Evansville weekly journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 184?-18??, 1848-02-24

WEBSTER ON DoRRIsM.-We extract the
following interesting notice from the Wash
ington Correspondence of the N. Y. Tri-
bune
In the Supreme Court Of the United States
to-day DANIEL WEBSTER used up The last rem
nant of Dorrism. The court room was crowd
ed wiki ladies and distinguished gentlemen, to
lister to the great effort. As copy OF the
Speech. reviewed by himself is TO be published
in a day or two, Shall not attempt TO give
you any imperfect report.
He showed that the American system of gov
ernfnrnt was founded on the great principle
that the people are The source OF Power. The
man who, for political effect claims 10 be the
champion of this doctrine against any party
in this Country. is more out oil his mind than
Don Quixote.' Don Quixote saw in wlndwiIls
armed opponents, but he gives Ito airy nothing
d ioca. hdbItation and d name" He saws the
air, he sees phdntoms--We all concede this
principle. The people here are all sovereigns,
and this gave d certain writer the opportunity
TO remark that, "Americans were all sover-
eigns, with no subjects only a few colered per-
sonsii' But even this sovereignty was limited.
The General Government was limited. The
State Governments w~ere.limited. The sover
eign power was deputed by representation
The basis is suffrage. This m be guarded
from force and fraud. Its exercise is to be pre-
scribed by previous law. Officers are to be
appointed and results certified TO the central
power, 10 the end that every man may vote
and have his proper weight In the general re-
suit.
The people limit this right of suffrage. They
take away from themselves the power, unless
under certain circumstances, to exercise that
right. To take the sense OF the people from
tuinultuous assemblies is not an American
custom, and never was. 1t would be reducing
US TO spasmodlc liberty--to South American
~liberty-and robbing us of that liberty, as beau
tlful as ever adorned the Angel of Freedom
Our liberty has been aptly described by the
Poet:
Though deep, yet clear; though gentle, yet not dull,
Strong without ragei without overlooking full"
The stream is as strong as the Missouri, yet
clear as a chrystal lake.
The will OF the people in our country is as
sovereign as that of "a Car or an emperor-but
it is nolso easily made known. 1t is not by
nkase or rescrlpt, but according TO prescribed
rules. In the case before the Court we have
no evidence that the sovereign power passed
into DORIS constitution. The very acts here
set up have been pronounced criminal by the
State authorities. The pretended officers, ap
pointed BY the Dorr Legislature, never exer-
cised authority. The Dorr Government was
all patriotism on paper. 1t ceased TO exert
itself on the second day ofits existence regard
ed by all the world as a contemplate sham.-
This episode in our history. may do good. 1t
may clear The political atmosphere. 1t will
bring mems minds to contemplate the %regulari-
ty OF our system, which has stood the test and
I~tortuers of this and other crises-which has
steered through all straits and difficulties, both
free from the rock and the whirlpool. May il
under the guidance of Providence SO continue
till the end of time.