Washington sentinel., 1856-05-20
/" THE KING CAN Do NO wRONG."-A
MOST FATAL FALLACY.


infallibiEty of one man. because he is the
ruler of people, we have not yet had the for
tune to SEE it, This dogma, indeed consti-
tuted the principal feature in the resistance of
our colonies to British tyranny and aggression.
In the independence which crowned that re
sistance and made us a confederation of free
and independent sovereignties, there was no
principle that was intended to be more com
pletely annihilated than this. The craven sub
mission of the People of the old governments
to an indipiduat rule was utterly renounced
and repudiated by the spirit that broke the
shackles OF American freemen in the achieve
ment of American independence. But what
a marked difference is there between our own
and any of the class of Governments of which
we speak! With them the system Of surveil
lance-of subjugation not only of the physical
but of the mental will to the behests of one
sorereign-has been, if not popularized, at
least rendered endurable by long habit and
usage. On the other hand, the very ground
work Of our independence was resistance to
despotic and tyrannical power and which,
having once, through mnch tribulation, gotten
rid of, we determined - establish directly the
opposite hemy Of gorernment. We did so,
because we desired to repose the trust in the
only true source o. power under our system
the PEOPLE. Thus, so far from bestowing
upon, or recognizing in, the President Of the
United States any power whatever save those
delegated TO him under the Constitution as the
representative Of a trust chosen by the separate
and distinct sovereignties that compose the
confederacy, he becomes the subject of the
people, or rather Of the States He is not
placed there for life. His term of service has
constitutional limit. Nay, more; the Con-
stitution provides for his impeachment by Con.
gress even before the expiration of this limited
| term. This, then, is the difference between
| government by the people and government
which subjugates the people. "The King can
do no wrong" is the rigidly disciplined senti-
ment of monarchical fornf of government.
1t is treason to imagine him anything but
immaculate. Nay, more; King has not even
the happy privilege of dying, in a national
sense, for his mantle falls upon the descend
ants of his loins, albeit thousands of intellects
shall be passed over, to confer the crown upon
an idiot or an imbecile.
| But insulting to human intellects as such
| dogma in the nineteenth century is, it can be
excused, if not forgiven, in its existence in
lands where the breath and spirit of true liberty
have never been entertained.
But in our land of freedom-in our Repub-
| lic-the principle of man acorship should not
have found lodgment. Has it done so?
Unhappily, the dominion of party is so great,
that it may become, and at no distant day, if
unchecked, sufficiently strong to render, practi.
cally at least, the people the servants, instead
of the sovereigns, as the Constitution designed.
We have been led into this current Of thought
by the condition of things in portion, and
not an Insignificant portion, Of the Democratic
party. 1t is argued that, because we have
elected man to the Presidency, that we are,
therefore, not only to endorse everything that he
does, but even it, in the exercise Of the judgment
which God has given Us, we dare to express a
difference Of opinion with him, We are placed
under the van Of party displeasure. Can any.
thing be more pernicious-more at variance
with common honesty and common right-and
in every respect more demoralizing, than the
establishment Of such policy? And yet, who
will deny that it exists at this very time. and
that it is increasing to most alarming extent?
Let US illustrate. The present Executive has
been guilty, in the course Of his administration.
Of acts that are wholly undemocratic and in.
consistent with the principles and policy of the
Democratic party. An entire absence of con-
fdence in the man, personal and political, per
vades the whole party. Senators and members
Of Congress who, but few months ago, passed
most Of their leisure moments in vituperatiye
abuse Of the President, have become now, IN
der the influence Of his irresistible blandish.
ments, his fatterers and parasites.
Having changed their own opinions-or
affected to do so, which is worse-they expect
every one else to follow suit. Nothing is more
common than for gentlemen to read us lee.
ture, because our morals are not as elastic as
their own, and because our views of policy are
based upon candor and truth, rather than on
hypocrisy and deceit. Well, we have an opinion
which, for the benefit Of all these nep-born NAL.
contents at our course, we publish. 1t is this:
If the Democratic party is to be sustained by
such system Of chicanery, the sooner it goes
down the better. We wash our hands OF any
such wickedness We believe that the princi.
Piles Of that party are right, and therefore we
will not, as far as we are concerned. stand
quietly by and see them huckstered about in
the dishonest and swindling political market
places. We will never subscribe to the fallacy
that because we have chosen President, he
"can do no wrong;" nor will we claim for our
party entire freedom from error. What greater
error, as it has turned out, than to have placed
Franklin Pierce at the head Of the Govern.
ment7 TWAS, we know, an honest error; and
the sooner, therefore, we town up" and con-