The Hawk-eye and Iowa patriot. (Burlington, Iowa) 1839-1843, 1841-03-25

l. L., THURSDAY, Ma
could not but have occurred to the Con-
vention, that, in country so extensive,
embracing 80 great variety of soil and
climate, and consequently of products.
and which, from the same causes, must
ever exhibit great difference in the
amount Of the population Of its various
sections, calling for great diversity in
the employments Of the people, that the
legislation Of the majority might not al
ways justly regard the rights and inter-
ests of the minority. And that acts of
this character might be passed. under an
express grant by the words of the Con-
stitution, and, therefore, not within the
competency Of the judiciary TO declare
void. That however enlightened and pa
,riotic they might suppose, from past ex-
perience, the members Of Congress might
be, and however largely partaking, in the
general, of the liberal feelings Of the peo-
pie, it was impossible to expect that boz
dies so constituted should not sometimes
be controlled by local interests and Sec
tional feelings. 1t was proper, therefore,
to provide some umpire, from whose sit
uation and mode Of appointment more in
dependence and freedom from such inhu-
ences might be expected. Such one
was afforded by the Executive Depart
ment, constituted by the Constitution. A
person elected to that high Office. having
his constituents in every section, State,
and sub divsion of the Union. mus con.
slider himself bound by the most solemn
sanctions, to guard, protect, and defend
j, the rights of all, and of every portion,
} great or small, from the injustice ard OPP
preston of the rest. consider the veto
) power, therefore, given by the Cons,i.u.
, ton to the Executive Of the United States,
: solely as conservative power, to be
used only, first, TO protect the Cons,itu.
: ton from violation; secondly, the people
, from the effects of has,y legislation, where
! their will has been probably disregardec
: or not we'll understood; and, thirdly. t.
| prevent the effects of combinations viola
= tive of the rights Of minorities. In refer
f ence to the second of these objects, may
: observe that consider it the right ant
E privilege of the people to decide disputed
| points of the Constitution, arising from
7 the general grant of power to Congress te
E carry into effect the powers expressly
given. And I believe with Mr. Madison
: that repeated recognitions. under variet
e circumstances, in acts of the Legislative
E Executive, and Judicial branches of thu
. Government, accompanied by indications
in different modes, of the concurrence o
/, the general will of the nation, as affordin!
f to the President sufficient authority 70
$ his considering such disputed points a
); settled.''
n Upwards of half century has elapse,
e since the adoption of the present form o
e Government. 1t would be an objec
n more highly desirable than the grati6ca
It ton Of the curiosity Of speculative states
: men, if its precise situation could be as
n certained, fair exhibit made of the or
: erations Of each of its Departments, of tn
Y powers which they respectively claim an
# and exercise, of the collisions which hav
S occurred between them, or between tn
l. whole Government and those Of the States
i or either Of them. We could then com
y pare our actual condition, after fifty year
a trial of our system, with what it was i
O the commencement of its operations, an
y ascertain whether the predictions of tn
it patriots who opposed its adoption. or tn
it confident hopes Of its advocates have bee
e best realized. The great dread of tn
Il former seems to have been, that the re
n served powers of the States would be al
1t sorbed by those Of the Federal Govern
lei ment, and consolidated power establish
n ed, leaving to the States the shadow, only
l. of that independent action for which the
" had so zealously coEtended, and on tn
y preservation Of which they relied as til
h last hope Of liberty. Without denyin
IN that the result to which they looked vii
70 so much apprehension is in the way {
lc being realized, it is obvious that they dl
c, not clearly see the mode Of its accon
" plishment. The General Governmel
a. has seized upon none of the reserve
e. rights ofthe States. As far as any ope
,g warfare may have gone, the State autho
er tiles have amply maintained their right
he To casual observer, our system presen
es no appearance Of discord between the dl
e. ferent members which compose it. Eve
of the addition of many new ones has pr
n duced no Earring. They move in the
;h respective orbits in perfect harmony wi
hit the central head, and with each o,he
D. Butthere is still an undercurrent at wor
mt by which, if not seasonahly checked, g
1t, worst apprehensions of our antiiedei
he patriots will he realized; and not only Y
he the State authorities be over Swallowed
an the great increase of power in The Exec
no tive Department of the General Cover
n, ment, but the character of that Cover
tn ment, If not its designation, be essenii;
lie ly and radically changed. This state
list things has been in part effected by cals
ry inherent in the Constitution, and in p:
m by the never failing tendency of polite
ng power to increase itself By making I
lis President the sole distributor of all I
I'm patronage of the Government, the frame
ed Of the Constitution do not appear 10 ha
ri anticinated AT how short periOd il won