The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-09-08
From the Cleveland True Democrat.
OFFICIAL ACTS OF SENATOR CHAsE.-NO 4.

IL il principle with Mr.. Chase that tht
. National Government should be confined strict
ly whiting the limits of the Constitution; and
should be prevented, as much rs possible, from
r either directly or indirectly increasing its pow
ers He is not only Democrat but is an
American Democrat He believes that the
people of each township should be left to select
their own township officers and manage their
own township business; that the people of each
county should manage their own county affairs
and the people of each State their State affairs
while the people of the whole nation should
unitedly act only in national affairs. Ii is this
American idea of having no great overshadow-
| ing central power that distinguishes American
| Democracy from that of any other people, and
the faithful adherence to which can alone per-
| petuate our institutions. The history of the
world teaches that power is not only liable to
| be abused, but is ever struggling to increase
| itself The great danger to our institutions is
| that the National Government will 20 on as
sumipg the exercise of power not granted in
the Constitution, until, by reason of the vast
patronage and increasing revenue, in the hands
Of a wicked Administration, it will corrupt the
politicians gradually, absorb the powers of the
States, and become irresistible-and in the
end, tyranny. We have single instance of
this, in the passage of the Fugitive bill, law
passed in one House without q word of debate,
under the influence of the previous question
and which, in this one case effectually destroys
the right of trial by jury, of habeas corpus, and
of the accused to meet his witnesses face to
face before judicial tribunal, and passed, too
without the shadow of constitutional authority
Mr.. Chase, in pursuance of this great Amer
lean Democratic idea, has firmly and uniform
ly opposed all attempts on the part of the Gen
eral Government to increase its powers and in
wade tho rights of the States. There is class
of politicians in this country, who, having given
up the idea that Congress will ever again enact
another protective tariff, 90 for increasing the
expenditures OF the General Government, by
favorng every claim and every asked for APP
preparation for the purpose of making large
| revenue tariff necessary, and thus indirectly
obtain the desired protection. A more danger
GUS line of policy can hardly be imagined. No
prosperity of any one kind of business can CON-
pensate for the evils arising from an overflow
ing treasury, and lavish expenditures of the
public funds An OVERLOOKING treasury under
| mined Roman virtue, corrupted the people,
changed the form of Government, and finally
| caused the highest office in the gift of the peo-
| pie to be sold to the highest bidder. This event
was prophesied by Jugartha months before it
| happened, when he saw in his own case how
justice was bought and sold in the highest ju-
| dicial tribunals of Rome
| Against this lavish expenditure of the public
money Mr.. Chase has uniformly made strenu-
GUS opposition, and has done what he could to
stem this tide of corruption. Thrice he oppo
sed and defeated proposition to pay certain
citizens of Alabama and Georgia $3.50, 900 fol
old, stale, and unfounded claims for Indian de-
predatiOns. We say defeated because it was
, to his remarks on these occasions that the agen,
OF these citizens attributed the defeat of the
proposition.
He opposed the gift of about ten millions Of
dollars to the Collins steamers, in addition t
the amount agreed to be paid to them for car.
rying the mails-one of the most unjust appro
priations ever made by Congress, and made
too, under peculiar temptations to corrupt wher
the stock was offered for q low price in Wash
ingfon and it was very easy for members t.
make large fortune by buying it through
their friends, and then voting to the compan,
this ten millions, and increasing its value t
that amount Whether any of them availeC
r themselves of this very easy way of making
money, it is not for us to say. 1t is suficien
to know that such opportunities were thus of
tered These opportunities are inseparablt
from Congress making such appropriations
How important that our members of Congres,
may not thus be led into temptation that tn,
country may not have occasion to pray "Deliv
or us from evil y
most pernicious habit has grown up in
Congress of late of making appropriations al
the heel OF the session, bestowing gratuities tc
clerks and other officials about the Capitol Of
about $50 900 per annum, in addition to theil
regular salaries, with the very convenient un
Outstanding that 81 900 of it should be expcnd
: Cd on the last night Of the session for cham
payne and other liquors, for the special bene
ht OF members of Congress, to fit them TO per
! form the arduous duties Of that night when
} corrupt claimants and corrupt claims receive
40 much favor Whoever has witnessed the
motley group male and female, which gathers
IN the rotunda of the Capitol on the last night
OF the session, and the drunken revelry which
! prevails there at that time, can understand tc
what We refer Those who have not seen it
can form no adequate idea of it. MIR. Chase
determined this disgracetul practice should
cease, and made q motion accordingly, and
called for the yeas and nays. He was mme
dlately beset from several parts of the Senate
TO withdraw his motion, especially the call fol
the yeas and nays, but he refused to Weld
What was the result Only two Senators dare
record their votes in favor of such an appropri.
alton, when, had not the yeas and nays been
insisted upon, it probably would have passed NJ
usual, without serious opposition
MIR. Chases firm and successful effort to pre.
vent gratuity being given to the National In.
teHigeneer, and to pension that press undo,
color OF publishing the old and stale debates OF
Congress, together with the interesting debate
between him and Col. Weller, which arose
thereon, are too fresh in the minds of our read
ers to need more than mere reference at this
time. An independent influential and watch
ful member OF Connress who will carefully
guard the Treasury of the nation from being
riied 10y hungry partlzans and officials, may
be lost bat IS rarely 10 be found
We might extend this reference to the official
acts OF Mr.. Chase to an almost indefinite length
by referring In detail to his efforts to rende,
oil the proceedings of the Senate public, Il
compel the owners OF steamboats, to use tho
proper accommodations for their crew AZ vel
as passengers, to preserve our territories from
slavery and to many other meritorious acts
} but we have said enough to accomplish ouI
object, which is, by calling the attention of the
public TO his prominent acts, 10 lead it to ex
anime more thoroughly the official conduct Of
its Senator, whose term of Office will soon expire
and to fill whose place, will be the duty Of the
members OF the Legislature who shall be elect
cd in Oetober next Receiving, as the oiioia
course Of Mr.. Chase does, the universal appro
baton OF the Independent Democracy, they ar,
unanimously in favor Of his reelection. Will,
they duly appreciate the worth of those from
) other parties who will probably be candidate.
to ill his place they have no hesitation il
avowing IL a. their opinion, that there is n,
man, who stands chance of an election, who
In the present condition Of the country, and cs
pec'ally the cause Of Freedom, can do IN mucl
as he can Tor the prosperity Of the State ant