The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1843-09-21
EXTRACT FROM THE HON. C. j. NIGER
SOILS ADDRESS

II IS among the dogmas Of party thus revolution.
izng American Government that the Supreme Court |
Of the United States possesses not only absolute
veto upon all acts of Congress but that its consiruc
tons of them are conclusive and binding upon all the
other departments of Government, including Con- |
gress Let those who have witnessed the proceedings
OF the late extraordinary session, obedien TO that
dogma, imagine that learned court assisted by grave
councillors, constituting meaning out Of such acts OF
Congress as the machinery before designated neces-
sarily produces 1t must be a much greater farce |
than the lmpo ture of augurs predicting iutprity from
the entrass Of slaughtered beasts The false inter
pretations incalcuable to be thus gated into
law
| proceed 10 prove that forced legislation makes
laws, according TO the experience of the hundred
days, as much fewer as they President
Madison convened Congress on the oath May, 1913,
and they remained IN that extra session sixtyeght
days, during which time, with the usual freedom of
debate, infinitely more business done, and inf
nitely better done, than during hundred and six
days OF the late tettercd session for members OF
Congress, like other men, work much better free
than enslaved. AT that session. under Mr.. Clay's eX
ccllent speakership, all the exgencies of were
provided for Notwithstanding the opposition OF an able,
bold and refractory party when party excitement was
greater, and prompt action much necessary, than
now No restraint was put on debate. All motions
and speeches were perfectly free. Resolutions were
unrestricted Petitions public and private, were
received, as the people desired, and acted upon
There was no committee of rues, continually iabr-
\ Il
of resolutions, arragned President Madison for cr-
mnal misconduct, and the accusation was debated as
long as vlrulent opposition thought proper. 1t
voted for none of the supplies. The previous ques-
ton was seldom resorted tO-never without great
occasion. Committees were fairly composed The
majority enjoyed every parliamentary privilege.
The committee OF which was then, now, mem
Der, equally divided between the parties whereas
am now put down in a minority OF t. rec to x.
Now, compare free with forced legislation. Curing
ha ota hmm rn1 md Iavc Int onty .fpo
acts have been passed, all told and the two which
occupied twothirds OF the session, frustrated by
toes. During the former session Of siXty-eght days
hy-hve acts were regularly dcliberaed and enacted
Comprehending great variety of the most impOr-
tant laws, public and private; among the rest com
plete system of complicated internal revenue, one
single one of which tax laws, the land tax, is
luminous as intricate and in every respect, diff
cult OF adaptation to general acceptance, all the
laws of the late session taken together. Such are
the fruits and proofs Of free and forced legislation
spectively. The mere method Of it without refer
ence TO the matter. The natural reaction of COM
preston rendered one hundred and six days almost
abortive, whilst sixty eight days of freedom, under
similar and stronger circumstances Of difficulty, were
greatly more productive.
Let us contemplate, next, the strange and revolt
ing characteristics of the laws made by dragooning
Duplicate bank bills-one DONE t'o,her come on
a bankrupt bill enacted into allegiance, like a bears
cub, to be licked into future shape Distribution
bill, which is mere pal,ering delusion, mutilated
as it is of its productive faculties; Loan bill, the
mere basis OF the blessings Of national debt and
new funding system larger loans explicitly announ
ced by the bead of the Finance Committee and that
head IN the Senate which it Is impossible to wink so
hard not to must be followed by direct taxes,
for like the deplorable State debts, they never
be redeemed by other expedlents; Revenue bill,
which taxes in the lump so that neither merchant
nor manufacturer can possibly comprehend its ora
cular provisions, incidentally declaring prohibit ry
W l.,
mminet; the Post Office put on the Custom-housc
for support-It required the raging delirium OF up
start party madness, to inauguIate such measures
Nothing but reiterated vetoes, sustaining strenuous
and Judicious minority, prevented, as any one may
ascertain by simple computation, the cost of the late
hundred days misrue being one hundred millions OF
dollars. million OF dollars day would have been
the per diem of the late dynasty had il not been de-
throned.
Next, let us see what it has accomplished. 1t has
achieved the final extinction Of all Banks of the
United States, and unsttingly restored the custody
of the public money to the Treasurer of the United
States, TO whom it entrusted by the original act
of 1899, and to the Secretary of the Treasury,
usurping its control. 1t has wrung from the Presi
dent his slow leave to contingent distribution act,
destined 10 be rep aed by act Of Congress at early
day. Ii has carried a bankrupt act which may have
influence on the fall elections and ring the knel
Of expiring banks, but which, it is pretended can
be executed without fundamental alterations. SO
that loans, taxes, and few bills, too insignificant
for enumeration, are the poor achievements OF the
hundred days misrule, frequently vaunted on The
floor OF the Senate and IN certain Of the public press
es as frightened children whistle in the dark when
courage is oozing out at every pore, and the sweat
Of trepilaton starting iron. the forehead. Thus d.
vhity of party discord oyerrued patty combination,
and shaped IFS rough-hewn ends. The cloud, only
as big as mans hand in the Presidents message,
increased till IT darhened the whole horizon, and at
length the storm broke forth with an intensity of
which, teow-citzcns, newspapers and letter writers
can give but faint Impressions at distance. The
distinguished members of the ruptured majority,
who vainly attempted TO reason with It's rage truly
said, that what large portion OF ii did, TO wit
ragn the President for his hostility 10 Bank, the
pivot Of all their proceedings, is better than for
the Wing party 10 have foisted itself int power, by
conceang their designs and that their party differ
ences if not reconced will become, not msiortuncs,
but crimes, by their own misconduct
They never can be recouciled, because they are
auarrels Of principles. The Discussions OF that par
are inevitable consequences OF attempting to create
one out of discordant mat rails. Tie Presidents
first message washed his hands Of the retrbutye JUS
tce Of an -adysed extra session. designed TO do
what human power cannot effect. Yet throughout |
the whole hundred days OF viceroyalty over hlm,
party purposes were unreenlingly pursued, IN con-
tumeous disregard Of his warnings aud vlews-un-
iii he was left as the first veto with much feeling de-
clared with no other option than abject submission
" the exercise of that great trbuntian poenliaty
tie only safeguard againt legislative ctation
and which he was obliged to use against law forced |
through the Legislature by caucus majortles
which were minorlties Of the legislative body. Put
for that appeal to the people, the people themselves
would have been much enslaved as the Prcs-
dent This Union would be governed by illegt- |
mate regency, ruling with upstart responsibility -
Both the President and the House of Representa-
tives would be nullifed. Even the Senate not a
willing party to at least the first Bank bill. We
should have had a Bank government, and nothing but
paper money! vast brokers shop, IN the metropo-
tan solitudes of Washington with branches angling |
each other rivers whose divisions do but null
tipy the means OF conspring mischief, all secretly |
managed by some old woman of either at the seat
of Government, would be necessarily derangng the
prices of property everywhere. An Invisible en-
nire of Bank Ike the caucns empire secretly ruling