The Madisonian., 1840-02-22

aeIity Of ublreasusess project enforced BY prece-
dents rsked up, under Presidential dctaton, among
despotic Governments or starving conmuniiies by
Presidential lectures 10 The Stale Legislatures cs his
own free aud heretofore prosperous conny, jenouncing
their opposite policy and by Presidential charges oi
bribery against one Of them:
The retention in Office Of proved defauers and, IN
some cases, coDiessedy account of the political in-
Auence nf themselves, their relations, of fnends
The dlsponsation Of Executive patronage oi ihe
principle that lhe public Offices lhe property OF
party that the victor belong the spolls OF the enc
my (" that every citizen Is enemy oi the country
who is not vassel Of the Presidents and that the true
object Of Govenmen, is " to 60 for The greatest share
Of the spos 10 the greatest number Of the spoilers
The exercise, by the President, in derogatlon and
in contempt Of the coordinate authority oi the
Senate, OF the appointing power. Which conferred
the Constitution the President snd Senate jointly;
the abuse OF that power, aud Of the removing power,
which was conferred by the Constitution but by
Congress the President solely, IN "rewardlng his
friends and Furnishing his enemies, thus introducing
reorseless which the fathers OF the Con-
stuton had declared in advance TO be ground Of i'm,
pcachnent and enforcing thai prescription by an army
OF spies and nlormers aud the further abuse OF the
removing power, committed order TO gain possession
Of the public money. IN dsmssing The othcer to whose
charge il had been entrusted by The People:
The interference Of federal officers IN elec,ions--a
party service the performance OF which has been otier-
ed and accepted valid excuse or neglectng ohlcai
duty and has been secured the principal city Of the
Union ny Tax on the salaries OF oncehoues eoHeSAcu
under the penalty Of DISMISSAL and expended IN eicc-
oaeefing for the President the defence, principle.
IN the Senate of the United States by parsans oi The
Administration, Of the interference OF federal officers ~
ecctioEs after such practices, before sturdy Denied
had been proved by sworn witnesses; the row received
doefrtne that every public officer holds his place by The
tenure. express implied, Of electioneering Tor the
President: and the sanction which the President has
lent to that doctrine by the force Of his example IN
abandoning the public business and occasion ior
four consecutive months TO electioneer for himself
The doctrine and practice oil the Executive to violate
the Constitution and Laws at pleasure, on the assunp
lon that he is bound TO obey the Constitution only as
he chooses understand IT, and to obey the laws only
as he chooses " expound them TO defeat the VIII o
the people, expressed through their constitutional ke
presentatives, the petence that he is their duect
Representative to prevent legislation by using arb
rarlly, aud ordinary Executive instrument. the
1 Veto power which had been created for extraordinary
cases aud by Withholding legislative bills TO iofestsll
/ legislation by menacing Congress, IN advance with the
Veto; to peryert legislation by mongrel species OF
Veto, approving some parts and disapproving other
parts Of The bill 10 originate Legislation to siran
gle Congressional Investigations Of public abuses to
nnsettle decisions Of the people, made through their
! appropriate organs on questions Of constitutional
construction aud other subjects; TO bring the Judi
1 cary into public odium and contempt by the en-
ployment of member Of the Cabinet 10 write down
IN the newspapers solemn judgment Of the Supreme
Court Ivy saGctoning acts and declarations OF high
Of dispensing with the laws aud threatening the Judges
should they have the temeny TO enforce, against his
will a law Of the land to strike the process OF their
officer dead in his hsnds-Each Of the foregoing pow
ers being utterly repugnanr free institutions and
the aggregate even TO the genus of limited monar-
! chy.
The purpose Of the Executive to array one porti)n of
the community IN hostility TO another, by official invo
cations OF an agrarian and anarchlcal sprt--a spirit
shown by the experience Of other countries and OF all
4 he IN .npaaft fha FtuhIa
ofpopery, than 10 It's progress destructive Of personal
| liberty
The tendency Of the foregoing and other principles
and practices, making up the present administrative
system. to concentrate IN the person Of the Pfes-
dent all the powers which The Constitution has disr
buted among the Legislative, Executive, and Judiciary
Departments, and thus in substance. to revoluonze
he Government into elective monarchy, "surroudn
cd" form only "by republican institutions"
The tendency Of tha, system, by enisng the side
OF power the most sordd impulses; by It's substitution
OF acoos interests for the general good and by its ho
low and fraudulent pretences sap the foundations Of
private virtue and public honors tendency exemp6ed
IN It's gigantic progeny OF peculalions in the shameless
apostacics Of publ, men; in the sale almost 10 open
market Of political influence and but lately in the de-
cep,lon prac,iscd by Cabinet Minister the
OF the mail by smuggling it through the country under
false namc-a trick which has been Of course otiici
ally defended on principle, and Of which the con,rlyeri
not the less honored aud trusted by the President:
ne uisdstfous eHects oI tne present system IN uc-
ranging the currency, palsyng the enterprise, wherng
tbe industry, aud wasting the resources of the coun-
try:
|. The mutilaon in the Senate, OF record which the
Constitution and their oath Of office had solemny
manded It's members to preserve:
And lastly, that crownlng deed OF marty madness
the election by portion Of the members returned TO
the House OF Representatives Of another portion OF the
members so returned TO the exclusion, consequent
thereon, Of sovereign State Of the American Coniede
fran hnx IL
House
D. Resolccd, That in the opinion Of this meeting,
the American People called on by the highest aud
the hottest considerations which animate human
,ion by respect for the memory Of their fathers,
whose blood then liberties planted by oyalty
The Constitution OF their country by zeal for her ho
nor and regard Tor her best interests by gratitude to
Kind Providence, whose favor has made them great
and happy naton to unite In rcscung her aud for
ever from the hands of the spoilers in annhllatng
that s,upendous scheme Of mposture called Reform
but meaning Public Robbery aud in producing that
real Reform on which the hopes Of this, the
las, Republic Reform which can be effected only by
removing the false Rcfonners from power long and
50 dircfnlly abused.
g. Resoired, That, in the nominations recently made
by the Weig Convention at Harrisburg, for the Offices
OF President aud Vice President of the United States
and IN The e,thu ostc response which the friends Of lb-
erty have made those nominations, see every
guaranty Of that concert OF action among the oppo-
nens OF the Administration which will ensure their r
umphant success.
2. Rcsoiped, That in General WILLIAM HENRY HAIR
RIsoN, the candidate FOR the Presidency we recognise
patriot whose services in the field have the lasting
gratitude of his country, and the applause OF Legisa-
lures Presidents and the competen, Judges OF the
military art; who, though his was long,
perilous, and cventfu ncver,".we learn from dis
tinguished political opponent +" sustained defeat -
whose civil services administrative legislative, and di
pomatc, have proved his fitness for the h,ghcs, Office
n the gift OF the people has filled situations sur