Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1842-08-22
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SECOND SESSION.
TIE SPIRIT OF '76.

aor Archer. OF rginia has been in type some days
but has been excluded by press Of matter In now lay
ing il before readers deem il but act ojns'icc
To that distinguished and patriotic Senator 10 say that
he " hgS. 10y whom he elected with one voice,
applaud the firm and manly stand he has taken in oppo
stion Erecutirc Dictatorship, The time has arris
ed when the question must be settled whether ours is
Representative government in which the cW ohe peo
pie socmny expressed by their accredited agents, Is 10
be the law of the laud, whether by gross and fla
grant abuse aud pcrvcrson of the Veto power, the fiat
Of One Man is to nulliiy that will. aud practically 10
change the whole character of our institutions II no
longer question of Distribution or no Distribution In
ritl. or Tariff Bank. OF no Bank It's whether the
people shall decide these questions ior themselves, OF mol
II is whether, when the people through then reposen
atives in Congress. have decided pro or con- their do
eisiun thus soemuy expressed shall be untitled by the
"Iforbd' of the President II 80, then, whatever title
may be given 10 the Chief Magistrate hs Is. In fact IN
vested with all the powers Of Dictator, and Congress
is his instrument, aud not the peoples representatives,
1t is in TRUTH il MT adcnal ohe capacity Of the people
for sell government, in the language Of Secretary Up
shur before he became member OF the Cabinet and
one the Presidents advisers, deprivation ei the
rgit Of self government If the country is prepared 10
submit to :his reroluiion in political system effected
by the msjdous aud sttaihy cucfoachmonts Of Power
upon thcir preserved rights" from that quarter which III
all ages aud in all countries has assaulted and oveho"n
Civil liberty. il shall not do without hearing the
voice of warning aud c Invocation OF Patriotism. Mi
Arclers speech gives thcm that warning aud that nvo
cation. in language breathing the spirit of the lsesolu
lion aud we earnestly commend to the calm perusa
and serious reflection oflhc pooplo-I. Jngin,au.
MIR. ARCHER'S SPEECH
is SENATE, August |.
MI Archer pr, mr'd speech Of great force and beau
" with certain personal Npanatons, due To the
he had felt himself bound to pursue the several points
involved IN the present question.
At the extra session, hen this measure was Gas il is
ni now the appropriate matter OF discussion he had In
ken part IN the thorough examination which then
aiven it, He would not now weary tho Senate by re
tracing the views which, he then gave; hui then
sull his present purpose compelled him 10 esato Il
this:
That 10 remit tie proceeds Of the public lands 10 the
States was perfectly in the compo,ence Of the National
90 stature. hut as matter Of competence, not ohlipa
ton that any question, therefore, Of reicmon admls
sion could involve consideration except ih,se Il
0pcdienry-an enlarged and a complicated eNp.diency
but still a cNpcdrncy. That thus, thu question
the distribution law Of the extra session. he had
Sered ii cNpcdcn 10 retain the fund for the Of til,
Government. whist imposls exceeding general al
rdlfein rate of twenty per cent. required by Ill,
STATE Of the Treasury. lie had given like vote at M
early period of the present session Al question
mere money. apart from the embarrassment Of actna
circumstances he nscnslblc otany material variation
in his opinions.
That. however. in conncxion and conflict with this
question Of limited pccunary eNpedlency others If a
still HIGHER class have ctsslvely presented themselves
r action. and claimed, Of course, the pesronemon uf
inferior considerations 10 superior The loan bill
the first instance Of such competition Of interests. II
the lousc Of Representatives had made dependent
the abandc o this twenty per cent. limitation OF
the ds rihuripn. Now. he had regarded the prompt a
dopton Of the loan bill in the existing circumstances
OF the country Of infinitely higher interest than the
retaining Of this limitation TO the land fund. The
question involved was less than whether the utterly
exhausted treasury was 10 be replenishedl Was the
PROSTATE credit Of the country 10 be raised up2 Was
tho drowned honor Of the nation to be puckcd mp by the
locks from that depth Of disgrace into which it had been
plunged? lie himself had not been able 10 hesitate
He had torn from his heart the political bigotry which
seems On all sides to cling to this land fund deciding
that he could r il sacrifice the honor and the credit
If the ry In these feelings and in this decision.
however. he had stood almost alone The anaicstn of
party opinion would not yeldan inch. In this
tremty Of public danger and distress.
Governed by such views. he had pursued like
when the temporary revenue bill (known az the little
rl) brought forward In it., too. the questions of
the preservation Of the system of the Govern
menl, and of the REIMBURSEMENT ofthe land money had
been presented together. lie voted IN the first instance
10 dsioin them That proving beyond his power ac
compish he had chosen to preserve for the country
canty but AT least legally collected revenue, rather
than To persist in what must prove aboriye effort
enforce his personal opinion OF the land law
When the bill was finally modified by the temporary
suspension If the distribution he had Of no diff
Guilty in voting COR it. On that point. he had not the
honor ofccnclrrng with the President, Of being able
10 conceive Why who has become hostile 10 dis
trbnon should. out of that hostility negative law
that suspended il
On all these occasions he had then given up the info
rior for the higher cYpcdcncy-a part by inds.
rcnsablc of the public income in order that a general
revenue might be provided from sources equally permit
ted lie had preferred. in the first instance the public
homer and solvcncy to the land fund and in the second
he had preferred 10 the same petty object augmented
public necessities. heightened yet further by the mis-
chief, fora to he encountered, of leaving
law for your system Of public except the abllra
~ will the Executive.
i Sir, said Mr. A. it is no eXiravagant and extreme o
pnon Of an individual which advance when say thai
your entire system ofthe collection OF public revenue
then stake, and is yet in extreme doubt. Gen
tlemcncanno nay will deliberately say, darenoI affirm
that put the case strongly. The opinions of The
abIesi either House of Congress of the members
of the bar who have the widest reputation, (and what is
Of little inferior impo,D all Of the most intelligent
chants competent in sIch matters. all in concur
renee this point. There be little doubt that
since the Both Of June you. entire laws have
constitutional scruple. and ''cavng on the ninth part Of
har' of whatever Congress docs-hs fnnc,ionary, SO
made mp of distinctions and difficulties, whose apprehen-
sive eyes detect flaws every whereroceeds here at
once to cure by his own Interpretation and the supple
alton of his failure oT law