Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1856-05-27
The REORGANIZATION of tho Whig
Party.

The REORGANIZATION of tho Whig
Party.
We hope the meeting Of Wings called for
Thursday night will be attended by all who cher
ish the time honored principles Of that patriotic
old party. For ourselves, whenever sball be
brought to believe that the law and liberty loving
sentiments that have characterized Wings in all
times have ceased TO exist, we shall have no
hope remaining Of the preservation of constiiu.
tiona government.
In all countries, under all systems, and in eve
~ age. there have been rulers who transcribed
the hounds oflegtimate authority, or if unre-
strained by written constitutions or established
usages. have dsregarded the wants of the many
and sacrificed The public good to the qualification
Of their own plrrsnres. capriccs AMBITION
Wherever and whenever this has occurred and
there have been found those whose breasts VAIN.
ed with the spirit Of Indignation and resistance
who dared to oppose the usurpations of power,
and saneh, to reclaim the rights ,ha, were steal
iBgerom the people to the princes--to reduce
prerogaiive and enlarge popular liberty, there
were work the principles and sentiments which
gave vitality. nnme and separate organization
To The Wing Party. Its origin is ooeyal with
the earliest acts Of public wrong and Injustice
!. object Is and ever has been their prevention
= rpara,on.
The Wing Party in this country have acted
TO- prominen, part 10 have left any sensible
IN doubt ~ Ia their objects. The principle
which banded them together in the iron days Of
Jsek-oni,m was opposition to Executive mis-
conduct. Since that time they have struggled
with uniirng aim Ia restore to each department
Il the government its legitimate and constitu-
iianal functions. That is the basis which under
ie- The whole policy Of the party The last
prHyer that fingered on the lips Of the dying
lIampdrn, when he besought the Almighty to
-.eonf"und and level in the dust those who would
RIB The people cfihrir liberty and lawful prero-
raive" Is the sentiment that still animates their
hearts and inspires their action.
At the formation OF our government, some of
fhe wi~est statesmen oi that era considered that
there was too large Judgment Of power in tho
executive department Of the government That
evil. If such there be, cannot now be corrected.
but the experience Of two thirds of century has
shown that the departments preserve an admira-
bic eqsipoise. when each is administered with
proper regard to the limitations and restrictions
ofthe constitution. The danger lies in tho AFRO
gAtian of power by one department from another;
and this 10 obviously more apt to occur in the
executive than in either Of the other branches of
the government. The federal Judiciary has
been pronounced by dis,ia guished foreign CON-
menistor upon constitution a nuty Ger.
tainly it is less capable of usurpaton than either
the Legislative or executive department because
it can originate nothing, and acts. of necessity.
within strictly prescribed sPhere.
The contest for supremacy therefore would be
between the two other branches The great
check held by Congress- over the Executive, as
hss been supposed aud was designed, was tho
contrclof the Treasury and the right to make or
withhold appropriations. Another power of vast
importance, expressly delegated 10 Congress, is
the right to declare war. With these nigbtv
levers in the hands of the popular branch, it was
thought the people could at any tune effectually
repress the oyerreaching assumptions of the Ex.
ecutive. But what baye we seen within a few
years past! war Of invasion and conquest
begun, and battles fought, without declaration
OF hostIi'ties by Congress, although that BODY
was IN session; and when the question Of with
holding supplies raised. those who dared
hint such thing were denounced as moral trai.
tors and charged with giving aid and comfort TO
the enemy. Tbs origin Of the war was not ner
mitted to be discussed. nor the conduct Of the E,
ecusive enquired into under the penalty Of being
cashiered for ,disloyalty to the country. And
thus. At q single blow, we're the two great con.
servstve props Of congressional power and pop.
uiar rights knocked away.
Warned by events Of this character. and look
ing - the fearful amount Of patronage welded by
the Executive. The chief aim Of the Wbig party
hs-er~r been 70 restrain that department. from
the exercise Of privileges and Functions never
granted, and to preserve the public liberty, by
giving equal force 10 the other branches of gov
@rnmrDf and making each check upon the 9TH
ers Thd. il the broad pedestal on which wings
stand. end il IL the only one on which our insti,
tuiions can safely rest.
There 10 nothing in the policy or principles Of