The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1856-12-06


let it be bazen statue in oommemorauon Of his
neabe modesy Talk Of the wise of Greece the
seepes Of Ephesus the wsest of the
wisest of cities which shall be nameess Monsieur Gail
ardet excels them all individually and all collectively
for he is wiser than twenty-five millions Of people But let
US try TO be grave in compliment TO Monsieur GaArdet
Monsieur Gailardst insists upon it that citizen of
the United States exercises his consus his viii
in giving his suffrage to any public officer most especially
President He enters into OF analysis of what We
call pay discipline" the object of which simply to com
bne the of those who think alike the great fun
damenta principles Of the party in support Of candidate
who is either pledged whose previous con-
sdered sufficient pledge that If elected, he will admin
lister the in conformity with these principles
Were convention 10 nominate not agreeable to the
party it represents Monsieur Galardet would then See
whether the people exercised their will in the choice
Of President
without some expedient OF this kind every section OF
the country every State every connay every district
and every community that could muster little great man
would probably present its candidate The suages OF the
people would thus be dssipated among many that no
one would stand any chance of majority and the choice
revert to Congressa of which past experience has
shown us the danger To accomplish this great object OF
unanmity il is obvious that general understanding
among the leading of the different States and sections
il Indispensable This is accomplished through various
preliminary stages OF convention representing the party
in all its variety of shades and colors We feel ourselves
warranted by experience in affirming, that tracing TINS
convention step by step from the primary meetings up
wards it will invariably be found that the first governing
impulse the motivepower that pervades the whole ma
chner emanaes from the people through those VINO are
Of the people, know their sentiments ana are idenhed
with their interests may benay it very certan-tha
conventions rarely perhaps never at the outset unan
nous in their preference of particular candidate or the
sutfrages. But it seldom has failed that they finally
Yielded these preferences and accorded unanimous nom-
nation To bring about this result the same means must
be resored to which indispensable in all cases where
men, whose preferences are at variance
are brought together act in concerto wit argument
persuasion and sometimes appeals to personal interests
Their opponents will sigmatize this intrigue per-
haps bribery and corruption, and possibly this may be
sometimes resort But the that be said OF is,
that is confined to democratic conventions but is
more or less an nvarabe characteristic of every great
public body in all cases. all ages, and all nations Selfish
motives nrude every where and prevent their operation
mankind must only be reformed but created anew
made perfect.
Monsieur Gailardet however, nfers from this system OF
party discipline that no citizen of the United States feels
at liberty withhold his suffrage from the candidate NOM
mated by the convention representing his party The in
ference H. in its general application totally unounded In
every case Of this kind an alternative is presented the
citizen He is TO decide whether he will waive his in
dvidual preference for particular candidate sac
L r.. ~
perfect assurance that is equivalent to vote for the
opposite candidate He is at perfect liberty to do as he
peases has the right the power TO prescribe to
him law directs restraints him has he reason 10
apprehend any i'll consequences to himself he refuses tc
be governed by the convention. Is not this clear and
free exercise Of his within other words of his sovereign
ty2 What say yeu Monsieur Gaillnrde? Can you point
out any circumstance situation OF life which leads to
action which there two sides to the question: be
tween which compelled to decide remain mac
tive Monsieur Gaillarde might well deny that man
free agent because except when impesd by impulse
or passion he does not on all occasions without weigh
ing the reasons pro and CON- and choosing bttwxt two
benefits or two evils,
That there many individual examples Of laboring
men, most especially the operatives in manufactures who
exceptions the theory Of tie sovereignty Of the peo-
pie we freely confess Poverty naturally creates depend
and the who has in his power 10 deprive another
of his bread is In great degree bis master But there
comparatively few in the United States in which
possess this power The demand for labor Is so great
that there is seldom, ever any difficulty in finding en-
poyment. The laboring man is not in England con-
fined to circuit and IL discharged by employer
for voting contrary to his wishes will find another who
will employ him for that very One Of the most
decisive and at the time lamentab proofs Of the
mpossbility Of brbing citizens forego the indie
pendent exercise Of their sovereignty may be found in the
New Orleans, and Baltimore TO prevent It, Poor men NAV
BE- corrupted well rich and If they sometimes
brbed frightened into voting against their con-
sciences they may plead plenty of examples among those
who called their betters The price Is a little
higher-that is all the difference But setting this
aside the great Of the people of the United States
independent farmers and their sons who own the
lands they occupy, and who would spurn any attempt
to them by threats corrupt them by benefits
Nine out of ten Of these neither seek desire Office Of
kind but solely occupied with the cultivation Of their
lands These constitute the real sovereignty Of the people
and those who know them well as We do, know that
though You may deceive you cannot Brighten corrupt
them Monsieur Gallardet probably knows nothing Of
these people His experience is likely limited to our
great ce where the vices Of mankind have their great
est temptations well their widest sphere Of indu-
pence He probably thinks that ne Paris Il Franco an