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

would be so much more formidable, that they would
be Irresistible, were they but united, with cJn-
centrsted purpose Of action. (Cheers
What do we see What have we not seen We
hare seen an administration continually In a mino
rity-frst in branch OF the national legislature
and then in another branch Of the legislature, and
vet that has been successfully enabled, by the ex
ercise of executive influence and patronage, and by
the exercise Of the veto power. 10 bring men TO
support those Of its measures which at first not only
found but very little favor at the hands of any, but
were absolutely received with scorn and contempt
| [Cheers.1
| executive power, must not overlook the pow
| exercised BY will not say pensioned, but by
patronized press. And of all things the most dan
gerous to popular and free government, govern
| meht exercised over the people by a patronzod
| press is most to be dreaded-most to be abhorred
| loud cheering And if those who hold the reins
| of government, so far violate the great trusts re-
posed in them to support press out Of the
voted by the people, for carrying on the necessary
| business of the government, they strike the most
fatal blow at the root of the tree of liberty which
they could strike, for they take TO themselves, and
usurp by their own self constituted power, all the
| channels Of communication between them and free
people, whose servants they are, to whom they
bound to render strict account Of all their dongs
| and whom they bound to obey And eXcept in
France, where the minister will set apart IL 900 900
of francs the annual support of the papers the
pay and under the surveillance OF the government,
know of place where the powers Of govern
ment press exist to such an extent, and exercise
such baneful influence as in this country. I'm
|
Have you not, Virginians, been deeply mortified
time and again, 10 see the anxiety and the pains
taken in the election of the government printer con-
corning which many OF our most valuable men,
your friends, have taken the utmost pains to
keep this source of patronage out of the hands of
executive power. You have, and you right
in your approval of their proceedings. Why, my
friends so highly important do consider this sub
ect, that know that the first thing to be done in
order to effect thorough reformation Of existing
abuses, is to separate implicitly the government
prip tinpf from DOical cOuntenanCe CCheers III
| the government pays man to preach politics, all
| know what politics he'd preach before he begins
| loud laughter and cheers. Ifhe be paid by the
government, It will all be "Is triumphe' from the
first paragraph the first page to the last paragraph
on the last page. Loud and continued cheering.
| am for cutting this off entirely. GCheers Iwant
to give the people fair chance. tCheers don't
want TO compel the people to pay-pay-pay-to
support government, whilst at the same time that
government uses all the peoples to persuade
them that the gov ernment ought not to be changed.
| TCheers and laughter.
But there is another dangerous thing connected
with executive patronage to which wish to call
your attention. and to ask you to condemn it. The
first thing they do is to establish the lines of party
[Cheers.1 And this is the very means that has al
ways been used to overthrow free governments
TCheers.1 Ifthcre be strong party in 4 country,
and the head Of j. is the head the government, and
he is Sc bold and hardened, that he avows it; and
when he is desired to give thanks for the favors and
| BENEFITS conferred upon him by generous people,
he gives thanksnot to his country, but to his par
ty it leads the people, unperceived, to give undue
trust and confidence to party favorites. (Cheers
Why, gentlemen, the Kings and Queens Of O!den
times, and, for ausht know, the Kings and Queens
of modern times had favo and they gave them
unbounded trust and unlimited power; and, eonse
quenty, among the people men have favorites, and
they give them unlimited authority and trust. For
they argue in this way; they say, &c the power
he gets the better il will be for u.s. because he'll
it far our benefit" Laughter and cheers.]
Gentlemen, there are two sorts Of republicans in
this world. ILaughter.1 One, a very good sort,
and the other, arery indifferent sort. Tcheers and
laughter1 And this last sort il is that cares not
how much power the government gets, if they reap
the benefit of it, (Cheers.
They are quite willing te give unlimited power
into the hands ofany one man, they may have the
| This is one sort Of republicans. Laughter This
by the bye, though, is what call the Indifferent
republicaR lovers of liberty for which Virginia has
been so long distinguished. Loud cheering
That class are quite a different sort of men.
[Cheers.l That class are so jealous of authority
and Of the Entertainments Of power that they hedge
in authority all round as firmly as they would an
enemy That's the true and only class of republi-
can americans. Loud cheers.l
Why, my friends, what did Mr.. JefcrsoR say
this subject, on question which he put with so
much emphasis! Are we arguing for limitation
Of powerl Have we found angels in the form If
men TO go vern usF ICheers don't know how
il may hav. been in his time, but know tsat IRE
hare Jound any such characters iva fis,e
Loud laughter and cheering.] No! no! no! they're
ssa little lower than the angels" Loud and con
tinued cheering And ! entertain the same spirit
which Mr.. Jefferson did, when he said that :. an
elective de- potsm is not the government fought
for" [Cheers1 No. but our fathers fought TO
create and maintain government which should be
hedged in all round so tight and so closely that il
coudLt make any encroachmcnts in any quarter
tCheers.l Or, as ! think have heard some Of you
virginians saw fenced cut all round with We rails
and a top-riaerr' Loud and continued rsars of
iaughter and tremendous cheerin
Why, gentleman, there is good axiom eytant;
that the quantity OF liberty possess is precisely
equal to the quantity Of restraint which put
upon the government And this is true. IL the
government is restrained from putting its hand in
certain particulars upon you. to that extent you
free. and no more. And il individuals restrain
cd from putting their hands upon you, you have
more freedom All liberty, therefore, consists in
putting such restraint upon your governments, and
upon individuals that they cannot touch your rights
| or your liberties. loud cheering
IL you mean to have liberty, you must have laws,
properly enforced, to give the government no more
power thsn the public interest requires, and then
| you are free. loud and continued cheeringl
| Another species Of powerl possessed by the ea-
vernwc~t is the names given TO party, which Mira.
tho despes Of his period. Names stand for things,
and sometimes for very fraudulent things, which do
much 10 destroy the benefits Of popular govern
mer' like ours. And, may here mention, q a stri.
king fact, that to bestow upon themselves the most
popular names they can find, and To besfow upon
others the most unpopular is Of the great fea-
lures of power in the present government [Cheers
They put all you who are opposed TO any Of their
| treasurers under whole artillery Of abuse. They
shower and cpithefs upon you ss thickIy as
hail. But when have YOU heard any of them raise
| the cry Of Sub-Trcssuryl 7" Laughter ! They
know better than To burn their fingers with that
| Laughter and cheers This seems to be the last
| desperate resort which they have left. They re-
| treat. as il were behind a mag azins of abuse.
|
|
| I ought my friends, here, to advert 70 what has
| appeared in all the papers OF the administration
party in relation to my visitsto Nirginis IL is the
cry that the state viii not be safe II
admit northern men Z, have any considerable share
| in the councils Of the general government. ] have
| often, and have ALWAYS, where had opportuni-
ty talked about this matter and those domestic in
situations Of the south to which s intended TO
fer Years ago utte red ms sentne in regard 10