The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-07-07

Most Excellent Sh-We submit 10 our sxcellency
our position, which, We ius. will meos Jour aPpro-
baton.
We have the honor to renew, SO. God and
liberty Mexico, Nay l7ih, 1854 T-C5 81
j Joaquin Pesado, F.yds Arfangois, Il Olarte,
Manuel Payne.
Imrersant speech Of Hon. h.mas III. Ben.
s0n ON she r. es,deney and National Cong
vsbtioGs, AZ the COUrt House bn Ut. Locals,
Ss,uroay night, june 20, 1864.
CITIZENS appear among You candidate br.
Congress, but with little incD alton for tho lnoors
which canvass imposes, or for the honOrs which
an election csnfers. Since the month Of March
last, have gone to no pubic Meeting appeared
at public place in this city, and lived lille of 20.
elusion in my own house. You oil know the reason.
Why, then, am / q candidate for Congress For
the same reason that timid animals ly apd hide,
and c0usgeou ones turn and strike. Because
am pursued--lsft no peace ut home or abroad-and
because God put into my bosom the heart OF the
lion. ard not Of the rabbit.
/ appear as candidate for Congress, in this, the
First Congressional district in tho State, and feel
10 degradation, after having been Blk Roman his-
trulns in the Senate, in caDvassng Tor seat IN the
House. 1t brings me nearer to my real frends-the
people! = those by whose win was thirty years in
the Senate. and against whose will was sold out
Of il. Besides. the House Of Representatives. OF the
United States of America is not place to be below
any mans ambition IL is the embodiment Of the
majesty ard sovereignty Of the people. 1t was in
tend, 10 be the master branch Of the government,
holding in its hands the purse and the sword. the
Issues Of ard peace, the resources OF loans and
taxes ; and beng the gland inquest OF the nation,
all official maiteaSaDce OF men, or corTuptlOn of
measures in tho federal government IL intended
by our constitution to be what the British House
of Commons with very imperfect popular repre-
sentation). always has been, and now is-the
controlling braI ch Of tho government, before which
tho If.s1oat, his cabinet, and the Senate were
10 give way, as the King, Bis ministry, and the
House Of Lords, always have given way, and
nov give way before the British House of Com
Kari from faalin az, at tn
in the House of Commons, II is the only branch
of the British Parliament which has attraction
for men OF nerve and talent-tho only branch
where national regulations are earned; and many
arc the eminent men who have refused to be made
peers Of the realm because it would force them from
the House of Commons into the House OF Lords
Our House Of Representatives, in the beginning,
was the same. Ali the eminent men were there; all
great political regulations acquired there; all
national X gslution shaped there; the President
and his cabinet, and all federal maefac feared
it; the people looked to it; the Senate was little
more than an advisory council Now all this is
changed; Why or how, it is not for me to say. But
the fact Of change is true as deplorable and the
come quences lamentable the fact is n0tori
Gus. A fundamental alteration is going on in the
government, reversing its basis, slipping away, the
power from the immediate and responsible repre-
lentativcs OF the people to those whom they neither
elect nor control-from the many to the fcw-con-
vertig the government into an olgarchy instead of
democracy, and degrading the people by stripping
ance. The safety Of the country requires this
change to be arrested-thc House to be restored to
its constitutional destination the people to recover
their lost pre-eminence; and il ! am elected your
representative, shall operate with all good mon
in eff. citing consummaton 50 dcyoutly to be wish
Citizens, am now done with my view of our State
elections, and take sionce ut the national. Ano
tber Baltimore Convention has boon held, and ano-
tier President selected for the people of the United
States, 60 far the democracy is conccrned.) for
the next four ycals Personally, deem Mr.. Pierce
preferable to any one that was prominently before
the nomlnators or, rs we may call them, the cleo
tors; and his nomination is rcbukc to those mem
bers Of Congress, (and caution to the candidates
who were the objects OF their solictuje,) who neg
lected the public busine for six months, and de-
graded Congress into n hustipgs court, in maxim,
stump speeches for candidates, instead of making
laws for the people. He has another recommends
ton in my eyes-ho is not member OF Congress,
and has not been for ten years. have seen too
much Of prostitute legislation in Congressional
aspirants to the Presidency, to be willing to
ste another Presidents taken from either hous3 OF
Congress Give me the camp, the plough, the
workshop, the shades OF private life, the depart
ments oil the State goyeInmen.s-any other place
in preference to Congro,s--for tho selection OF
our future Presidents. Mr. piprce has still ano
thcr accommodation with mc-he has not sought
the place, and IS tie only among Mi the
prominent psetcidcis that Gid not seek it--.hat
can use with truth the p1t:iotic and memorable
words II Mr. IowIdts " The Presidency is not u
place to be sought for or declincd But while re.
Joicirg ~ the nomination Of Sir fierra, am not D
man 10 lesc sight Vi principles III temporary graz
tihcaiion Popular elections are ut i'm cad in tho
United States and tie last hope or elective govern
mcnts is dead, unless these conventions aro sup
pressed. Tic people are no longer anything but
automaton chess. players in the eectionS-passive
instruments, under dareSSc, to take whomsoever is
presented, good or bad These conventions have
become the real electoral colleges in the United
States irresponsible, as good assclfappointcd, some
with sinister views aud able by their management
toputup any man, or put down any man, they please
We must either get rid Of thom, aud get the election
into the hands Of the people, admit the failure of
this last hope for popular elective chief magistrates
More than twenty years ago | proposed renee
dy for this eyil-a direct vote of the people for
President and Vice President, without tho agency
OF any. intermediate body-Congrcss caucuscs,
national inventions, electors, eventual resort
10 the House OF Representatives The PROPOSE
ton did not then meet the favor OF Congress it
might DO better now, and if ! go back | shall
make the trial. But tho people are not entirely
dependent upon Congress in this reform; the
State legislatures may take the ntiltivc and the
people through their representatives in the general
assemblies OF the States may commence reform,
uron the success Of which depends the solution of
the question, whether they able to preserve the
great privilege Of Presidential election which their
fathers left them. In the mean time, | now take my
stand, whether solitary and Alone" or ono Of
many, against this fatal abuse. This is the las,
tune submit to it, although sec TINT the late con-
TOOK Inc elccllon IN na0d,
committee 10 attend to it. ! eschew their care
llenceforth ! stand upon the constitution as il is
until IL shall be amoIded Let forty offer for tho
Presidency il they please; if any gets mcjori-
ty of the whole number tee elective principle is
satisfied, and We have President elected by the
people; II no ono has majority Of the whole mum
Der Of votes given, then the three highest on the iss
stand for nominoiicns by the people, and their rep
rcscntatiyes in the House Of Representatives--not
self appointed, ire ponsib!c delegates in tavern
these fhlpp. nh
jectcrs TO this reference 70 the House. whore the
smallest state may balance The greatest but that
Is nothing, compared 10 all the States being ba.
lanccd and over brown ~ irresponsible conventions
The proceedings IN the House must De REGULAR con-
siiiutional ara responsible The people scnd the
candidates there: tho House must take ono of the
three and there Is impressive lesson ia our history
aganst LOT taking tho one which tho people prefer.
Mr. buTl wnsruuedb by attempting to get The p,cein-
tepsrd for Or. Jefferson Nr Adams and Ir Clay
lost their national position one Tor receiving tho
other Tor Hoping him to the place intended for
GepeIal jackson Every memher who violated the