Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1848-08-11

that our system p1s IN danger Of undergo
ing great ehaage from is true theory.
Sir, If he had been forty years in tnes,
halls, instead of the tented field he conlt
not have more thoroughly understood III,
true theory Of this Government aud its 40
tual aud inevitable tendency, as now adj
mInsiered. IL is evident he has, IN tn, ST.
lent hours allowed him in the camp, by tho
watch.hre in the night, or amid the inter.
walls OF battle aud military service, deep,
studied the genius Of our Government and
its practical administration.
Sir II would consume mure't time than i.
necessary FOR my purpose, TO show how Of.
len the will Of the people, expressed by
their Representatives IN Congress. has been
defeated by the iron will Of a President,
and especially by the exercise Of his mo.
narchcsl negative on the laws. In the Ian.
gusge of distinguished statesman "the
extreme medicine Of the Constitution has
become our daily food" Every man who
remembers the history Of the last twenty
years will bear me witness, that IN this re-
spect, the modern Democracy have drilled
10 a retnrnless distance from the old land.
mark Of republcanism. The Executive
prerogative is no longer the subject Of al
tack, but its advocates have been the IN.
cessing assailanis Of the rights Of the PEG.
pie, and Of the popular branch OF the GOV.
ernmenl. The power Of the crown has
increased, is increasing. and ought TO be
diminished" lie has broken down the
power of the people 10 improve their rivers
and harbors dictated news aud uniried
system Of currency IN despite OF their ex.
pressed opinon-and even gone so far as
to deny the right Of Congress to pay pri.
vate claim to an American citizen. refer
TO the claim for French spoliaiions on. our
commerce prior to 1900, for the liquidation
Of which bill passed both Houses of Con.
gress two years ago-a bill. the principles
Of which he never undersiood-a bill, to
which. II is palpable, he never gave weeks
attention in his life, though Congress pass
ed ii. after having held ii under considera.
ton Tor period Of nearly fifty years. The
Government has ceascI TO be government
Of the people, and has become govern
nett OF one man. Power, says Junius, is
continually stealing from the many to the
few, and | may add, from the few, to one
The one-man power is the sublec, of IN.
ceasing eulogy among some Of the adyo-
Gates Of the Baltimore convention platform.
aud one Of the delegates lately made
speech TO show its superiority in concenlra-
ting all responsibility IN one head. instead
oil dividing II among many, thus frankly
avowlng his preference for the monarchIcal
to the republican principle.
w.
archy If we intend to remain a Republic.
When you talk to me ,pbout Wing princi-
piles. tariffs, the currency, internal improve
ments, land bills, and economy. tell you
that, although | am Wing, have always
been Wing, and expect to die Wing, yet
| hold that, IN comparison with the great
principle now at issue between Lewis Cas-
aud Zachary Taylor, the other principles
Of any party ever yet known in this country
sink into insignlhcance. ! am called upon,
in the election of Zachary Taylor, to vim
dictate the great right of man to selfgoy-
eminent, and the right Of the people,
through their Representatives in Congress.
TO make laws. | am called upon to deny
the right Of the President oil the United
States 10 assume the position Of legisla-
tor; and whenever the day shall come that
his right 20 legislate shall he acknow lodged
that moment the republican character Of our
Government utterly ceases 10 exist. You
may call it what You please-you may style
the man at the head Of the Government a
President, as Bonaparie was, IN the first In.
stance, styled the First Consul, aud after
wards Emperor OF The Republican, to all
inlents and purposes your Republic is at an
ead. |, becomes a monarshy--an elective
monarchy-ihe meanest aud most desEica.
ble form in which that kind Of govern
ment can exist.
ISSUE BETWEEN TAYLOR AND cAss.
Here then is the principle, upon which
make issue with the honorable gentleman
from Mississippi. in the approaching Presi-
DENTAL campaign. ! mean TO stand by Gen
Taylor as the representative of the right Of
man to selfgovernment. mean 10 support
him because he has boldly aud n0bly pro.
claimed himself before the country, as the
champion of this great principle. that the
majority should govern. In all those cases
where the fathers Of the Republic Intend
ed that the veto power should be applied
~ hNN'"'NS 'HHN VIC VII thtlAloI is ~ Htf
cases where a bill passed By Congress is
clearly and manilesIly unconstitutional, or
has been passed in haste and without due
consideration, he will be prepared to apply
the veto He is ready TO apply i, to sus-
tain the Union Of these States against any
dangerous inlraction of the Constitution. -
But he will permit the people of the coun-
try 10 govern themselves. He will suffer
the Representatives of the people and the
States, in these halls TO make the laws. -
lie will not set himself as an essential part
Of the legislative power of the nation
lie will, when he reaches the Presidential
chair, stand by the great principles aFowed
on this subject by Jefferson and his com
patriots Of 1887, and utterly repudiate the
kmgly maxim pracliced upon in the pres.
eui day-"Sic polO, sic .jabso, SIC Ucto.-
lStei pro rdtiOAe poiunfds."
propose TO look little further into This
subject | desire The Senate and the peo-
pie Of the country to understand what kind
Of government was sought 10 be established
by those who introduced the veto power in
to the Constitution of the United States,
aud the kindred principles which actualed
them. In Madison's papers, we find copy
= 4. a.