Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1842-09-16
No. 4o--WMOLE No. Ala

PET WniCn OTbhlDeS lhN6nlloH VI pu'PN
Of encroachment on the public liberties
aud TO give his voice breath and utier-
ance at the first appearance Of dangerf
Is not his eye TO raVerse the whole hor'
tz,n, with The keen and eager vision OF an
unhooded hawk, detecting, through oil Dis
guises, every enemy advancing, IN any
form, towards the tcitadel which he
guards.
Sir. this walchfulness for public Ilber-
ty, this duty OF foreseeing danger and
procI4iming it, this prOmpIitude and
boIdness 10 resisting attacks on the Con-
slitullon from any quarter, this defence
Of established landmarks, this fearless
resistance OF whatever wouIdQranscend
or remove them, all belong TO the repre-"
sentative character, are interviewer with
its very nature, and Of which il cannot
be deprived without converting an ac-
tive, intelligent, faithful agent Of the
people into an unreslstlng and passive
instrument Of power. A representative
body which gives up these rights and
duties. gives itself up. 1t isa rePresen-
tallve body no longer 1t has broken
the tie between itself and Its constiIu'
pnts. and henceforth is fit only TO be re-
gardgd as an inert, self sacrificed mass,
from which all appropriate principle OF
vitality has departed forever.
ii have thus endeavoreG TO vindicat9
the right Of the Senate to pass the res
oIu,ion Of The 2srh OF March. notwith
standing the denial Of The right in the
protest.
but there are other sediments and
opinions expressed 10 the protest. OF tbs
verv highest importance, and which de-
mand nothing else than our utmost at
t%eDtiOn.
The first object OF a free people is
the preservation OF their liberty; Aud
liberty is only 10 be preserved by main
tanning constitutional restraints and just
divisions OF political power. Nothing
is more deceptive or more dangerous
than the pretence OF a desire TO sIm-
plify government. The simplest gov
ernments are despolisms; the next sim
ples., Limited monarchles; but all re-
publics, all governments Of law, must
impose numerous limitations and quail
fcalions OF authority, and give many pos
Tive and many qualified rights. 10 oth'
er words, they must be subject 10 rule
ard regulation This is the very es-
sence oil free political institutions. The
spirit Of liberty is, indeed, a bold & fear.
less spirit; but it is also q sharp.slgthed
spirit; it is a cautious, sagacious, dis
eliminating, far seeing intelligence; 1t
is Jealous OF encroachment, jealous OF
power, Jealous Of man. 1t demands
checks, it seeks for guards, it insists on
securities; it entrenches itself behind
strong defences, and fortiies, with all
possible care, against the assaults OF
ambition and passion. 1t does not trust
the amlable weaknesses Of human mas
ture, and therefore it will not permit
power 10 overstep it's prescribed limits
though benevolence, good intent, and
patriotic purposes along with it. NeIth-
er does it satisfy itself with fiashy and
temporary resistance TO illegal authorl-
ty. Far otherwise. Ii seeks for dura-
ton and permanence. 1t looks before
and aIier; and, building on experience
OF nges which are past, It labors dill
gently for ages 10 come. This is the
nature Of constitutions! liberty, il we
will rightly understand and preserve it.
Every free Government is necessarily
complicated, because all such Govern.
ments establish restraints, as we'll on
The power of Government itself as on
that OF individuals. Il We will abolish
the distinction Of branches, and have
bot one branch; il we will then ordaln
that the legislator shall himself be that
Judge; and il we will place Executive
power in the same hands, we may readl'
ly simplify Government. But a separ'
alton of departments. so far as practica'
Bile, and the preservation Of clear lines
oil DIVISION between lhsm, IS Inc lunoa-
mental idea in the creation Of all our
constitutions; and, doubtless, the con-
tinuance OF regulated liberty depends on
maintaining these boundaries"
y r
A separate question was ordered on
each resolution. and the yeas and nays
we're ordered; and on the first resolu-
ton the vote resulted as follows:
Yeas 87-nays 46
, So The first resolution was adopted.
On the second resolution the vote
stood as follows:
Yeas 86-nays 48
So The second resolution was adopted
On the third resolution the vote slool
as follows:
Yeas Sc n SO.
So the third resolution was adopted:
The question on The fourth resolution
was then taken and the vote resulted az
{ follows: