Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1840-10-15

no Strlct unity oil OBJECT or oil candidate anu, |
therefore, it is that those welding power
within the citadel are able to keep the others
out though they may he more numerous
Hence we have seen an Administration, |
though In minority, Yet by the continued
exercise of power, able to bring over the peo-
pie to the support of such a measure as the |
Sub-Treasury, which, when it was first pro- |
posed, received but little favor in any part of
the country.
Again: though it may appear compare
lively inconsiderable, yet, when we are look
ing at the means by which the Executive
power has risen to its present threatening
height, we must not overlook the power Of
l will not say pensioned-but of Il patroniz-
ed Press. OF all things in a popular Govern
mont, Government Press is the most to be
dreaded. The Press furnishes the only
means of public address and if Government
| by supporting comes to control it, then they
take to themselves, ut the public expense,
the great channel of all communication to the
People. Unless France be an exception,
where the Ministry regularly demands SO ma
ny thousand francs for the management of
the public press, know of no Government
in the world where the Press is avowedly
patronizod to the same extent as it is i'll this
country. Have not you, men of Virginia,
been mortified to witness the Importance
which is attached at Washington to the cleo
ton of Il Public Printer TO observe the great
anxiety and solicitude which even your own
friends have been obliged to exercise to keep
that appointment out of the hands of EXecu-
tive power! One of the first things to be
don, when new Administration shall come
into power will be to separate the Govern
! mcnt Press from the politics of the country
Loud Cheers.) l don't want the Govern
mont Printer to preach politics to the Peo-
, pie; because | know before hand what poll
1 tics he will preach-it will all be one 10
2 Iriumphc from the beginning of the first page
to the end of the last paragraph. l am for cut
e ting off this power from the Executive. Give
the People fair play. | say, Gire the People
= fair play. If they think the Government is
), in error, or that better men may be found to
: administer it, give them chance to turn the
j present men out and put better men in: but
r don't let them be compelled to give their mo-
l ney to pay man 70 persuade them not to
change the Government. daughter and
= loud cheering.)
t Well, there are still other modes by which
c executive power is established and confirmed
the first thing it seeks to do is to draw
e strict lines Of party opinion, to appeal to the
y party feelings of men. This is a topic which
II might lead me very far into an enquiry rs to
the causes which have overturned all popular
n Governments. 1t is the nature of men to be
II credulous and confding toward their friends.
e If there exists in the country pwerful party,
/, and if the head of that party be the head OF
II the Government, and avowing himself the
l. head of that party, gives thanks for the pub
e lie honors he has received, not to the country,
but to his party, then we can see the causes
: In operation which, according 10 the well
/ known character and tendencies of man, lead
d us to give undue trust and confidence to par
c ty favorites. Why, gentlemen, Kings and
e Queens of old, and probably in modern times,
o have had their favorites, and they have given
e them unbounded trust. Well, there are
: sometimes among the people persons who are
|. no wiser than Kings and Queens, who have
j favorites also, and give to those favoritcs the
d same blind trust and confidence. Hence it
is very difficult, nay, sometimes impossible,
to convince party that the man at its head
exercises an undue amount of power. They
2 say, she is our friend; the more power he
wielJs the better for us, because he will WELD
it for our benefit There are two sorts of
. Republicans in the world one is a very good
sort, the other, ! think, quite indifferent. The
latter care not what power persons In Office
possess ifthey have the election of those per-
sons. They are quite willing their favorites
l should exercise all power, and are perfectly
content with the tendencies of Government to
an elective despotsm, if they may choose the
, man at the head of it, and more especially if
they have chance of being chosen them
selves. That is one sort Of Republicanism.
Bnt that is not our American liberty that is
not the Republicanism of the United States,
and especially OF the State of Virginia. Vir-
ginians do not rush out into that eXtravagant
; confidence in them !; they are for restraining
power by law they are for hedging in and
strictly guarding all who exercise it. They
l look upon all who in Office as limited d.
: gents, and will not repose too much trust in
any. That is American Republicanism.--
What was it that Thomas Jefferson said with
so much emphasis 2 Have we found angels
, in the 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 least like others, ga little lower
than the Angels (Roars of laughter.I In
the same spirit he has said, an elective despo-
tism is not the Government we fought for
And that is true. But our fathers fought for
Il limited Governmental Government hedg-
ed all round with securities--or, as heard
distinguished son of Virginia say, one fenced
in with ten rails and top rider. Cloud
laughter.)
Gentlemen: A distinguished lover of liber-
ty of our own time, in another hemisphere,
said, with apparent paradox, that the quantity
of liberty in any country is exactly equal to
the quantity of restraint; because if Govern
ment is restrained from putting its hand upon
you, to that extent you are free; and all reg
ular liberty consists in putting restraints up
on Government and individuals---so that
they shall not interfere with your freedom of
action and purpose. You may easily simpli-