Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-07-14
THE VIRGINIAN.
LYNCHBURG, JULY II. 1851.


In all countries, uHucr all So'efuiHSHtS'
and at all times, we suppose there have
been rulers, who transcribed the bounds OF
legitimate authority, or, if unrcstrained by
written constitutions or established usages,
have disregarJcd the wants OF the many
and sacrificed the public good, to the graft
6cation of their own pleasures, caprices or
ambition. Wherever and whenever tins
has occrrrcd and there have been found
those, whose breasts warmed with indig-
nation and resistancc-who dared to OPP
pose the usurpations Of power, and sought
to reclaim therights that were stealing from
the people to the princes-to reduce pre-
roga,ive and enlarge popular liberty-there
has been at work the spirit. which has given
vitality, name and separate organization
to the Wing Party. Its origin is cocval
with the earliest acts of public wrong and
injustice-its object is and has ever been
their reparation or prevention
When Gen. Jackson's invasion of the
rights Of the states, and the coordinate De-
partments ofthe Federal Government threw
into ,heopposiiion SO many of his own sup
porters. theissues thatimmediately arose had
reference to the extent of his constitutional
powers. The doctrines of the Proclamation,
subscribed to by many who now claim to be
par ercellence the champions OF state-rights.
reduced the states TO a system of satellites
revolving around the central sun of
Federal power-the removal Of the de-
posites, which took from the custody of
Congress the treasure of the people-the
refusal to veto or return the land bill-the
Withholding the nomination Of officers from
the Senate-all these and other arbitrary
acts Of the President added to the powers Of
the Executive, and called into existence a
party, whoscfrst and highest demand was
the reformation Of Executive abuses.
The Wing Party, have acted toe
prominent part in tho history Of the
country since that time to have left
any sensible man in doubt, as to theil
objects. The principle which banded
them together, in Theron days of Jackson.
ism, was opposition to Executive miscon-
duct. Since that time, they have struggled
with untiring aim to restore to each De
partment of the Government its Legitimate
and constitutional functions. That isthc ba.
sis which underlies the whole policy oil
the Party. The last prayer that fingered
on the lips of Hampdcn, when he besought
the Almighty to "confound and level in
the dust those who would rob the people
of their liberty and lawful prerogative," is
the sentiment which animates their hearts
and inspires their action.
AT the formation of our government,
some Of the wisest statesmen of that era
thatthere was too large alodge-
ment of power in the Executive Depart
nent ofthe Government. That evil, ifsuch
here be, cannot now be corrected, but the
experience of more than half century, we
.hink has shown,that the Departments pre-
serve an admirable equipoise, when each is
with a proper regard to the
and restrictions Of the constitu-
ton. The danger lies in the arroga,ion of
power to one department from another.and
this is more apt to occur in the Executive,
than in either of the other branches Of the
government. The Judiciary has been pro-
nounced, by distinguished foreign com
mentatorupon our constitute nj llity. Ger
tainly, it less capable of usurpations, thar
either the legislative orExecutivc Depart
ments, because it canoriginate nothing, and
acts of necessity within a strictly prescrib
ed sphere.
The contest for supremacy therefore
would b. betweenthe other two branches
The great check held by Congress ovcrthe
Executive, as has been supposed and was
doubtless designed, was the control Of the
Treasury, and the right to make or with
hold appropriations. Another power Of
vast Importance, expressly reserved to
Congress, is the right to declare war
With these mighty levers, in the hands OF
the popular branch, it was thought the peo-
pie could, at any time, efiectually repress
the overreaching assumptions of the EN-
ecutive. But what have we seen in the
last five years-a war of invasion, bloody
and expensive enough, begun, and battles
fought without declaration of hos ilities
by Congress; and when the question Of
Withholding supplies was raised, those,
who dared hin, it, were denounced as NOR
al traitors, and told that it was giving aid
and comfort to the enemy, to discuss the
merits and origin Of the war, while we were
engaged in it. And thus, werethe two grca,
popular and conservative features of the
Constitution set at naught, by the Exccu,
tive.
Warned by events Of this character
and looking to the fearful amount of pat
ronage, welded by the Administrative De
partmcnt, the chief aim Of the Wing
party has ever been, to restrain it from the
exercise ofprivileges and functions never
granted, and to preserve the public liberty
by giving force to the will Of the people as
expressed through their Representatives
in Congress. This is the broad pedestal
upon which they stand, and it is the only
one, as we conceive, upon which our
institutions can safely rest.
70 A Constantinople correspondent
ofthe Boston Post, under date of May 9th,
says that it is now understood there that
kossuth and his fellow exilcs have receiv-
ed positive promise from the Turkish GOV.