Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1840-10-08

Virginia, addressed his fellow citizens upon the
usurpations Of the British crown. ICheers. And
when James Otis making the same rousing APP
peal to the people of Massachusetts. Immense
cheering From that time to this, nothing has oc-
Cured resembling the extraordinary excitement of
the present time, and the state of public feeling
peTvadng the land. (Cheers We see men aban-
don their daily avocation-we see the pursuits of
agriculture abandoned-we see men in the midst Of
seed time end harvest come from their fields to
take part IA these proceedings. And why Be-
cause they consider these things of Infinitely more
importance than their ordinary avocations (Checrs,
and cries of 1--WE dol And is it not all over the
landl
Now, another important question. my friends, is
this; and as question for the phiosophc minds of
the statesmen Of Virginia, | desire to propose q.
As a question for the deep deliberation of every
patriotic mind, desire to PROFOUND il. Ii is this.
That if it be true that majority of all the people of
the u States are and have been for years, OPP
posed to the policy Of the general administration,
why in the world is it necessary to make these ex-
traOrdnary efforts to turn out that administration,
and to put better men in their placel
Why, don't we live in a free country, Don't we
vote for members OF Congress every two years, and
for President every four years! Have we not the
freedom of the universal right of suffrage! Has not
our trust always been, that by means OF the ballot
box alone, we could always keep the government
conformable to the public willl But how, then,
happens it, and what has caused these extraordinary
exertions to be necessary to correct the evils OF
by the silent operation Of the elective franchise? -
Why, have we not been enabled to bring about a
change Of men. and change Of measures, by quiet
RESI- to the ballot box!
desire from the thinking men of Virginia an an
swer this important question. And when the re-
suit Of the coming election shall show, as know
that it will show, that very large majority ofall the
people Of the United Stats are, and have been OPP
posed to the present administration, j desire the
thinking Of Virginia TO how the head of that
administration has been enabled to hold his place
long, and to carry forward his mischievous mea-
all and Aacf
[Cheers.]
My friends, my answer to that question is this.
That in my judgment it comes to be true, in the
tual working of our government, that executive
power and executive influence has increased to such
alarming degree, that il has aroused the country
at last in such manner, that majority the peo
Pile Of intellect, and majority of the whele people,
large and united, have united on a candidate whom
before many did not approve Of in their efforts 10
turn cut the present administration. Immense
cheering ] believe that executive Influence has
reased, is increasing and ought to be diminished.
Cheers.1 And believe that this influence has en-.
abled the present ncumbent eecluay to resist the
public will until at last the unpershing unity ofthe
public voice is about TO dismiss the unfathful
want Immense cheering and cries Of" 1t will y
And will add another question for the consider -
tion of the people Of Virginia. 1t is .hs: Whether
they think that government can go prosperous
for long period, if no change which is satisflc
tory to the people can take place without these ex
traordinary efforts to bring them aboutl l will put
that to the old fashioned republicans Of Virginia,
who love liberty dearly as they love life, if the GO
vernment last fifty years longer, if an unsatis
factory SET OF governors cant be changed without
such efforts as we making around US every day 7
[Cheers.1
I'll now present this in proof that execu-
tive power has increased, and is dangerous to the
free institutions of our land. When the first propo
siton proves true, it will prove true, then cons
der why il was necessary to make these cXtraordi-
nary efforts TO arouse the public mind TO Of
its danger-why II was necessary for so many Of
ing large meetings Of their fellow citizens, and to
devote themselves to the service Of the people, as
we see to-day! 1t shouldn't be SO. What are the
causesi The alarming increase Of executive pow
err, and Of executive patronage, crushing down and
smothering the freedom Of public opinion every
where!
And how deeply ought this to interest you, nv
friends as children of tbs soil Of the old dominion
stern love of liberty has ever characterized Nir-
ginia [cheers The disciples Of the ancen, school
Of Virginia long ago entertained spirit OF stern or
position to the dangerous encroachments of the ge-
neral government against the just rights Of the
states. They were also early alarmed at the very
first dangerous augmentation TO executive power.
[cheers.l 1t is now incumbent on you, therefore,
in the midst of this crisis TO decide these impor
tant questions, 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 fathers in fran
ing the form ofthe Constitution had great difficulty
in con stutiag the executive power. II easy TO
make popular Houf Of Representatives. W as
OF difficult to construct a second branch ofthe Ma
tional Legislature. But the great difficulty in their
minds, was how to make the balance Of executive
power truly dusted as to defend the cOuAtry on
the one hand and the States the otl er from the
ieopardizing Of the public liberties Our stors
had seen the evils resulting from a weak executive,
during the Revolution. And as they had just emer-
ged from one war, and were Just about 10 plunge
into another, they looked carefully TO how thin g
should confer just such proper degree of power as
would constitute excessive sufficiently strong for
all the purposes OF defending the nation at large
from evil, without being enabled in the least TO
crosch on the separate rights and liberties Of the
several states. Loud chesrs
They did this. They perhaps gave even more
power TO the executive than they would have done,
had they not so recently suffered such disasters
from the want Of power in the executive. But il
mains to be proved, whether IL would not even have
been better had they given less paw err TO the
tive than has been given rather than to have hazard
ed the augmentation Of executive infxence so dam
gerous to liberty and injurious to the public at
large Loud and continued cheering. and cries of
chats good States Rights doctrinc"l
Because, my friends, executive power - that
power which confers on many, il bestows all the
patronage Of the government on whom ii pleases.
And If VIC look To the patronage Of the execuiv we
shall see how a'armiugly II has increased Of late
years. We fad the expenditure Of the ofice-hold.
ers immensely increased We find the same 10 be
true Of the diplomatic depsrtment--and OF all the
departments IL is so in the post Office department
and in the commercial department. you will find
y
city in the Union example. And in the public
service Of the customs AZ New-York, you will find
that executive patronage has increard threefold
within very short period. Ny friends, there IS a
constant increase in the power of the present gov
eminent in bestoiring office. Then, on the other
hand, there is the vast power II possesses ia
rails from office. And that this power has been ex
ercised most remorselcssly sometimes, you are but
too well aware. Loud cheering, and cries Of
"True."l
And in my opinion, unless called for by due
regard for the pubic in'erets this power Of al
from office shoutd never be exercised fCheers /
And Nirginia-proud and generous Virginia, more
than any other State IN the Union, has disavcw,d
and condemned this doctrine Of removals froK Off &C.
for opinion. safe. lCheers And ! wish to do ho-
nor to Old Virginia for this. tCheers Because she
has ever less prsctised this power than the other
States where the spoil' doctrines exist. tTremen-
dous cheerisg.l
But there other parts of this power which are
exercised with a remorselsss hand. Ard what
say, desire to say for myself on this heal. II
hef hou N MT nm mr. In hat