, 1841-10-02
TO THE PEOPLE OF THIRD CONGRESS.
SIGNAL DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA.

TO THE PEOPLE OF THE THIRD CoNGRES
SIGNAL DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA.
FELLow-CITzENs: Unconstitutional sun
preston OF freedom of speech having depri
we'd me OF communication with YOU through
public debates, this letter is resoIted 10, IL
order TO give you some account of the late
memorable Administration and revolution o
the hundred days.
General Harrison was prevailed upon tc
begin his briei Presidency by an unnecessary
extraordinary session Of imperfect Congress.
A dIscordant party was To be cemented ty
acts oil Congress, establish ny a National
debt and u INK of discount. crowned by Dis.
trlbuil"n of the Public Lands. altogether re-
storing aud aograndizln. the discarded reign
OF what is sniScaIlrd ,,r"n. Government.
To ensure their striking enactment, and
captiVa'e Or W The community. Il urge ma.
JoTty IN Congress organized roth Houses bv
much more partisan committees than we're erer
telt bet"re, and under much more arbitrary
r'ies. No measures were permitted to be
,nisH'iucel, but such as were said 10 be indi.
cl."i by the Presidents message. For Con.
-re,S thus To crouch to the Executive would
be unconstitutional and derosulorv, under
any circumstances But when il came to
be seen that the President was much more
opposed than the Republican party of Con-
gress TO what was published as a programme
of his measures, this restriction became pre-
pOsterous. Part Of tie plan of subsection,
WIS 10 exclude all petitions but such rs suit
= cd the majority; and ii was strange to see
the most c!amnrous advocates of the abused
right of petition, combining with others OF
a pII.y, 10 prevent the people from being
heard IN that way. An absurd violation of
every citizens right of debate was inflicted
by fixing the length of speeches, which were
moreGver mostly suppressed altogether bv n
gag. known as the previous question. This
absolute despntisn of the many, more tyran-
meal than III of any one master. is I'm.
known in the Ser,.e, and rarely used in all
rational. telibera,ive bodies. 1t is Il regula-
ton perhaps essential to curb abuse Of dis
cusSIon like war or imprisonment, appropri-
ate only "a offences in the last necessity; but
a return 10 the dark ages when continually
imposed. asst was throughout the late session,
upon the representatives, Of some eight mil
ions of freemen, reduced TO mute and pas
sive obedience: allowing no amendment TO
be proposed. nor 4 word to be said. There
was no free delibera,inn during the late hun
dred days. The few laws enacted were
made by downright force.
In no spirit of personal unkindness to the
members of Il party prescribing these des-
~tructive rcversals of the institutions of our
country. | deem it Il solemn duty to call pub.
lie attention t. them. They mark an era
in American republican annals. They will
be seen from Europe with invidious delight
as the practical Acknowledgement that free
government is impracticabIe. They are, rs
! will prove, fatal 10 judicious lerislaiion.-
They constitute a tyranny more insuffcrable
than that of any single tyrant. II the pen.
pie could have m idea Of such dragnoning
law making, thew would siigmatise it as they
did the act Of Congress by which members
voted themselves unjus' compensation. 1t
i. called energy. Its supposed that emerge
tic action is popular, as IT ought to be; but
not a yigor beyond law. There was not the
least OCCASION Cor it during The late session.
The minority was so large that it could car
nv anv thing. The minority was never fac
tinus. We voted the supplies and reasona
biereouiremenis of the administration with
alarrity. 1t gives me pleasure todeclare that.
without distinction Of party. with n few ex-
cen,ions, the re existed throughout the House
of REPRESENTATIVES n general disposition for
good order and personal decorum. If moi
frustrated by party; and the prevailing oh.
ject Of itleeifimate party drill is TO discipline
followers for some Presidential candidate.
# ought 10 be known as well without as
1t is within the Capitol, that laws are not
openly enacted. but Matched in the hot-bc5
of frequent caucus; resorted to even more
to check independent members Of such sur.
reptious assemblies than their party adversa-
lies. Continual caucus Of a large majority
is a modern contrivance--part of the sys-
tenn Of irregular government. Bills resolved
in caucus, drawn, like the bankrupt act, by
some distant lawyer, probably paid for it,