The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-03-10

h.nd and m leaye il unaImed delenceless and pros
rate at the feet of proud insulting and ever en-
croschng Legislature ne oppression OF ih1ee nun
dred masters will afford little relief nom the tyranny
of one and little will be gained by exchanging the
qualified negative of a Constitutional Chief Magls- |
,rate for The arbitrary edcts of despot reared by the
bayonet TO the throne. They who revel in the sup
posed advantages OF an uhfes,faneu L-egis'aiuie,
must not forget The Protectorae that Is to follow and
thai the English nation was glad to be relieved from
the orasp of Oliver Cromwell, and repose in the arms
of her lawful sovereign, Charles III.
Mr. Chairman: The legislative department is
stronger and more prone TO transcend It's cohs'u'oha
bounds than either of the others. Look at the vast
power conferred upon it by the Federal Constitution
II laws and collects taxes leves duties and imposts IL
borrows money, reg ulates commerce with foreign ma
tons among the several States, and with the Indian
tribes Il coins mo ey constitutes inferior tribunals
of Justice promotes scence, declares wal, raises armies
provides and maintains armies, commands the militia OF
the Union, and has implied powers which are neces-
sary to execute those winch are express All history
atlests that the Legislative authority encrnaches
upon the rights aud usurps the powers OF the Execu
tive and Judiciary The history OF England is an
unbroken nalrat We of the continued usurpa ions o
Parliament That House OF Commons, me Vesy OK,
slence OF which as separate body ior long pehou
after the Norman conquest Is denied ny Ahtquirahs
and which even late the reign OF Elizabeth, was
treated With contemp, by the Queen, now sways the
destiny of the British Empire AND the sword oil the
English King falls from his nerveess hand when not
sustained by the purse OF the people Congress WIN
encroach upon the President, because the members
regard themselves the peculiar and immediate rep
re entatyes of the people and are inspired win 'ne
confidence of their popularity and influence with iher
constituents. They will narrowly watch the move
ments and restrain the usurpaton oil Inc Chiei wa
gst rate. But who will watch the representatives.
themselves Quis cuslodiet ipsoS custodes. Every
whm, caprice and passion OF the people TO defeat me
legislature and the Government OF the country, WIN
be Mirror TO reflect the strong but Iee'y i'h
pulses of popular feeling and odium When frankhh
said that a legislature with two branches was like
wagon with one horse before and the other behind,
pulling in opposite directions, he displayed ms VIII
rather than his Judgment, and the Constitution,
which upon this principle he framed for the people OF
Pennsy they were soon compelled TO abandon.
OF that constitution Of Virginia. under which nearly
all power was concentrated in the hands OF the legis
laure Mr. Jefferson has denounced the grievances IN
language not to be forgotten or misunderstood. vi
the gross hypocrisy, the vile corruption, ana lawiess
tyra ny Of that Parliament, which, after rearing It's
power upon the ruins of the Blush constitution,
brought of republlcanisn into dsrepule, the
principles OF freedom into odum, and drove the ma
ton into the arms of her hereditary King, none can
be ignorant. And what page OF history are re-
corded more Legislative corruption and tyranny than
in the annals OF he National Assembly OF France
that SeIbonan bog of base oligarchy in which the
equality and rights OF men were absorbed, sunk ana
lost forever
IT, Mr. Chairman we did not know that public
men were oitener influenced by regard TO their own
advancement than the solid interests OF their constr
tuents it would be matter Of amazement that the re-
representatives. OF any State south OF the Potomac,
should be in favor of destroying even curtallng the
Veto power. Strike It from iae Constitutions, and the
Executive Department lies at the ieet OF the Leglsa-
ture. Let Congress be unrestrained ana absolute,
and what will prevent them leveng to the ground
the only barrier that protects Southern rights and
Southern institutions Ia the House OF Representa-
tves from the very adoption OF the Constitution the
non slayehoding States have constantly and rapidly
increased in numbers and power That branch OF the
National Legislature is in their hands, and the as
proportion will every year be greater and more slrk-
ing The admission of slave States has heretofore
kept pace with that of free States; though even this
has not been accomplished without oent struggles
and long continued agitation. That memorable con-
which in $50 shook this Union to It's centre, and
which at las ended only by compromise, will
teach Us the course which Congress viii take when
is clothed with that omnipoenee with which the de-
sruc,ion ofthe Veto power will invest It, Before Flo
rida will be pr pared for admission Iowa and Wscon-
sin will be ready; and hencefor h more free States
will be admitted than slave; and the ordinance OF 1857
will prove the death warrant 10 Southern influence,
and the Senate of the United ) atcs will soon be IN
the possession of those who now command majority
in the House of Representatives Our Influence IN
eecns President is more potential than our voice
in the National Legislature. In Congress we are
in hopeless minority which yearly lncreas-
Ii the South be not able to elect her
to secure the choice of friendly TO her consti-
tutional rights No man can reach the Presidential
chair who ayows deadly hostility to our interests
and institutions, because the opposition of the whole
southern section and that which may reasonably be
expected in the northern, can be overcome by
whose blind fanaticsm would wlfully trhe with the
lives Of his tellow-czens, and rudely rample upon
the Constitution of his country Snatch from the
Executive arm this weapon with which the Constitu-
ton has entrusted il for ITS defence and the pro-
e a. Il. T.. g.
prevent Congress from aboshng slavery in the Dis
trict of Columbia, and afterwards in the several
States Strip yourselves of the only power of resis-
lance which is left and do you think that naked JUS
ticc and paper barriers will protect you from the
reckless assaults of false philanrophy pretended pa
triotism and designing bigotry When that little
speck which is now scarcely visible in the horizon,
shall gather into black cloud and burst upon us with
relentless fury when northern fanatclsm, brbed by
British gold and spurred on by British emissales shall
ride triumphant through the halls of Congress and
when by our own ignorance folly in destroying the
checks and balances of glorious Constitution this
fair Union shall be involved in anarchy and civil war;
we shall learn from bitter experience that lribun-
tian power was the great conservative principle which
protected the weak against the strong, and defended
the great charter of liberties equally against the
assaults of domestic and foreign foes
The condition in which our national affairs
stand and which we are told demands change of
the Constitution, is tsel: the result of an alteration
of that instrument. By the Constitution as it came
from the hands of the Federal Convention, the peo
pie voted for two candidates, and he who had the
highest number of votes was declared President. af
the choice of the President the person having the
greatest number of votes was declared to be Vice
President The nation equally interested in as
pertaining the personal character and political sent-
ments of those who aspired to the second of those
who aspired to the first office in their gift The pre-
tensions of all the candidates were equally scanned
and the Importance Of the Vice President. was not
overshadowed by that Of the President In the great
struggle for the Presidency in 1871, Mr. Burr, who
was voted for by the people candidate for the
Vice Presidency, having received equal number of
votes with Mr. Jetlcrson set up hrs claims to the
Chief Nlagistracy The memorable contest was not
ended until after oryseven ballots In consequence
of this an amendment of the Constitution was pro-
posed and adopted, by which the electors were re-
u Llalns Or inI