Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-02-18

publican government impose any restriction una,
the people will rot undertake TO discuss the posii
that no natural power Of man is restricted in the On
alton of government. Bat | will assume the post;o
expressed years ago in this country that the people a
the fountains of power that the government and All
puilic flnctionaries the repositories of power
would repeat the doctrine that the people are the ea
fountains of power The repositories Of power ar Ia.
government or public functonares. ii that be i'm.
Whenever the representatives of the people undertake
d.priye the people of the exercise of POI, er do ,y
not necessarily undertake TO abridge restrict Tia,
power hold then that this ineligibility is palpah!
restriction on the peope-an understandable one. III.
gentlemen who advocate the proprety of this restriction
perceive the dilemma in which they placed ana bv
Various specimens of ingenuity, and, think, b. not
little tortuosity of mind they attempt TO discriminate
between the restriction the people and the propo-.
neligibity of the officer. They feel NECESSITY for til.
discrimination but submit to You II they succeed me
talsliny discrimination Is it distinction With
out difference That it abridgment oil the pow
ers of the people the gentlemen themselves have conrs
ed for when called upon show reasons Tor thus depr
walton OF popular power they recognize the obligation
to do by assuming Justify 1t by various modes OF sr
num.pt' the obligation devolves them 10 show its he
cssity This they have undertaken to do and whetle,
they have succeeded it is my purpose to inquire.
maintain that it is morally and physically impos-i
sble to atx ineligblity upon the election OF any @
Ger without at the time destroying the tacu.
III. people to the same extent Now here tire
I
committee allowing elections to two terms only anot
er is an amendment prohibiting reelection Until an in
teryening term apse and the third Is an amendment
to an amendment admitting reeligbity without cou-i
tutional restraint! The question. according to my
Outstanding assumes this posture, whether reeligbilty
shall be- allowed in the executive department and wh"t
rr if allowed il shall b. partial or cnre-mlte or IN
limited My position. Is that it Is right that the chei,N
ecutive officer should be endowed with unrestricted city"
by and that the .ction should be- referred t. The,
! h. determined lll
is said bv gentlemen who maintain the propriety o '
restriction that 1t i- in violation OF certain important
doctrines, and is pregnant with great mischief VIII
admit TINT there are conditions, the fuhlment
which will to certain degree justify restrictions upon
the public will and will define what they are that
they may be perfectly understood II devolves upon
those who maintain the propricty OF restriction 10
eablish-tr>t that the restriction will certainty n,eri
= certain public mischief or second, that VIII certan>
pomote public advantage: And affirm that unless
The restriction regard eligibility halls within one"t
these two conditions, il is utterly indctcnsble
propose now consider IN Their order, certain oh
ec ions which have been urged here against re-elgb.l
IT, but which fact arguments III favor oi re~tri'
ton First according tn the order III which have no
ted them is that the principle of rcelgbility s vo
latye of the doctrine Of ro,ation III Office no hot wish
to be understood all hostile to this doctrine q" 10
taon in office and what say therefore Will be Under
stood imply pariiaty TO that doctrine but 'nora
according to circumstances What lis this doctrine OF 70
taton in office When gentlemen PROFOUND propose
tons 10 this committee ALL affecting popular right.
wish them To define those propositions III terms oil more
precs. signticltion. Let them not announce CERTAIN
general views which vague that no one can exact
|, comprehend, them they may be right OF they ms. b.
