The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-07-09

government until 1896. Under this system the
Presidential chair waa Allied by ripe statesmen
and tried patriots. II necessarily resulted, from
the mode of selection, that all were excluded
from the competition. except those who had
great experience in public affairs, and who had
distinguished themselves, and commended them
selves 10 the people by virtue, wisdom, and pa.
triotic services to the country. Such men had
no need of hired biographers and venal letter
writers to inform the people who they we're, and
what were their opinions on public questions.
They needed no interpreters OF letters to the
public cunningly contrived to mystify what they
pretended to elucidate. This system promoted
the public welfare, and under It we grew great,
and prosperous, and happy. But It did not suit
that class of people who prefer their own to the
public interest. These were the inventors and
architects of National Conventions. They were
contrivances to secure the popular support to
those who had not and were not entitled to popu-
lar confidence. The power of association was
invoked to subjugate free individual opinion.
What has been the result! The ancient repub-
lican mode of selection gave you Washington,
the elder Adams, Jefferson, Madison. Monroe,
the younger Adams, and Jackson; all marked
men; all tried men ; men who had been Identified
with the great actions and ideas of their times
all of them identified with the civil, and three
of them with both the civil and military history
of the country; and who had illustrated, IN their
lives their fitness for the highest trust In the
republic before il was conferred upon them.
What ore the fruits of your National Conven-
tons? What have the people gained by trans
ferring their power over this subject to these
iuntoes They have brought you Van Buren,
have brought you a Harrison-a Polk-and q
General Taylor. "Look upon this picture and
upon that" and let the American people deter
mine which, by its fruits-which mode COM
mends itself most to the appreciation of this
great country / mean no disparagement to
any of these gentlemen. All of them but one
has paid the last debt of nature, and gone to
their long account, and the one who yet survives,
unfortunately for himself, has survived his rep
utation, Then we cannot be said to have gained
ANYTHING by departure from the ancient mode
of selection The question il becoming one OF
greater, of still greater importance every day.
With the enlargement of the republic, with the
increase of expenditure, this executive power
now promises to overthrow all the rest and in
truth it was to be expected. :.
That problem has never yet been solved, In
this or any other country. which proposes to
make an executive strong enough to be useful
yet weak enough to be safe.
Impotence or omnipotence seems to be It's
inevitable destiny. England alone, OF all modern
nations, seems to have learned and prohted oy
this great lesson. Happily for her liberties, the
practice under her constitution is at variance
with it's theory The practical result OF her
theory seems to be that the king reigns but
does not govern" With US the executive de-
partment is increasing in power, in patronage,
and in influence, and has already become dan
eerous to the other departments of the govern
ment, and therefore it becomes matter of the
highest Importance to the free people of this
country to watch closely the means and the ap
plances by which it is filled.
This great and dangerous power should De held
under the tern and watchful subsection of the
popular will. It should not be intrusted to the
disposition of party conventions. All party ma.
chinery-all irregular organizations, are un.
known to the Constitution, and are regulated by
laws which seek to control or dispose of it, are
dangerous to public liberty, and should be treated
as usurpers of popular rights
These conventions, although not elected by
the people, nor recognized by them, not respon.
sible to them, yet by reason of the unressted
exercise Of the right to nominate the Executive
of this nation, have already become real power
in the State, and exercise dangerous control
over the legislative body. have seen, during
this session of Congress, the members of great
and triumphant rarty, holding majority OF n ~
in this House, coming here through constltu
tional and legal election, with the right to speak
for their constituents on all questions affecting
their political welfare, succumb to these Organi
cations, and say, IS We do not choose to dc clere
the principles by which our own party shall be
governed, because 1t would be usurping the rights
| of the National Convention" They have ignored
| their own powers and abandoned their own duty
They are false to high trust, and sanction a
usurpaton whenever they utter such sentiments
| They are the constitutional representatives of
the people of this country, and it is their right
and their duty to declare for themselves the
principles of their political action. Do you ask
me why is this? The reason is obvious: They
are sent here by and through these conventions,
and not by the people; they do but obey their
masters. This system has never produced and
can never produce statesmen. In other times,
when public men were sent to the councils OF
the country by the people, and because of their
virtue and intelligence and fitness for public
service, they built up for themselves honorable
fame and did the State some service. They
served the people and were sustained by the
people. In those days there were giants. but
the race is nearly extinct.
There is now a machinery standing between
the representative and the people which palsies
him, which prevents the free utterance of his
own opinions, which compels him to square
himself by the declarations that accident, or ca
price, or interest may cause these conventions
to utter for his guidance. Obedience to them 10
inidelity to popular rights. allow none such
% stand between ne and the people who sent
me here, or to lay down principles for my action.
The obligation is imposed on me by the Consti-
tuition | will not dsqu.lify myself for its
faithful discharge. have before observed, this
system has produced none Of thee llustrious
men who have become so distinguished in their
countrys and in the worlds history; none of
those great political lights which have shone 30
brilliantly on this Western Continent for nearly
a half century. Nearly all Of them have departed
from u.s. Who is to take the place Of the dis
tinguished Carolinian? He was the handiwork
of God himself, and of the people, not of party
machinery. Who is to fill the place of the great