Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-03-11
SPEECH OF JOHN MINOR Bolts,
Delivered lei ore the Order of United Americans in
the A ,a1emy Of Music, New York
'R!ch a1l rare were The gems shH wor,

the A .a1emy Of Music, New York
'Reh sai the gems she wore
The more VIC dip into this speech the more
gross its errors and perversions appear. Mr.
Bolts has been cried up as possessing = great
mind-his followers throw up their caps and
shout over him for the strength Of his giant
abilities. We sometimes hear it said, if he on
ly possessed judgment, what superior man he
would be; if he would but consent TO take ad-
vice, 10 listen TO some counsellor, not to be al
lured to run riot by his Ierculean powers, what
leader he would make. If he would not brag
quite so high, ard bet so confidently upon his
own Judgment, he would not be the cause Of
loss 70 so many reliant friends and himself be
so oilcn mulcted But he has habit OF swell
ing numbers. of making immense amounts on
paper by adding naushts and naughts 10 small
numerals until he manufacturers thousands and
millions out Of tens and hundreds. So it Is
with his reasoning powers; to one fact he Will
,dd assertion after assertion, and draw deduc-
tons not dcducibc, and then clinch them all
with a nonstqEittr. which seems to hlm de-
rnonstration. when the weakest mind can de-
tect the fallacy in moment
With these Introductory remarks, We pro.
coed to glance at the great speech OF the age
Mr.. Bolts SAYS, in his comments OF the Pre-
sidents message: Now, then, here IS the
proposition, frs, 10 place the army and navy
of the United States at the disposal Of the
President, with authority 70 make war. then
transfer 10 him the ,reaty-lnakins power; and.
las; Of all, 10 put the purse string, oi the ma
ton in his hands, by the appropriations Of the
enormous sum Of 5o,0oo,1oo to accomplish
all the ends he has in view Aud now, ask
the people Of this country, what viii be lett "i
their Constitution worth preserving: Yet this
is Democracy" Now, it is we'll known that
the propositions made by the President have
been opposed by Ibis paper as anything but
Democratic; and tie Democratic States Rights
partv never did entertain or avow them in any
shane or form. We have, without mnclng
words, stated that ti,ey smack ot tine doctrines
Of Federalism, or old National Republicaui>m,
of Whiyis,n, in its most blatant style->uch
isms as Mr.. Bolts, tt i'll om1.e 9a"as, haze inT''
riably Observation-Disclosures conStrucuon'>i'
Of the Constitution, who would justify r'cry
enormty by the clause "to provide 'er 'nr
general welfare OF the United States But
the truth is, the President never asked that the
armv and navy Of the United States should b.
plsced q, his disposal "uiM ogthortty 10 maze
uar." This is a0er the style OF Mr.. Bolts
reasoning. He first assumes that the Prcsi
dent asks the power, and then assumes that II
is for the purpose specified. lie then assumes
that because the Emperor Nicholas extended
his protection over the provinces oi "aiiach"
and Moldavia, and. in so doing, took possession
of those provinces, and thereby involved hi'n'
self in war with the combined forces OF Eng
land and France the President, in proposing
to extend his protectpratc over The transit
routes of Nicaragua. Panama and Teh'ante
pec, must necessarily take possession Of the
States in which the routes lie, and mast act
against the wishes Of those States and without
giving them an equivalent, and against the con-
s.,t of all persons concerned and that this
must produce war; and, having assumed these
facts and this reasoning, ne asserts that the
President asks for the power to make war
But, not having established the fact that war
must follow, or that the President would 50
use the army and navy as 10 produce war, his
III In nj
chess the position Of .oere pawn prevents at
tack or aggression, and 50 it is with govern
ment forces. The position Of an army or
fleet, although they never stir peg, oiten''mes
effectuslly secures what is desired, and pre-
vents war, by stopping the cause which would
h.rv:,e occasion it. The President may,
therefore. use troops and naval force and new
er desire authority to make war But IL he
did, he is showing his respect for the Constl'n-
ton by asking Congress, TO whom the war
making power is confded, 10 authorize
him 10 do that which. by asking, he con-
Gesse. ne mas not the power himself TO
accomplish. II the Democratic party refuse
10 give the authority asked for. because
they deem it inexpedent unwise, an'i-Deino'
cratic, or unconstitutional, most persons would
conclude they were opposedto the power or its
exercise. No, so, Mr.. Bolts; Democratic
Congress having failed 10 grant the authority
Mr. Bolts exclaims, yet this is Democracy
So. again, if the President ask Congress to
onpropriate sum Of money to enable hlm To
negotiate with effect for the purchase OF Cuba,
"a rcgues, which we have unlualihed'y con-
demned Mr.. Bolts boldly asserts that the Pre-
sid.nt asks them to transfer to him the treaty
making lower. Congress, consisting OF both
houses, hold the purse-s,rings; the President
and Senate have the treaty making power
Thc President asks Congress to grant the monc:
If 4 majority Of the Senate unite in voting TIE
money for particular objecti proves thata ma
iori,y of the Senate would probably vote for IA
tGying the treaty nv which the object was OBJ
tained: and ensure, to the contracting parties
an almost certainty that their contract will be-
ratified; but still this does not take away the
bower from the Senate to pass upon the treaty,
nor transfer to the President the treaty making
power exclusively: and if Congress who holds
the purse-strings, unite the purse, and grant
nor,;on Of its contents 10 the President to ena-
ble him to accomplish purpose, they do not
thereby give away their control over it, for
they are thus By the very act, exercising that
control and, 50 far from the President having it
in his power ITO accomplish all the ends ne
has in view" he is only enabled to accomplish
the end Congress has in view when they grant
the appropriation. But, ifa Democratic 'oF''
rress refuses or fails to comply with Tn" Posi-
dents requests. even if they were Sn''' as Mr.
Bolts asserts it would not prove that the re-
-- II ,ro,,ld m her prove