The national whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1847, 1847-05-11

reinforced, they win both move to the capital,
which, it is contemplated, will be in our possession
early in July.
SOME THOUGHTS NOT OUT OF THE WAY.
Once for all, will never suffer written
sheet of paper TO force itself in, as it We're
second providence, between our Lord God IN
heaven and this people, in order to rule us with
its paragraphs.-P'atssian Kings late Speech.
There is this difference between the King Of
Prussia and President Polk in their administers
ton of the public affairs of their respective
countries the Prussian monarch will not suf-
fer written constitution to come between him
and the People whom he governs, while the
American President administers the Govern
eminent, prescribed by the Constitution, in ut
ter disregard Of the provisions Of that Consti
tuition. The Prussian King is absolute, in
violation Of no written law or constitution
the present Chief Magistrate Of the U. States
is absolute, in defiance of the written instru
ment by virtue of which he holds his Office.
Both are fragrant usurpers of the peoples
rights--the one, by virtue Of long continued
submission Of the people to the one-man pow
er-the other, in consequence of present and
forcible violation of written law, sustained and
sancti6ed by the assistance Of a strong party
in the public councils.
53e The occasion on which the above remarka
BILE words were uttered by the King of Prussia
was, when the various orders Of persons in
the kingdom had recently assembled, in virtue
&c bic o,,thorfu hu hnir naloootoo Of Porlir
to discuss the question of representative gov
eminent and to form system by which the
assent of the people might be obtained in the
enactment OF all laws imposing taxes and reg
ulanng the commerce and industrial energies
of the state, SIC. His speech is remarkable
production every way 1t exhibits perfect
knowledge Of all the various forms Of govern
ment in the world, and Of the rights and obi
cations of human beings in the social economy.
It shows the King to be welLinformed Of the
origin Of the different forms of governments,
a,but while he pays the homage of truth to the
American system, founded as it is, in theory,
upon the "just consent Of the governed" he
frankly tells the Prussians that they must not
any such system into Prussia. In other words,
he announces his determination to hold the.
power Of the people in his own hands, to be
welded according to his supreme villa
power, which his whole speech indirectly adj
Ihits, is an usurped power, a power which.
does not belong to him of right: But the very
calling together of the Delegates of the people
and the very agitation Of this question Of rep
resentative government in a monarchy, are
proofs of the weakness of the tenure by which
,nonarchcal institutions are held in Europe
Yet, while we see the absolute monarchy of
Prussia yielding to the pressure of public SEN
timent in favor of constitutional government,
we find, in the administration of our own con-
stitutonal government, the very worst features
Of absolutism, of autocracy. The King Of
Prussia positively refuses TO be governed by
paragraphs" OF written instrument-Presi-
dent Polk derives all his power from the ''pa-
ragraphs" of written instrument, but yet
plays the monarch far more Extensively than
the Prussian King, untrammelled as he is by
written laws, dares to do.
One example in illustration of these brief re-
Elections, and we leave the subject TO the con-
sideration of the reader. The King of Prussia
is absolute--he has the power, by the suffer-
'ance Of the people, to make all laws--to de-
clare war, to lay taxes, TO gather them, 10 dis
burse the public monies, to regulate, commerce
at home and abroad &c. &c. and all without
being answerable therefor to the people. Not |
withstanding the possession of this supreme
power, he has not presumed, since his access
sion to the throne, 10 enact the tariff laws
which regulate the introduction of foreign
goods into his kingdom. He has not even un-
dertaken 10 suggest this or that policy in rela-
ton to this subject. What has he done then2
He has invariably referred the. whole subject
to his Diet, to the Congress of his kingdom
Their edicts he has always registered and the
whole tariff system of Prussia is the work, not
Of the King or his party, but of the people and
their party. Now, what have we in constitu-
tional America The present President insists
upon tariff system OF his own. Congress
passes a law of his framing, because ii knows