Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-12-22
Forty-seeond Congressional Session,


"iOlnt resolution, proposing an amendment OF
| the constitution combining the president to one
| term.
Whereas, for many years there has been an In
crossing conviction among the people, without dis
tinctiOn of party that welding the vast patrOn-
age Of the president should not be a candidate for
rp.electiuu and this conviction has found express
sion in the solemn warnings Of illUstrtous citizens
| and in repeated propositions for an amendment of
| the constitution conining the president to one
| term:
Whereas, Andrew jackson was so Tally impressed
| by the peril of republican institutions from the
temptations acting president who, welding the
| vast patronage of his office, becomes candidate
! for reelection that in his first annual message lie
| called attention to 1t, aud in his second annual
message, alter setting forth tine design Of the cone
stutiOn to the independence of each depart
ment OF government and promote the heaithiul anu
equitable administrations of all the trusts which 1t
! has created he did not hesitate to say;
That the agent Most likely to cOntravcue this de-
sign of the constitution is the chief ms gstratp, and
! then proceeded TO declare.-"In order particularly
| that this appointment may as far as possible
| be placed beyond the reach IF any i'm
| proper Influences in order that he may
| approach the solemn responsibilities of the
| highest Office in the gift of free people uncom.
mltted TO any other course than the strict line of
constitutional duty, and that the securities for this
independence may be rendered strong rs the ma
ture OF power and the weakness of its p0ssessOr will
admit cannot too earnestly invite your attention
to the propTiety of promoting such amendments OF
the constitution will render Inn ineligible after
one term Of services and then again in his third an
nnal message the same president renewed thus pa
| triOtic appeal;
| Whereas, William Henry Harrison, following in
the footsteps of Andrew Jackson elt it urlniary
| duty in accepting his nomination president 10
| assert the one term principle III these explicit
| words: among the principles proper to be adopt
ed by executive sincerely desiring to restore the
administration to ITS original simplicity and purity
| deem the following OF impOrtancei FIRST TO con-
fine his services to single term, and then, In pub
| lie sp 1ch during the canvass which ended IN ms
election, he declared: "lf the privilege of being
president of the United States had been limited TO
one term, the incumbent would devote all hiS time
| to public interest, aud there would be no cause to
| misrue the country and he concluded by pledglng
himself before heaven and earth, If elected presl-
dent Of the United States, to lay down, at the end
of the term faithfully that high trust at the feet of
| the people;
Whereas, Henry Clay, though differing much from
Andrew jackson, united with him on the one term
| principle, aud publicly enforced it in speech,
June u, 49, where att2r asking for "a provision
to render person ineligible to the Office of presi-
dent of the United States after Il service OF one
| term" he explained the necessity of the amend
ment by saying: "Nuch observation and deliberate
reflection have satisfied me shat too much Of the
time, the thoughts and exertions of the incumbent
are occupied during the first term in securing his
reelection. The public business consequently suf-
fers." And then again, in letter dated September
| 10, 1872, while setting forth what he calls "princ-
| pal objects engaging the common desire ana com
| mon exerton of the wing party" the same states
| man specifies "an amendment to the constitution
limiting the incumbent of the presidential office to
| single term,'
| Whereas, the wing party in its national con-
| veution At Baltimore, May l, 1874, nominated
| Henry Clay rs pftsiiGnt and Theodore krpling-
| huvsen as vice president, with platform where
a single term for the presidency declared to be
among the great principles of the wing party, pria
ciplcs nseparablp from the public honor and pros
perity, to be maintained and advanced by the elcc-
| zion of these candidates." which declaration was
| echoed at an immense citing in Monument square,
addressed by Daniel Webster, where it was resolved
| that the limitation of president to single term
| was among the objects ''fOr which the wing party
will INCREASINGLY strive until their efforts crown
ed with signal and triumphant success;
| Whereas, IN the same spirit and in harmony with
nftp1lF ami
Wade, at the close of his long service in the senate
most earnestly urged an amendment of the cOnsti-
tuition cOntning the president to one term, and his
| speech that oec9sOn, February 26, 1866, said :
"1he Offering OF this resolution is no new impulse
of mine, for have been an advocate of the prinCi-
pie contained in it for mal.y years and have de-
| rived the strong impressions which / entertain on
| the subject from very careful observation OF the
workings of our government during the 1riod that
