The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-04-21
THE NATIONAL ERA: WASHINGTON D! c. APRIL 81 1859

rendering the Executive authority to what Mr..
Jefferson describes as "the subtle corps Of sap
pers and miners" who are at work night and
day in the effort to overthrow the Constitution,
and convert the. Federal Government into a
despotism.
In the Presidents letter to Professor Sill
man, dated August Is, 1867, he uses the fol-
lowing language: Slavery existed at that pc
Rod THAT is to say, when the Nebraska bill
was passed. and still exists, in Kansas, under
the Constitution of the United States. This
point has at last been finally settled, by the
highest tribunal known to our laws"
Here, again, the President sets the Supreme
Court above the Executive, above the Congress,
and above the people. He reiterates the senti-
ments of his inaugural; and the party, from
Maine to Texas, cry amen, and denounce as
traitors all who dare question the truth of the
Presidents views. The files of the Virginia
papers, and even those of South Carolina, for
two or three months after the date of this let
ter TEEN with laudations of it, and fully en-
dorse its ultra Federal sentiments.
/ know that whenever the States Rights prin-
ciples of Mr.. Jefferson happen to chime in with
the prevalent passion of the Democracy" in
those States, they are not slow to make use of
them but they can never more pretend to an
inviolable faith in and devotion to those prin.
ciples, after endorsing these Federal heresies of
Mr.. Buchanan.
will read for your edifcation few other
authoritative democratic endorsements of
Mr.. Buchanan's Federalism. The Washington
Union has been the recognised official organ of
the Government representing the President
and his Cabinet 1t is rumored that this paper
is about to change its name, for some reason !;
but there is no ground for hope that its endorse
nf tbo Drao;1opt,a Ia nra1
Scott decision, has made change of name de-
sirable. That journal contained a leading ed-
torial, March IL, 1857, from which / will read
you few lines. 1t said:
"There was but one thing needed to give to
the result in the Presidential contest the force
of an absolute and final settlement of the Sec
tional issue. That thing was, the judgment of
the Supreme Court, in confirmation of the
Democratic doctrine, which had received the
popular endorsement The decision in the
bred Scott case has furnished the closing and
clinching confirmation needed; and henceforth
sectional fanaticism cannot maintain its war
fare, soithout ayraying itself distinctly against
the Constitution"
Shade of Jefferson What would that phlo-
sophie founder of the States Rights creed say
to this? What! Democratic organ, the organ
of a Democratic Administration, declare it
treason to question the validity of Supreme
Court decision
will not now stop to expose the assumption
of the Union, that the people in the Presden-
views, when in fact he fell short of a popular
majority by nearly four hundred thousand. l
let that pass for what it is worth.
l proceed to give another high Democratic
view of the Supreme Court and its authority
1t is that of the late Attorney General Gushing.
Just about the time the Supreme Court was
about to be delivered of its famous bred Scott
opinion, Mr.. Cushing, who had watched and
fostered the process of CESSATION, was compelled
to take official leave of that august body. AS
a member of General Pierce's Cabinet, he went
out of Office with it. On surrendering the seals
of office, he addressed the court as follows
Yours is not the gauntleted hand of the
soldier, nor yours the voice that commands ar
mics, rules cabinets, or leads senates. But
though you are none of these, yet you are
backed by all of them. Theirs is the external
power which sustains your moral authority !;
you are the incarnate mind Of the political body
of tie nation. In the complex institutions Of
our country, you are the pirot point upon iehich
the rights and liberties Of all, Government and
people alike, t,Irn; or, rather, yOu are the CEN
trail light Of constitutional aoisdODa, around
Here, then, is modern Democracy! Behold
it, and contrast it with Jetfersonian Democra
cyl Mr.. Jefferson declared that the Execu-
tive and Congress have an equal right with the
Supreme Court to interpret the Constitution !;
and that the Judges of the Supreme Court are
the subtle corps of sappers and miners " who
are continually mining for its overthrow.
Mr.. Buchanan says that the question of Sla-
very in the Territories is not political but
judicial question and that it having been de-
termined finally and forever by the Court, he
submits his judgment, as President, to that
of the Court, and declares that all good citi-
zens will do likewise.
The Washington Union, the Presidents or
gan, goes step further, and denounces all
who dare question the validity of the decision,
as enemies of the Constitution while the reti-
ring Attorney General, with climax of eulogy,
tells the Judges, in language which must have
caused blush to mantle in their venerable
cheeks, that You are the central light of con-
stitutional wisdom, around which they mean
ing what Mr.. Jefferson styles the coordinate
departments perpetually revolve."
Well might Mr.. Jefferson predict, as he did
in letter to the Hon. William I. Barry, of
Kentucky, that the most disastrous CONSEQUENT
ces to the cause of true Democracy would re-
suit from the large Federal recruits which were
then coming into the Democratic ranks This
prophetic letter is dated July 2, 1922. He
says
"Whether the surrender of our opponents,
their reception into o,er camp their assumption
of oar name, and APPARENT accession TO
oar objects, may strengthen or weaken the gen.
uine principles of Republicanism, may be a
good or an evil, is get to be SEEM"
Sir, will not undertake to say that Mr.. JEFF
ferson had his sinister forebodings turned par
ticularly to Pennsylvania when writing this
letter; but | believe it was about that time
that an important accession was made to the
Democracy in the vicinity of Lancaster, from
the ranks of Federalism. To say the least of
the matter, there is a remarkable coincidence
Of time, and a marvellous realization of the
prediction.
Having shown what were Mr. Jefferson's
views upon these great questions of Slavery and
States Rights, will briefly advert to another of
permanent interest, on which he was most ex-
plicit. l allude to the subject of political toll
eranee. When he became President in 1901,
he found every place under the Government
filled by his. political opponents. He was OPP
posed to prescription for opinions sake but at
the same time justice must be done. 1t would
not have been Just to his friends, then consti-
tuting majority of the nation, that their OPP
ponents should continue to monopolize all pat
ronage, and hence many changes became neces7
sary. He vindicates his course in letter
written in reply to a memorial from Conneetil
cut, and lays down the true, humane, and states
manlike rule of his administration as follows.
Adverting to the state of things just recited, he
SAYS
1t would have been to me circumstance
of great relief had | found moderate partiei-
patton of Office in the hands of the majority. I
would gladly have left to time and accident to
raise them to their just share. But their total