The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-02-05
"REMINISCENCES OF JOHN c. CALHOUN.



oonfers h.r IN the slav. pros ucts Of ton
sugar, ros, tobacco, sue other sApeF-tte South WI
re'urn 70 her ALE aucs 10 the ark Of sasy Bat this
reunion will not be- upon Temporary compromis. or
suobsog srmisiee; "a. upon eistneE oomPfeaeas -
prTmAnspt constitutional ~ 4Etntnt Ter ae sEG Tor
ALL Herald Jan 40 1854
For j1st such a crisis Mr.. Calhoun left behind him
the enlarged and experienced views which he had
ma.ured during period of nearly half century,
Hear him-hear the volce of the great dead:-
"How the constitution could be best modified 50 as
10 effect the object, (modilylng the constitution 80
as ~ give the weaker section, In sorie QUE form or
another negative on the action oil the govern
nent,) can ony be- authortsnvely determined py Tue
amending power Ii may be done Ia various ways.
Among others, II mgat be elected tlrougn re-
organization Of the Executive Department, so that
its powers instead of being vested as they are
in sir gle officer should be vested in two To be 80
elected as that the two should be constituted the
special organs and representatives of she respective
sections IN the Executive Department of the govern
ment and requiring each 10 approve all the acts of
Congress before they shall become laws. One
might oe charged with the administration OF matters
connected with the foreign relations OF the country
she other Of such connected with it, do.
mestlc institutions-ihe selection to be decided by
lot Ii would thus effect more simply what was in
tended by the original provisions OF the constitution
m giving TO one OF the majorit es composing the
government decided preponderance in the Electo.
raj College, and to the other j1rity still more de.
clded influence IN the eventual choice, in the
College failed to elect President IL was intended
to effect an equilibrium between +he larger and
The smaller States IN this department, but which in
practice has entirely failed, and by its failure has
done mucn 10 disturb the whole STEM apd 10 bring
about the present dangerous state of things.
Indeed, u may be doubted whether the trainers OF
tbe cons tuition did not commit great mistake IN
constituting single, INSTEAD of plural executive
Nay It may even be doubted whether Il single chief
magistrate, invested with all the powers properly ap
pertaining 10 the executive de- partmen OF tue COVER
ment-as is the President-is com paible with the
pefmanehce o. q populous government especially in
wealthy and popular community, With large revs
nue. and numerous body of officers and en-
ployes certain Is il that there is instance of
popular government constituted which has long
endured. Esen ours, thus Tar furnishes no evidence
tn s favor, and not little AZ ainst it, for to 1t the
present disturbed aid dangerous state Of things
which threatens the country with monarcy or dis
union may be justly attributed. On the other hand
the two most distinguished constitutional govern.
ments OF antiquity, both in respect to permanence
and power, had q doual executive ] refer TO those
Of Sparta and OF Rome. The former had 40 here
dary and the latter two elective chief mag strltes.
Ii is true that England-fiom which ours in shis
respect, is copied-has single hereditary head Of
the executive department of her government; bat it
is not less true that she has had many and arduous
struggles to prevent her chief magistrate from be-
coming abs0lue and that, 10 guard against it effec-
tnslly, she was finally compelled to divest him. sub
stanualy, OF the power OF administer ng the govern
ment, by transferring it practically TO cabinet OF
responsible miuisters who, ny established custom,
cannot hold office unless supported by ma orty Of
the two houses OF Parliament. She has thus avoided
the danger OF the chief magistrate becoming abao-
lute, ana COntrlVed 10 unite SUBSTANTIALLY single
with plural executive, In constituting that depart
ment of her government. We have no such guard,
and can have none such without an entire change in
tbe character OF our government; and her example
OF course furnishes no evidence in favor of single
chief magistrate in a popular form of govern sent
like OURS, while the examples OF former times, and
our own thus far, furnish strong evidence against
II
Z" But il is objected that plural executive necessa.
ry leads To intrigue and dscord among its members,
and that il is Inconsistent with prompt and efficient
action. This may be true when they areau elected
by the same constituency; ard may be good reason /
when t1s is the case, for preferriDg single execu-
tive, with all It's objections TO a plural executive.
But the is very different when they are elected I
by different constituencies having conflicting aud /
hostile interests, woald be the fact in the case
under consideration. Here the two would have TO |
act concuringly 10 approving the acts OF Congress-
and separately In the sphere OF their respective de-
partments The effect 10 the latter would be to
retain sll the advantages of single executive, as
far the administration Of the laws concerned;
and in the former " insure harmony and concord
between the two ssctioOs, AID through them in the
government; for act OF Congress could be
come q law without the assent Of the CHIEF mags-
trates repre-enting both sections, each III the cleo
tons would choose the candidate who, in addition
IL being faithful 10 its Interest," would best command
the esteem ana confidence of the other section. And
thus the Prudential election, instead Of dividing
the Union into hostile geographical parties, the
stronger struggling to enlarge its powers and the
weaker tn defend It's rig 1ts-as is now the case
would become the means OF restoring harmony and
concord 20 the country duu kDe government III
would make the Union a union in tru'h-a bond of
mutual affection and brotherh Dod-aud no. 4 mere
connection used by the stronger the instrument OF
dominion and sggrandlzement and submitted to by
the weaker only from the lingering remains OF
former attachment, and the fading hope of being
able to restore the government TO which it orig
nally intended TO be blessing TO all Such is the
disease aud such IS the character of the only RENE
dy which can reach it. There remains to be cou-
sidered the practical queston-Sha 1t be applied?
Shall the only power which can apply !. be invoked
for the purpose
1.-THE responsibility OF answering this solemn ques-
tion rests on the States comprising the stronger
section. Those Of the weaker in . minority,
both OF the States and Of population; and Of con.
sequence, ia every dspar 'ment OF the governoent.
They, then, cannot be responNble for an Act which
requires the concurrence OF tvothirds OF both
houses Of Congress- OF third Of the States TO
originate and three fourths OF the latter 10 consum
mate With. such difficulties In their way, the
States Of the weaker section can do nsthing, how.
ever disposed 10 save the Union and the govern
ment, without the aid and cooperation OF the
States composing the stronger section but
saved. On the latter therefore, rest the re
Bponsibility of invoking the high power which can
alone apply the remedy and they fail TO DO 80, Of
all the consequences which may follow"
] have in several places alluded to Mr.. Calhouas
great anxiety about his work on the government
md the mode Of itA being published. He cared
nothing about its pecuniary value. He would have
been horror struck at the bare possibility that the
patriotism and love OF his own sosth which made
him dstate this great work, should have been
placed in the money market So far from that, he
would have given copy 70 every citizen, North aad
South, If he could have done il. Alter his death
these manuscripts went South came North. |
waited in vain for the publication They were pre-
pared for the press by himself, and there was no
necessity to alter line, that l am aware of. Months
rolled by, and then read In New York paper what
follows
Mn CAiHory's WORKS The Char Q, on Cir,er .ays OF
the literary works OF houp - But ttl. interest or
mand unaffected for tue work aod the sdition for the
moot part lies quietly rssosiaK the ks.fsrs'
shelyes" Had hr Calhoun's works b~-u put into ths
hands Of New York Publisher, with . Nsr York puo
hshers means Of sale and circulation, such Agest
commissops spondents system OF credits ,al-s
returns he trere would have such fast to "a,