Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1852-06-01
AZ RICHMOND TIMES.
TUESDAY, JUNE L, 1852.
DEMOCRATIC CORRESPONDENCE.

DEMOCRATIC CORRESPONDENCE.
We promised TO recur to this correspondence.
which we have chronicled among the events of
the day. One comforting assurance, if no less,
the Democracy may derive from Mr.. SCOTS la
bors-aud that is that the Convention which
meets in Baltimore to-day, will be iii no difficult
" about candidates. That body will be in dan
eerrather Of elJarrdS dc ficheSse in this respect,
than of jearth of patriots, grateful for favcrs to
come aud anxiously expectant of its honors.-
General Lane. it seems. of the whole bakers do
zen TO whom the Democratic Elector of this dis
trict has offered the purple, has had the frmness
to refuse 1.-THE virtue to say, 'nolo epiScopari."
Nav. we doubt not, there are at this moment, in
the nation not less than thousand Democratic
Presidential Embrios whom single beam of
MIR. SCOTS electoral counteuance would have
warmed into life aud articulation.
But the ineable ridicule of this proceeding, al
though it may be the first feature of it which
strikes attenton, is not the light in which it de-
serves most to be considered. We speak not now
of the odious national deception of which this
1nantnuvre promises to be the preliminary. Tothat
phase of the subject we have already adverted
But to any who have thought about this Govern
ment beyond the prosperous issue of a popular
election-who regard it as anything more thana
machine for the distribution of money and emolu-
nents from the Treasury-who bestow reflection
on its constitutional origiu-its true theory and
genius-we would simply PROFOUND the enquiry,
from what lawful source is derived this attempt to
forestall and anticipate the conjont constitutional
action of its several legislative departments upon
grave national questions-even the slave relations
of the States-by pledge of the Presidential We
to four FIVE years in advance, as the consideration
of party nomination for Office Is ittoo late in
our national declension to make no more effoIt to
call back the attention of this people tothe real ma
ture ofthe Government instituted by the Constitu-
ton of the Z. States, to its checklists balances
the modes it has ordained for the expression of the
popular will and the restraints it has provided upon
the embodiment of that will into law! That Con-
sttution provides that before bill passed by the
House of Representatives and the Senate, shall
become a law, it shall be presented to the Pres-
dent-if he approve he shall sign it-but if not,
he shall return it with his objections to that House
in which it shall have originated, who shall enter
the objections at large their Journal and pro-
coed to re consider it. If after such reconsidera-
the BILL it shall be sent together with the obec-
tions, to the other House, by which it shall be
likewise reconsdered, and if approved by two
thirds of that House it shall become law If the
bill be not returned within ten days by the Presi-
dent it shall become a law, unless Congress by its
adjournment shall prevent IT'S return, in which
case it shall not be law. Now, of what avail is
all this cautious regulation, for consideration in
the passage of laws-considetatio on the veto of
ws-re-eonsideratio and approval by two-thirds
of laws which have been vetoed-and their en-
actment notwithstanding the veto-if an aspi-
rant for the office of President may buy his
nomination and his election of a faction, a
section, party, by a pledge beforehand that
for all the time he may hold the office his will and
theirs shall be substituted for the constitution
that on all such subjects of national interest as
they please, the powers of Congress shall under
go paralysis and defeat and that all the purposes
of legislation shall be shaped and controlled by
the vote which shall be for him at the polls
VIII any considerable friend of constitutional and
regulated freedom lepd his sanction to doctrine
SO fatal-a heresy go gross-which would at once
degrade our government with an elective monar-
chy Let it not be said that the sube and the
occasion of this experiment peculiar, and such
as authorize a departure from the beaten path of
constitutional proceeding-that the interests of the
slave institution transcends in Importance all 9TH
Ell consdelations-like those rare events in Ro-
man history which indicated the surrender of the
State into the hands of a dictator. Not so 1t is
precisely in crisis like this-when sectional ag-
itation disposes the public mind for extremes
when popular passions, running with the instincts
of popular safety threaten to usurp the helm of
reason and drive reflection from her seat--that
should most strenuously guard against the
murderous approaches of usurpation and that
most dangerous form of it which is dictated by
the will and is clothed with the sanctions of ma
jority. Suppose we could, by measure like this,
secure ourselves for against the agitation
of the slave question, putting trust in the will
and the fidelity of one man, who has thus made
our fears the ladder of his ambition. Suppose we
shall have bought our peace, think you this new
ly invented mischief will not return in time '.to
plague the inventors p How long before the
promise ofthe Presidency will be used by North
ern intrigue to tempt Southern cupdity and South
ern ambition, not to an act Of mere duty, but to
the betrayal of Southern rights and Southern in
terests Or put another Maryland is now
demanding more stringent and reaching pro-
visions to effectuate the policy of the Fugitive
Slave law. This may become the sentiment of
all the South. Shall the by anticipation frus-
traIe all change-bar all legislation! Once be-
fore in our history were the deliberate convictions
of Northern politician on this subject of slavery
deliberately purchased, bought out, with the bride
of the Presidency. Martin Van Buren, went in
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