Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-06-11
A MILITARY nespotism.

In his Fort Duquesne letter, Mr.. Buchanan
used the following remarkable words: s-Neuer
until a brief period hare heard Of the employ
nsest Of money 10 carry elections. Should this
practice be ildutged until the poters and their rep
resentaiUes in the Stqfe and National Legislature
6ecOzne infected. THE FOUNDATION OF FREE GOV
ERNMENr WILL THEN BE POISONED AT ITS SOURCE
AND WE MUST END AS HISTORY PROVES, IN
MILITARY DEsPoTTsM.o These are brave words,
exceedingly sensible words; and they convey
a note Of serious warning to the American
people. Upon reading and ponderipg them,
it would be very difficult, taking them alone,
to regard their author as other than an up
right, honest and patriotic man; a statesman
who sees the downward tendency of the times
and bitterly deplores the threatened disasters
10 his country, man, who seeing the storm
afar off. would sound the tOcsin of alarm, and
giving timely warning of its coming, enable
the people to prepare for and avoid the i'm
pending destruction. We say this is the Opin-
ion one would form of the writer from read
ing the above extract from Mr.. Buchanan's
Fort Duquesne letter. But has he justified
this opinion? Has his practice been in ac-
cordance with his precepts? Has he not
been himself guilty Of using money to carry
elections? Has he not even gone farther than
this in the effort to destroy free government,
and substitute in its stead military despo-
tism?
stalled in the Presidential chair, the interfer-
ence by the Executive in State elections has
been uniform, constant and undisguised. The
first of which we have any distinct recollec-
ton, was his letter to the Democratic mem-
bers of the Pennsylvania Legi -lature. direct
ing the election of John w. Forney to the u
S. Senate. The rebuke this interference re-
| cefved in the election of Simon Cameron in
stead of checking the President in bis demon
To ed
him more desperate; and the next we hear is
his despotic conduct in opposition to Doug
las in Illinois The decapitatiOn of Douglas
pOstmasters and the installation of men IN
their places who would willingly submit to
Presidential dictatiOn is matter too notori-
Gus to require more than mere mention.
Nor was this persecution for opinions sake
cOrfined 10 Illinois alone. Indiana and Ken
lucky came in for their full share; and II was
as much as their salary was worth for an Of
flee holder in either of those States to express
an opinion favorable to Douglas.
Equally a. notorious is the high-handed
outrage of filling the New York Custom
House and Brooklyn Navy Yards with extra
hands, in order to influence the New York
Congressional election-the award of a con-
tract for machinery to Merrick q Son. of
Philadelphia, at price four thousand dol
lars more than the Novelty Works and to per-
form the same work. and the employment of
extra Oakum spinners in the Philadelphia
Navy Yard, to secure the election of Col.
Thomas Il. Florence, a peculiar pet of the
President. We say these things are too no
torious to require more than a mere mention
just now. The practice has been uniform
and constant; and whenever the distribution
OF federal patronage could aff, ct voters, just
there has the President exercised his demon
alizing powers. Thus he has done his ut
most to Infect the voters" and having thus
poisoned the source he goes further down
stream and distributes his INJECTING agent
along the political waters. In order to carry
out his aims. he strikes a blow at the integri-
ty of the peoples representatives, and re-
wards with Office, those of his willing fool~
whom the people have repudiated. He then
says in effect, do as | bid YOU and if you
thereby forfeit the respect and confidence of
your constituents, | will see that you lose
nothing by it; but shall rather be the gainer!''
With this programme, it is only necessary
that the people should reject a Buchanan
democrat TO secure him a seat in the Cabi-
net, foreign mission, or some other lucra-
tive federal Office. In this manner both the
voters and their representatives are infected
and the foundations of our free government
poisoned at their source a result which he
pretends so earnestly to deprecate, but which
he SO assiduously seeks to accomplish.
But the President has not stopped here.
He has gone still further-much further per-
haps than is even dreamed of by the mass OF
the people With the most plausible aud in
genious devices, he sought to obtain from
Congress the entire and absolute control of
both the army and navy, together with the
power to invade neighboring nations with
which we were and are at peace. This Is III
effect nothing more nor less than asking to
b.. invested with the war-making pOwer-a
power which when granted would render the
President of the United States absolute in
power as any crowned head of Europe. This
demand OF the President, bold and daring as
II is. becomes more startling when coupled
with the further demand of 100000, 900 to be
placed at his disposal, to be by him disburs d
secretly, without check, restraint or respon-
sibiity, as to him may seem best Just
think Of this moment, and suppose these
demands complied with. Suppose the Presi-
dent clothed with the war-making power
with the immense Federal patronage to be
used in rewarding friends and furnishing foes.
and with thirty millions of dollars at his
absolute disposal. What might he not do!
What could check and restrain him in his
ambitious designs? What. indeed, would
then be lacking to convert this free govern
ment of ours into a military drspOtism?
What would the President then be but YER
liable despot-a tyrant, if so disposed?
There would then be no check, no restraint
upon him. The Constitution would then
become a mere piece of waste paper-a string
of words without sense, Specification or in
fuence-and Congress convenient instru-
ment to be used or abused by the President at
his pleasure.
We are no alarmists. and desire to create
no unnecessary prejudice against the Prrsi-
dent, or his party. We wish simply to call
the attention of the people to the unheard of
and truly alarming demands lie has made,
and the Democracy have sanctioned and
show them their inevitable tendency. We
would ask his supporters: are these things
not so? Have written one word not
strictly true? They are true in every par
ticnlar, and we defy their successful contra
diction.
But some of party will saw, these are sim
ply the acts Of James Buchanan; they are not
the acts of the Democratic party. and we are
not responsible for them. But this plea will
not do. You cannot escape by any such sub
terfuge Ii you do not sustain the President
and approve his policy. repudiate him-say
so, and rebuke him. This you would do If
you did not approve his acts Have you
done it Has any portion of the Democracy.
acting in party capacity. in any Of their
primary meetings, in any County, District or
State Convention uttered one word, one SEN
timent in reprobation Of the acts of the Pres
ident? Not one. On the contrary. they uni
formly proclaim their undimnishcd conf
dence in his patriotism and integrity, and
pledge him their continued countenance and
support. Thus they make themselves paTti-
ceps cTin1isis. and assume the entire RESPONSE
bility of his official acts.
But this is not all. Defeated in his projects
and compliance with his unrighteous de-
mands refused-the President seems now de-
termned to assume the power and authority
that has been denied him. Ia his special
monthpece. the Washington Constitution. he
puts forth his manifesto on the subject of pro-
teciion - slavery in the Territories. The
Consolidation says that Congress shall not pro-
teet slavery by law, but that the President,