,yronr What i this rotation i'll office Gentlemen oi
greater cxperienc. and observation than myself have
sc..t,i the origin Of ths doctrine to political >pirah.
|; NAV be true So far rs my limited experience ~
trpj. it atiirns that view Of the subject. What do You
mean then hy rotation i'll Office? Do you mean that the
members of Congress and the members OF the Legl'lh
t,ire shall not be- r--eeced Do YOU mean that us'i
ces Of thu peace shall not be- reelgble Or OH the con
trary DO YOU that no officer IN the government
save and except the executive officer shall be Ineligible
II these are GOOD ground, 10 sustain this doctrine OF
eligibility IN hc ease. what reason Is there render
ing II inappc:bl. other cases My idea OF rotation
in office il this and it is the doctrine which will mann
tuu-1hu every public unctionary shall hold his pub
h. station for n definite period and NJ the expiration OF
that term he shall to the body OF the people
whence he ws- taken. But if his superior qualification,
are such p-oper that he may be reeiect''
ti-n saw that lie should be re eligible and say :"
mainly because the people themselves, by re'sectng
him declare that he l. entitled to it have said that
mv observation affirm, the remark of gentlemen that
this rotation ofer which appears now 10 be M cA'iu
sion after serving term favored rather Toy polls
ica aspirans than by the great mass OF the peope
remember All instance IN my own region OF country
wber. andry gentlemen assembled Oh certain OCCASION
f., nominate n Ian Congress there gentleman
in III. district who stood high in the favor OF the propl"
who Possessed high qualifications for the ONCE WAS :!
r.pnachable in his integrity and considerably advance
in experience He h,I served i'll Congress several year
and the fidelity with which he had served his constitu
ets had endraied him to them and tins appeared TO es
cite the envy Of certain others who wer" NJ" his super
orr These gentlemen assembled to determine who
should h- their candidate. and assumed to declare that
rotation in office proper doctrine and rotation ~
office required a. they explained t--that after man
had served 90 many years rst number 10 cover Thea,
casc--he hid occupied thn' office sufficiently long. AMI
therefore no man Ealing within that prescription shouid
ls. entitled Ia nomination by that Convention Thu,
the rayore of the people proscribd and the favor
rs. of the office seekers preferred This not the
tation in office which admire that which sustain will
necessarily bring the man before the people; who
possibly and will probably, if he has the requisite
IT, be- continued in his Office by the esteem ard consent oi
the people Ti- my doctrine Of rotation in office
maintain that the application of this principle Of re eli
giltv is the safest and wisest method of securing
enforcing that doctrine desire short periods beyond
which tile incumbent -hal not hold his office unless the
people shall. voluntarily rensiate him. The propriety
re- eligibility is ,s referred 10 the great constituency
who have the exclusive right decide the question and
whose interests ensures the most Ju,!icious choice.
| Another objection to re-eigibty is this,-2nI
came from Il singular and presented in II
guar forni-tlnt if YOU render the incumbent iii ot'e
r.-cli3be to the next succeeding term, you place linn
under great disadvantages in securing that reelection
have defined what believe to be the proper conditions
for restriction OF the power of the people, namely thai
the only condition which will Justify restriction upon
the power Of the people H. the certainty that it will
avert public mischief or accomplish some public
advantage. Now. whether particular divi'iial se.h
ing reelection enjoys advantages or suffers dsadvhn
tsges IN ind vlni instance and does not :ali within
the definition Of the condition which alone will
Justify restriction upon popular power This "hJ"'
ton does fall within the rule, the case being that "i
mn individual and not "f he people But. Imagine, il
the incumbent abors under ay such disadvantages and
likely to be defeated he will not enter into ,npen
ton with other gentlemen by pressing to be candidate
and therefore ree!ibi!ity will not in such instance.
produce the mischief unprecedented But if the Executive
has discharged hi. duties with eye single to the pub
lie service If lie has so demenned himself in office
be worthy of reclec H. lay it will greatly recon
mend his The people AID if he does remain herr
lat the capital to the end of hs gubenatoria term II,
the discharge Of his duties without going abroad to eir
tioneer WITH people if he is worthy Of their support
he will get it whether he goes abroad, or not Bu',
while am speaking Of this objection raised by gentle
| men am reminded that could cite the opinion OF
another gentleman maintaining the propriety Of tbs e
strction upon directly contrary and g'
Il, I'M tain