Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1848-07-22
MR.. HENDRICKS SPEECH.

At a ratification meeting Of the Wings
Of Greene county, held in Springfield, Mo-.
on the 22d June, Mr.. HENDRICK, Wing
candidate for Lieutenant Governor being
called upon to address the meeting, spok e
in substance as follows:
The object of the meeting was to res
pond TO the nomination made by the late
Wing National Convention at Philadelphia
of Gen. z. Taylor for President and Mil.
lard Fillmore for Vice President. That he
hailed that nomination as the presage of
The victory of correct principle-and that
the election of the candidates to the Presi-
dency would be the commencement of a
revolution in the administration of the af
fairs of this Government that would carry
US back to the republican practice as Oh.
served by the father Of his countryside
great George Washington.
Mr.. II. thought that such a revolution
was louder called for by the manner in
which this Government had been admin
istered for near 90 years, being a continual
departure from the true principles of our
Governments; power gradually STEALING
from the many to the few" during all that
time.
In order to demonstrate this he thought
it would be necessary to comment little
upon the nature. structure, and principles
Of our Government. This he did by con-
trasting it with the Government of Grea,
Britain and by showing that ours was a
Republic, or Representative Democracy
whilst the British Government was limit.
ed monarchy. He then spoke of the revo.
luton that separated US from the mother
country; of the formation of our present
Federal constitution and of the difference
of opinion that was entertained by. The pa.
ltriots that formed that instrument, one OF
The most important Of which was as TO the
powers of the Federal Executives; some
were in favor of giving the Presiden, a
tenure for life, others for limited period
of the constitution and before it was rali.
| fed, animated discussion was had in refer.
ence to the question whether the power
and patronage of the Executive. which
constituted the monarchica feature in the
Government, would not give that depart
Inent an undue ascendency over The others.
Great fears were entertained that there
were not sufficient restraints thrown around
the President TO prevent enCroachmenis,
while others thought that the weakness of
| The Executive arm was the greatest defect
| in the Government, and notwithstanding
the opposition to its ratification by those
who feared that The Federal head had so
much power and patronage as to endanger
the rights of the States and the liberties of
The people, the advocates of the Constitu.
IA, b,,t bar, t,,,t h, ,c al;
3ahn Adams, A. Hamilton and others as
tie leaders of that party prevailed, and the
constitution was ratified.
Mr.. Ii. said tina, very soon after the new
Government went into operation this same
division m anfested itself in the cabinet;
Hamilton, the leader of The Federal party,
conending that the constitution ought to
be construed so as to give the President as
much power as possible, while Mr.. Jefier-
son. the leader of the democratic party.
took opposite grounds and was in favor of
restraining Executive authority. Mr.. JEFF.
ferson had before that time expressed an
opinion that the Executive veto ought to
be restrained so as 10 require the concur
renee of the Judges of the Supreme Court
in the exercise of it. This he said was the
characteristic distinction of the Federal
lists and Republicans then, and this he con,
tended was the true and essential dstinc.
ton between Federalism and true Democ,
racy at this iime--any thing that dema
gogues and Office hunters may say notwith
standing.
1t 10 true there were some other ques
lions, wherein Mr.. Jefferson and Mr.. Ham
ilton differed at the same time; such as the
cons,iulonality of a National Bank, the
founding system and the assumption Of the
State debts, &c, but in regard to these
Democrats and Federalists were indiscrim
ina,ely for and against them. and particular
" the charlerng Of National Bank. This
measure was always advocated by demo
Gratis, and particularly in the year 1915 by
Madison, Clay and Calhoun.
Mr.. IL. commented at a considerable
length so as 10 demonstrate that those wh'
were the greatest advocates for the exercise
ofpower were the Federaists, and referre'
to the time in the year 1889, when ques
lion arose in Congress whether the Presi
= dent should exercise the power of remove
ing men from Office without the concur
renee Of the Senate and showed that pen
ding ihs, question heated debates were ha