The pilot and transcript. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1840-1841, 1840-09-10
PRECEPT, VS. PRACTICE.

sons letter 10 the IeglSidtuIe oi Acihi0SSSO, -
signing his seat u the Senate of the U. States, !
BY one of his old friends and supporters. we
have transferred it to our columns as the best
and most instructive commentary on the course
which he himself pursued while in office, and
which he is now pursuing in the vain effort he
| is making to elect Mr. Van Puren.
Some are at loss to know why so ma
INV of Gen. Jackson's old friends are now cppos-
ed to the reelection of Mr., Van Buren,, while
| Gen Jackson himselfis making such exertions
| to sustain him? We refer such to Gen. jack
sons mo LESSONS before he into office, for
the ground upon which we supported HIM theh'
and to his practice after he came into office, ior
the ground on which we oppose HIM now:
GEN. JACKSON'S RESIGNATION TO THE
LEGISLATURE OF TENNESSEE.
Two years ago, by the unsolicited suffrage oil
| the Legislature of Tennessee, was aPPolhteu "
the situation of Senator in Congress. Pursuing
the principle by which had ever been govern
ed. neither to seek after nsr decline ONCE the
annointment conferred was accepted, Aware Oh
the practice which had long prevailed, oil select
inc from each extreme of the State, person loi
| the high and responsible situation oil senator
| felt regret at being brought forward TO disturb
n
much as the Legislature, without any knowledge
| or understanding ON my part, had called me to
! the situation, it was impossible to withhold my
consent; and accordingly the appointment was,
though reluctantly, accepted; not, however,
without its being previously pretessed by my
friends, that longer term OF service than one
Congress, would neither be required nor expect
ed That service has been performed Twas
still though bordering and in doubt, whether ex-
ceptions to nv resigning might not be taken; and
if it might not be proper for me to execute the iul
term which YOU had assigned me, when my mind
was BROUGHT to a conclusion by some late pro-
| ceedings of yeur own, and determination 1orm-
ed to surrender Immediately back INTO your
hands the responsible trust you had heretofore
| conhded
One inducement to my determination, IS, that
I travelling to the city OF Washington TWICE d
| wear. imposes no uncomfortable tauguej ana al
| tboueb this is a minor consideration, and one
| which would have been met with cheerfulness,
| if business involving the interest OF our happy
country had required tho exertion; yet, am aware
of nothing of great national importance which IS
likely to come before Congress, excepting ano-
| iect that YOU have lately had before your body
| the amending the constitution OF the united
States, in relation TO the choice OF Chief Ma,
gistrate Upon this matter, greatly doubted
whether it might not be my duty again TO appear
| in tha Senate and extend my feeble and towards
| nroducing an alteration in which great interest
with the people Of the United States exists, and
un which the security OF cur Republican system
| NAV depend. But having been ADVISED oil re-
solution of your honorable body, presenting again
| nv name to the American people for tbs office eli
/ Chief Magistrate of this Union, ! could no
| longer hesitate on the course / should pursue;
dor5t Welded TO certainty and determined forth
| with. to ask your indulgence tobe excused from
any further service in the councils Of the nation
| Thus situated, my name presented to the Tree
| men OF the United States for the first ONCE
| known to the COnstitutien,-l could not, with
any thing of appreciation on my part, consent
either to urge or encourage an alteration, which
might wear the appearance OF hsing induced by
| selfish considerations a desire to advance
| nv own views ] feel thorough and safe
! conviction, that imputaIion would be lll-lound-
ed. and that nothing could prompt me to any ae-
A tive course on that subject, which nay judgment
Il did not approve; yet, as from late events At
II MIGHT be inferred that the prosperts Of your re-
i ,.onm-ndation could be rendered probable, only
1 by lbe people having the choice given to them
! direct abundant room would be oforded to as
cribe any exerrioas of mine to causes appertaiR-
inc. exclusively to myself. imputations thus
made would be extremely iTAso4ie z any per
SON OF virtuous and independent ieelinsj they
would certainly prove so to me; ana hence the
determination u retire from situation where
strong suspicious might at least attach, and with
great seeming propriety ! hasten, therefore, to |
tender this nv resignation, into the hands OF
those who conferred it, that, in the exercise Of
their constitutional rights they may eonfde it to
some one deserving their confidence and appro-
baton.
Being about to retire again to private life, 1t
| is. probably the last time shall have an OPP
| portunity Of addressing you. Permit me- then,
to suggest some remarks upon the amendment
| which you have proposed to the constitution oil
the United States Our political tabfi PC being
regulated by checks and balances, where exPe-
rience assures us that those which have been
resorted to are inefficient; or that, however well
their boundaries have been defined on the parch-
!, ment of the constitution, some new barrier to
the encrOachment of power or corruption, IN any
| of the departments of Government is necessary,
a corrective should be applied; and under such
( circumstances, it is the duty oil the people to see
that one is provided. There is truth more
sacred in politics, and none more coRclusively
STAMPED upon all the State constitutions, as well
as the Federal Constitution, than that which re-
m,ires the THREE GREAT DEPARTMENTS
Dr. POWER. THE LEGISLATIVE, JUDI
CIAL AND EXECUTIVE, TO BE KEPT
SEPARATE AND APART. But, simple and
manifest as this truth is; the difficulty of arriy-
ing atit in practice with constitutional restraints,
II still remains, and presents question, whether
the wisdom and virtue Of the present generation,
with view to amendment in this important
matter, may not be useiu)ly employed. Grat-
tude to the founders of our happy Government,
cannot be lessened by honest efforts, ON our part,
to improve, or rather to fortiiy, the blessings
which have been transmitted to as, with SUCK
additional guards as experience has proved to be
necessary. Upon this principle, venture fully
to accord with you in the contemplated change
proposed to the constitution, and indeed, would
go further With view to sustain mere effcctu-
n ally in practice, the axiom which divides the
$ three greaiclasses Of power into independent,
constitutional checks, I WOULD IMPOSE
PROVISION, RENDERING ANY MEM
Der OF CONGRESS INELIGIBLE TO
OFFICE, UNDER THE GENERAL GO
! VERNMENT, DURING THE TERM FOR
WHICH HE WAS ELECTED, AND FOR
TWO YEARS THEREAFTER, EXCEPT
i, IN CASES OF JUDICIAL OFFICE; and
Y LI=a L .uo,,ld sxnaxt .s.a... At s-anan-