The Madisonian., 1840-01-01

lhe reader VIII HHu dH diuS'S, "i a'o'
column, more worthy of their attention and OF
the occasion, than any observations we couiu
probably make Of our own.
We cordially wish our friends and readers
health and happiness all their lives long, and
that those lives may embrace the return OF
many HAPPY NEW YEAR.
kauE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE-FURTHER
CONSIDERED
We are astonished that thiG document
should receive the appreciation, or even the
assent, of any Democratic State Rights Re-
publican. We think we showed clearly, in
our last, that, in claiming TO be component
part Of the legislative power, and in exercis-
ing supervisory power over State corporations
and the business of merchants, the President
has stepped beyond the sphere to which he
is expressly limited by the Constitution, and
invaded the rights of the States. We consi-
der his declarations of war against the State
banks not less Objectionable than a recon-
mendaton of bankrupt law, which he did
himself, before he was elevated to his present
pinnacle of power declare in the Senate
House to be grossly unconstitutional. We
declare again our more complete conviction,
upon further consideration, of the soundness
Of thenviews we before presented in relation
TO this most extraordinary document. We
see, or think we see, in it, an insidious attempt
OF the few TO steal power from the many, and
another strong blow upon the wedge already
entered to cut away the balance of the Con-
sttu,ion, and absorb all power in one grand
consolidated Federal Executive Government.
We declare our conviction that, at the rate the
government is going on, not many presiden-
ual terms will elapse before we have galloped
into monarchy. Already has the course of
things made this government more centralized
IN many, very many, respects than those of
France and Spain. II is so in the exclusive
power of making and interpreting supreme
laws, and laying tariff binding upon all the
oitlzens of the States, and in other respects.
Not long since, the State Rights party of the
South would have agreed with us in this
now. alas they are apparently lost in the Sc
ductive whirlpool which engulfs all
What else do we see9 State nulifyinc
federal laws No. But the Federal Govern
ment nulliiying State laws-laws established
IN compliance with the Constitution. not con.
fictlng with it, We see the right OF regulating
The manner OF elections, granted by the Con-
sll'ulion 10 the States, torn from them, usurped
by the Federal Government, and the usurpa
llon openly sustained in Congress upon the
ground that the government has exclusive in.
risdiclion over the ballot boxes of the States
alter the peoples votes are deposited in them
What next The Federal Executive at
tempting, by his inhuedcc, to nulify State
charters, and to revolutionize their internal
domestic policy! We see him lecturing the
people with scope of supervisory power not
less III extent than if he represented, in his
own person, the relation of, Governor to the
people IN their primary capacities, and con-
centred in himself the duty and authority of
sx-and-twenty Governors Of six-and-twenty
sovereign States, and the heads of the Terri
tories in addition We see his doctrines
caught up at the centres OF the several States,
by his peculiar confdants and friends, asserted
as their doctrines, and applied, as if cut out
expressly for that purpose, 10 the internal po-
licy ofthe people in their independent capaci-
ties. What is the RESULT Every thing and
every body feels the influence Of the Great
Governor of the consolidated people, and
every election, local or general, is made to
turn upon federal politics. Was this the pur-
pose for which this government was created
Then of what use are the forms of State 60
vernmcnts but TO subserve petty local Objects
of too much insignifcance to be worthy the
attention of the Great Head Of the States -
If the President is to govern all things, the
State Constitutions are no more than idle for
malities-f he is the representative of all
power, on all subjects, then, away with the
present organization--lct the country be di-
vlded into provinces, with territorial heads
and councils, and all the people and the States
bow their necks, and deposit their consti,u-
iional immuniies at the fooisioo ofthe Fede-
ral Executive. Government, at BEST being
an evil, it is but aggravating the evil to keep
up forms without substances.