Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1840-10-31
No. 81.

very Of things the Executive power acts con-
stantly it is always in being always in the cita-
del and on the look out and it has, besides, uni.
tormity Of purpose. They who are in, have but
one object, which is to keep all others out while
those who are not in Office and who desire u
: change have tarety of different objects as they
are to be found in different parts Of the country
One complains Of one thing, another Of another
and, ordinarily, there is no strict unity Of object or
OF candidates end, therefore. it is that those WELD
n ing power within the citadel are able to keep the
Others out though they may be numerous.
I Hence we have seen an Administration, though
IN minority, yet by the continued exercise Of
power, able to bring the people to the support
OF such measure the Sub-Treasurv, which,
when it was first proposed received but little favor
in any part Of the country.
Again though II rnay appear comparatively in
! considerable, vet, when we are looking at the
means by which the Executive power has risen 10
It's present threatening height, we must not overlook
the power of will not say pensiuneJ--but Of
Patronized Press. Of all things in popular Gov.
eminent, a Government Press is the most to b.
dreaded. The press furnishes the only means Of
public address; and if the Government. by support
ing, comes TO control it, then they take to them.
selves, ut the public expense the great channel Of
all communication to the people. Unless France be
an exception, where the Minister regularly demands
50 many thousand francs for the management Of
the public press, | know of no Government in the
the same extent as it is in this country. Have not
YOU, men of Virginia, been mortified TO witness the
Importance which IS attached at Washington to the
election of Public Printer! TO observe the great
anxiety and solicitnde which even your friends
have been Obliged to exercise to keep that appoint
rnent ont of the hands of Executive power! One
Of the first things to he done when a new Admins
tratlon shall come into power will be to sepa rate
the Government Press from the politics Of the coun-
try. Loud cheers | cont want the Govern.
ment Printer to preach politics to the people; be-
cause know before hand what politics he will
preach-it will be one 10 Yisumphe from the be-
ginning Of the first page to the end Of the las par
! agraph. | en- for cutting off this power from the
! Executive. Give tie people fair play. | say gjr5
The People fair play. If they think the Government
is in error, or that better may be FOUND to I'D
minister il. give them chance to turn the present
men out, and mt better men in; but don't let them
! be compelled ~ give their money TO pay man 10
persuade them not to change tie Government
| Laughter and loud cheering
Well, there are st.! other modes by which Exec
uive power j. established and cCnirrned-the first
thing it seeks 20 d. i, TO draw strict lines Of party
oDini on to appeal 10 the party feelings of m4n.-
This is a topic which might lead me very far INTO
an enquiry to tie causes which have overturned
Ill popular Governments. It is the nature of men
to be cretulouS and cOnidmg towards their friends
If there exists in the country powerful party and
if the head Of TINT party be the head of the Gov.
ernment. and avowiEr himself the head of that
party gives thanks for the public onors he has re-
ceived, not to the country, but to his party then
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 party
| favoriteS. Why, gentlemen, Kings and Queens OF
old, and probably in modern time, have hud their
tavorites and they lave given them uuboUndeG
trust. We'll, there are sometimes among the DeO
pie persons vino no wiser then Kings and
Queens, who have fav0riies also and Civ. TO those
tavorites the same blind trust and confidence -
Hence, it's very difficult, r2y sometimes impossi-
Bio, 70 convince party that the man at is head
exercises an undue amount Of power. They say.
"he is "ur friend; the more power he Yields the
better tor Us, because he will WELD it !Or hene.
fit" There two surts Of Republicans in tie
world: enc is q very good sort, the other | think
quite Indifferent, The latter care not what power
person, in Office possess, if they have the election
1t those persons They are quite willing their ia
vores should exercise all powers, aui ate perfect
ly content with the tendencies Of Government to an
elective despotism, il they may choose tie man at
the head Of it. and especially il they have chance
OF being chosen themselves. That i one sort OF
Republicanism But that is not our American lib
erty; thai is not the Repubcansm of the Unite d
States and especially Of the State Of Virginia.
I Firginans do not rush out into that cxtravaranr
confidence in them; ;hey for restraining power
BY law they for hedging in and strictly guard.
! ing all who exercise it. They look upon all who
are in Office limited agents, and will not repOSe
! too much trust in any That is American RcDub-
! liclnsm. What was it Thomas Jefferson said with
50 much emphasis! Have we found angels in tha
form Of men to govern Us! However it might have
been then we of this day may answer no, no -
Loud laughter. We have found them at aas
! like others, "littie lJ,csr than the Ang.ls."--
kUUrS Of laughter. In the same Spiri! he has said
an elective despotism is not the Government we
fought for And that is trne. But our father,
! fought for n limited Governmental Government.
hedged all round with securities--or, as heard u
distinguished son OF Virginia say. one fenced in
with ten rails and top rider. Loud laughter. /
! Gentlemen: distinguished lover of liberty Ct
our own time, in another hemisphere, said, with APP
parent paradox, that the quantity OF liberty IN any
country is exactly equal to the quantity Of restraint
because If Government is restrained from putting
its hands upon you, to that extent you are free; aud
all regular liberty consists in putting restraints
upon Government and indivdul.S--So that they
shall not Interfere with your freedom of action and
purpose. You may easily simplify Government:
, shauw thinkers talk Of simple Government;
But if you wish to secure entire personal liberty.
you must multiply restraints upon the Governments
50 that it cannot 60 further than the pub &c good
requires. Then you may be free, and nO, other
wise.
Another great power by which Executive ianu.
ence augments itself, especially when the man
who Yields II stands at the head of party. con.
slss in the use Of names. Mirdbeau said that
words are things, and SO they are. But believe
that they are often fraudulent things, and always
posed Of real power. The faculty of taxing to
ourselves popular name and giving m unpopular
name to an adversary, is faculty OF very great
concern in politics. pat it to you, gentlemen,
whether for the last month ar two the whole n {