banner the most accepta-
BILE of all others to his fellow-eitizcns 1t is with
false patriotism with base money: all goes by
the stamp. 1t does not wish to be weighed, it
hates the scales; it is thrown into horrors at the
srucible is must all 60 by tail; it holds out the
Kings head, with his name and superscriptisn,
and If challenged, replies: Do you not see the
stamp on my foreheads l belong to the Dems-
cratic family-rnakc me current loud laugh
ter and cheering.) But we live in an age too
enlightened to be guled by this business of stamp
ing; we have learned to enquire into the true ma
tire and value of things. Democracy most sure
i, i not term Of reproach, but respect. Our
G.exemnsnt is a constitutional, Democratic Re-
.aiblican Government, and If they mean that on
" there il nose viii dispute that they are gssd
Dsa.ocr.ts. But if they set up qualifications and
distinctions, il there are genera and species, it
nav require twenty political Lian@uses to say
70 which classification they belong.
There is another continuance for the increase
OF EXECUTIVE power, which is utterly abhorrsnt
to all tue patriots, and against which IN AN es-
pecIai manner Gen. Washington has lett US his
farewell iniunction; mean the constant recur-
renee toocal d nerenees, prejudices and Jealous
les. III. Is the great bane and curse oil this
lovely oos.t.try Of ours. II covers vast extent
of TerrIEaIIs hence there are lew from among
as IN Massachusetts nLo enjoy the advantage o.