Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1848-08-19

of clear violation Of the constitution, or
manifest haste and want of consideration
by Congress" He modestly adds Indeed
have thought that for many years past tn,
known opinion and wishes of the Execu
tive have exercised undue and injurious in
fuence upon the legislative department OF
the Government; and from This cause haze
thought our system ,oas in dsnger Of under
going a great change from its true theory
Sir, if he had been forty years in these halls
instead Of the tented field, he could no,
have more understood The true theory Of
this Government and its actual and inevi,a.
BILE tendency as now administered. 1t is
evident he has, in the silent hours allowed
him in the camp, by the watch fire in the
night, or amid the intervals of battle and
military service, deeply studied the genius
Of our government and its practical admin
istration.
Sir, II would consume more time than is
necessary for my purpose, to show how of.
ten the will of The people. expressed by
their Representatives in Congress, has been
defeated by the iron will of President,
and especially by the exercise of this mon.
archical negative on the laws. In the Ian.
guage of distinguished statesman, |he
extreme medicine of the constitution has
become our daily food" Every nam who
remembers the history of the last twenty
years. will bear me witness that in this res.
pect the modern democracy have drifted
TO returnless distance from the old land.
marks of republicanism. The Executive
prerogative is no longer the object of at
tack, but its advocates have been unceasing
assailants of the rights Of the people and
of the popular branch of the Government
1.-THE power of the crown has increased, is
increasing, and ought to be diminished"
He has broken down the power of the peo-
pie to improve their rivers and their har-
bors; dictated new and untried system of
currency, in despite Of their expressed
opinion; and even gone so far as 10 deny
the right of Congress to pay a private
claim to an American citizen. l refer to
the claim for French spoiations or our
commerce prior to 1900, for the liquidation
of which bill passed both Houses of Con,
gress two years ago: bill. the principles
of which he never understood: q bill to
which il is pal pablc he never gave weeks
attention in his life, though Congress
passed it after having had it under consid.
Grafton for a period of nearly fifty years.
The government has ceased to be a gov.
eminent of the people, and has become the
government of one man. Power, says
Junius, is continually stealing from the ma.
ny to the few, and, may add, from the
few 10 one. The one man power is the
subject of unceasing euogy among some Of
the advocates of the Baltimore Convention
platform, and one of the delegates lately
made a speech to show its superiority in
concentrating all responsibility in one head,
instead of dividing it among many, thus
frankly avowing his preference for the
monarchical to the republican principle.
We must arrest this tendency TO mon
archy, if we intend to remain republic
. When you talk to me about whig princi.
Piles, tariffs, the currency, internal improve
ments, land bills, and public economy tell
you that. although am a wing, have al.
ways been wing, and expec, to be wing.
yet hold that, in comparison with the
great principle now a, issue between Lew
is Cass and Zachary Taylor, the other
principles of any party ever yet known to
this country sink into insignifcance. am
called upon in the election of Zachary
Taylor, to vindicate the great right of man
to government, and the right of the
people, through their representatives in
Congress, TO make laws. am called upon
to deny the right of the President of the
United States to assume the position of a
Legislator; and whenever the day shall
come that his right to legislate shall be &C.
knowledged, that moment the republican
character of our government ceases to ex.
list. You may call it what you please
you may style the man at the head of the
Government President, as Bonaparte was
in the first instance styled the First Consul,
and afterwards Emperor of the Republic
but to all intents and purposes your repub-
lie Is at an end. II becomes q monarchy,
an elective monarchy, the meanest and
most despicable form in which that kind of
government can exist.
Here, then is the principle upon which |
make issue with the honorable gentleman
from Mississippi in The approaching Presi-
dental campaign. intend to stand BY
General Taylor, as the representative of the
right of man to selfgovernment. mean
to support him because he has boldly and
nobly proclaimed himself before the coun.
try as the champion of this great principle,
that the majority should govern. In all
those cases where the fathers of the repub-
tic intended that the veto power should be
applied, he declares that he will exercise il.
In all cases where bill passed by Congress
Is clearly and manifestly unconstitutional.
or has been passed in haste and without
due consideration he will be prepared to
apply the veto. He is ready to apply il to
sustain the Union of these States against
any dangerous infraction of the constitu.
ton. But he will permit the people of the