The Hawk-eye and Iowa patriot. (Burlington, Iowa) 1839-1843, 1840-11-05

: it not so all over the land!
: Now, another important question, m
: friends, is this; and as question for tn
philosphic minds of the statesmen q
: Virginia, desire to propose it. As
question for the deep deliberation of ever,
e patriotic mind, desire to PROFOUND il
e 1t is this. Tha. if it be true that ma
jority of all the people of the U. State
are, and have been for some years. oppo
sed to the policy Of the general admins
tra:ion, why in the world is it necessar,
t to make these extraordinary efforts t,
turn out that administration, and to pu
better men in their place!
Why, don't we live in free country
, Don't we vote for members of Congress
every two years, aid for President ever,
four years? Have we not the freedom O
, the universal right of suffrage? Has no
our trust always been, that by means o
the ballot box alone, we could keep thu
government comfortable to the public
will! But how, then, happens it, and
what has caused these extraordinary ex
ertions Of to be necessary to correct the
evils of which we complain? Why, has
itnot been done by the silent operation Of
the elective franchise?- Why, have We
not been enabled to bring about change
of men, and change of measures, by a
quiet resort to the ballot box?
desire from the thinking men of Vir-
g'nia an answer to this important ques-
ton. And when the result of the coming
election shall show, as I know that il
will show, that very large majority Of
all the people Of the United States are,
and have been opposed to the present
administration, desire the thinking men
of Virginia to say how the head of that
administration has been enabled to hold
his place so long, and to carry forward
his mlschievous measures with such al
arming and destructive success CHEERS.
My friends, my answer to that ques-
ton is this. That in my judgment it
comes to be true, in the actual working
of our government, that executive power
and executive influence has increased to
such an alarming degree, that it has a.
reused the country at last in such man.
ner, that a majority of the people of in
tellecs, and a majority of the whole peo-
pie, large and united, have united on a
candidate whom before many did not ap-
prove Of in their efforts to turn out the
present administration. Immense cheer
ing. believe that executive influence
has increased, is increasing, and ought
/ to be diminished. Cheers. And be-
lieve that this influence has enabled the
present incumbent efectually to resist the
public will, until at last the imperishing
unity of the public voice is about to dis
miss the unfaithful servant. Immense
cheering, and cries of cit will
And will add another question for the
consideration of the people of Virginia.
1t is this: Whether they think that a
government can 60 on properously for a
long period, if no change which is salts
factory to the people can take place with
out these extraordinary efforts TO bring
them about9 will put that to the old
fashioned republicans of Virginia, who
love liberty dearly as they love life, if
the government can last fifty years Ion
ger, if an unsatisfactory get Of governors
can't be changed without such efforts as
we see making around us every day 2
Cheers.
I'll now present this case in proof that
executive power has increased, and is
dangerous to the free institutions of our
land. When the first proposition proves
true, as it will prove true, then consider
why it was necessary to make these ex-
traordinary efforts to arouse the public
mind to a sense Of its danger-why it
was necessary for SO many Of your lead
ing men to go about the country, address
ing large meetings of their fellow citi-
zens, and to devote themselves to the
service of the people, as we see to-day?
It shouldn't be so. What are the causes!
The alarming increase of executive pow
er, and of executive patronage, crushing
down and smothering the freedom of pub
lie opinion every where?
And how deeply ought this to interest
you, my friends, as children of the soil
of the Old Dominion A stern love Of
liberty has ever characterized Virginia
cheers. The disciples of the ancient
school of Virginia long ago entertained a
spirit of stern opposition to the danger
Gus encroachments of the general govern
ment against the just rights of the states.
They were also early alarmed at the
very first dangerous augmentation to ex-
ecutive power. (cheers.) 1t is now in
cumbent on you, therefore, in the midst
of this crisis, to decide these important
questions, as they concern the present,
and as they concern the future. (cheers.)
Let US go back to first principles and
see how things stand. You all know
that our fathers in framing the form of
the Constitution had great difficulty in
constituting the executive power. 1t was
easy to make popular House of Repre-
sentatives---it was not difficult to con-
struct second branch Of the National
Legislature. But the great difficulty in
their minds, was how to make the ba-
lance of executive power so truly adj
justed as TO defend the country on the
one hand, and the States on the other,
from the jeopardizing of 1.-THE public liber-