Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1841-03-16

! hallowed purposes, than the control of
the public press. The maxim which our
ancestors derived frcm the mother coun-
try, that "the freedom of the press is the
great bulwark of civil and religious liber-
| iy," is one of the most precious legacies
which they have left us. We have learn
ed, too, from our own, as well as the ex-
perience of other countries, that golden
shackles, by whomsoever or by whatever
pretence imposed, are as fatal to il as the
iron bonds of despotism. The presses in
the necessary employment of the Govern
ment should never be used "to clear the
guilty, or to varnish crime" A decent
and manly examination of the acts Of the
Government should be not only tolerated
but encouraged.
Upon another occasion have given my
opinion, at some length, upon the impro'
priety of Executive interference in the
legislation of Congress. That the Con-
stituton making it the duty of the Presi-
dent to communicate information, and au-
thorizing him to recommend measures,
was not intended to make him the source
in legislation, and, in particular, that he
should ueyer be looked to for schemes of
finance. 1t would be very strange, in
deed, that the Constitution should have
strictly forbidden one branch of the leg
islature from interfering in the Orgina-
tion of such bills, and that it should be
considered proper that an altogether diff
terent department of the Government
should be permitted to do so. Some of
our best political maxims and opinions
have been drawn from our parent Isle
There are others, however, which cannot
be introduced IN our system without sin
guIar incongruily and the production OF
much mischief. And this conceive 10
be one. No matter in which of the hous-
5 of Parliament a bill may originate,
nor by whom introduced, a minister or a
member Of the opposition, by the fiction
of law, or rather Of constitutional prln-
cipIe, the Sovereign is supposed to
have prepared it agreeably 20 his will,
and then submitted it TO Parliament for
their advice and consent. Now, the very
reverse is the case here, not only with re-
gard to the principle, but the forms pre-
acribed by the Constitution. The prin-
ciple certainly assigns to the Only body
constituted by the constitution (the leg
iSlative body) the power to mako laws,
and the forms even direct that the enact
menl should be ascribed TO them. The
Senate in relation 10 revenue bills, have
tho right TO propose amendments; and so
has the Executive, by the power given
him to return them to the House of Rep
resentatives with his objections. 1t is in
his power also, to'propose amendments in
the existing revenue laws, suggested by
his observations upon their defective or
injurious operation. But the delicate
duty of devising schemes of revenue
should be left where the Constitution has
placed the immediate representa-
lives of the people. For similar reasons,
the mode ofkeeping the public treasure
should bo p described by them and the
farther removed it may be from the con-
troll of the Executive, the more whole
some tho arrangement, and the more in
accordance with republican principle.
Connected with this subject is The char
acter Of the currency. The idea of max,
ing il exclusive metallic, however well
intended, appears TO me TO be fraughl
with more fatal consequences than any
other scheme, having no relation to the
personal rights of the citizons, that das
ever been devised. Ifany single scheme
could produce the effect ofaTesting, at
once, that mutation of condition by which
thousands of our most INDECENT fellow
citizens, by their industry and enterprise,
arc raised TO the possession of wealth,
that Is the one. Ifthere is one measure {
better calculated than another TO produce
that state of things so much deprecated S
by all true Republicans, by which the a
rich are daily adding to their boards, and b
The poor sinking deeper into penury, i, is
an exclusive metallic currency. Or if p
here is process by which the character b
D: the country for generosity, may be de- C
sroyed by the great increase and neces. G
'ary federation ofusury, it is an exclusive II
metallic currency. il
Amongst the other duties ola delicate /;
character which the President is called Il
lpon to perform, is the supervision of the n
government of the Territories ofthe Uni. Il
ed States Those of them which are 81
destined to become members of our great II
political family, are compensated by their P
apid progress from infancy, to manhood g
or the partial and temporary deprivation Il
# the POLITICAL rights, 1t is in this Dis. P
rict, only, where American citizens are Il
o be found, who under, settled policy P
re deprived of many important political t
rivileges, without any inspiring hope as I
D the future. Their only consolation Il
nder circumstances of such deprivation q
, that of the devoted exterior guards 81
"a camp-that their snferngs secure p
anquillity and safety within. Are there OF
w of their countrymen who would sub. pl