Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1841-12-24
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Q9url.NotouD
FRIDAY MORNING, DECEMBER "a, ls4l.
PROGRESS OF ANARCHY.

We ask the serious attention of the honest
and right-minded portion of the community
to an article from the Boston Atlas, winch
will lie found in another column, in regard
to the recent alarming and high-handcd pro-
ccedings Of the Tory members in the Ten
nessee Legislature. Ever since that State
was admitted into the Union, it has been tho
invariable practice of the Legislature to elect
their Senators TO Congress, by joint vote
OF the two Houses, in general assembly.
From the first year when Tennessee be-
came an organized State, through all her
subsequent history, amidst all her political
revolutions, and even when the spirit of fac
ton has ragged highest, this has been the uni.
form rule recognized by all parties to be Of
binding obligation and opposed by nome
Both Wings and Tories have elected their
Senators in this manner without single ex-
ception and till this year neither party ever
had the hardihood TO question the propriety
of the established custom. p"t "hdt Gus
tom is too venerable, what rule too sacred,
to be disrcgardod or tramplcd down, by the
To.;.s, when ii happens to impede the adj
vancement of party favoritc! With their
usual felicity of Interpretation, the Tory
members of the Tennessee Legislature have,
all at once, discovered that the mode of
cecting Senators by joint ballot is unconsti-
fUyJDnn|f In Nbnt porticn1,r The
conflicts with the constitution these modern
Solons do not condesccnd to inform us. 1t
is quite sufficient, it seems, for the bcnieht-
ed Wings Of the country to be assured that
such, at this particular time, is the settled
opinion Of the Tennessee Tories. Whether
these disinterested patriots were influenced
IN their opinions by the probability that if
they adopted the usual mode of election, the
result would be the choice of two Wing
Senators, we are, Of course, unable to say.
1t is not at all likely, however, that such
conscientious gentlemen would be Influenced,
in the slightest degree, by such unworthy
motives. OH no lit would be "nncon-
aitutional" to intimate such suspicion.
True, when they possessed undisputed sway
in both branches of the Legislature, they
have themselves adopted this very identical
mode of slecting their Senators, and this
was all right and just and appropriate, be-
cause then they could choose devoted and
faithful believer in their own political creed.
But nor the case is widely different. II they
should adopt the usual method Of election,
by joint ballot, namely, the result would I'M
doubleday be the choice of two Wig Sem
ators-and that would be manilcstly uncon-
stitutional. Such is the convincing logic of
the Tennessee Tories. As a stroke of par
ty policy we heartily rejoice at the course
they are pursuing. In by gone times they
have played the same game in Maryland
New York and New Jersey, and the people,
indignant at their factious conduct, have, in
every instance, with their "huge paws,"
vetoed their wicked Vaccinations. And,
mark our words, so it will be in Tennessee.
The plot,-the treason may succeed for
time, as it did in Maryland and New York,
but ust so sure as another Election day
comes round, the political black lcgs-,he
traitors who achieved it, will get such a
drubbing at the hands of their betrayed and
outraged constituents as they will be likely
to remember for the remainder Of their lives
CiFWe understand that Mcssrs. JOHN II.
PECK, of this town, and SoLoN CIRCUIT, of
Bellows Falls, have been appointed Aids to
Governor PMNr, with the rank of Colonies.