| [ have been an observer of them; believe 1t has
| been very rare that we have been able to elect
| president of the United States who has not been
tempt to use the vest powers intTust9d to him ac
cOrdlng to MS own opinions, TO advance his re-2lec-
tiOD and then, alter exposing at length the necess
sity of this amendment the veteran senator further
declared: 'fIhere are defects in the constitution,
| and this among the most glazing. All mel, have
: seen IL: and now LET us have the resolution to come
| and apply the remedy
| Whereas, these testimonies revealing intense anu
| widespread convictions of the American p2opie
| reinforced by the friendly observations of De
| TocquevIlle the remarkable Frenthmpn; to whom
country is under such great and lasting obllgaF
tiOns, in MS famous work on democracy in America,
where he SAYS, in words of singular clearness and
force Intrigue and corruption are vices natural to
| elective governments, but when the chief OF tie
| government be reelected, those vices extend
indefinitely and compromise even the existence of
| the country When simple candidate seeks sue
by intrigue his maneu{ operate only
| n circumSCrlbed space; when on the contrary. the
! chief OF the government himself enters tine ranks
| of candidates. he borrows for his own proper use
the force of the government. In the first it Is
one man with his feeble means in the second Ia the
| government itself with its immense resources
| which mtrIgues and cCrrupts" And then again
| the great writer, who had studied our country
so closely, testies at IS impossible to consider the
| ordinary course of affairs in the United States
without percelYing that the desire to be reelected
| dominates the thoughts of the presidents that all
the policy Of his administration tends to this point;
| that his least movements are subordInatad to this
object; that in proportion as the moment of crisis
approaches, individual interest substitutes itself in
| his mind for the general int 2rest;"
| Whereas, all these concurrlng voices. where
patriotism, experience, aud reason bear testimony
| have additional value al a moment when the cOun-
try is looking anXiOuSly to reform OF the civil
vice, for the PLAIN reason that the peril from the
chief magistrate, long he is exposed to tempta-
| ton, suTpasscS that from any other quarter, and
thus the first stage in this much desired reform is the
term principle TO the end that the president who
| exercises the appointing power, reaching into all
| parts ofthe country, and holding in subordinaton
| mutitudinOus army of Office holders, shall be alb
SOiutelY without motive, or inducemPnt to employ
| for any other purpose than the public good; and
| Whereas, the character of republican institutions
requires that the chief magistrate shall be above all
| official head to promote his own personal aims;
| therefore,
Be it resolved by the senate and house of repre-
sentatives, etc. that the following article is hereby
proposed as an amendment to the constitution ofthe
United States, and, when ratified by the legislatures
of hree-fouths of the several states, shall be valid
TO all ntents and purposes as part of the constitu
| ton, TO wit:
Article-Sec l. No person who has once held the
Office of president OF the United States shall there
after be eligible to that office
Sec. g This amendment shall not take effect until
| after the 4th of March, 1873
Mr.. SUMNER in introducing this amendment,
| said 81 shall content myself with Il brief re-
| mark. This is an era of civil service reform and
the president ofthe United States, in message,
has already called your attention TO that inn
| pOrtant subject, and made recommendations
| with reference to it. 1t may be remembered
| that hailed that message, at once, as it was
| read from the desk. | lOrborc then TO state
| that missed one important recommendation,
| very important recommendation, one without
| which all other recommendations, | fear may
| be futile. ] missed the recommendation Of an
| amendment to the constitution in conformity
| with the best prece cents of our history and
| with the recommendations of illuStrous men,
| limiting the person holding the office of presi-
dent to one term.
"Sir, that is the initial point of civil service
reform; that is the first stage in that great re
form. The scheme of the president is the play
| OF Hamlet, without Hamlet. | propose by the
amendment offer TO see that Hamlet be brought
] into the play" (Laughter).
| Mr.. Sherman-"Does the senator propose TO
postpone the play of civil service reform until
| we adopt the amendment
Mr.. Sumner-"No, but propose to put Ham
let into the play. 1t need not take long to do
| it,"
The Joint resolution was read, and laid over.
Mr. Sumner called attention to the fact that
| the amendment was not to 90 into effect until
March A, 1878, and, therefore, would not inter
| tpTp with thp prpfpTpuppS n for
| particular candidate next year.
| Mr.. Sumner offered a resolution, which was
| adopted, directing the committee on retrench-
ment to inquire whether any moneys had been
| paid on account Of the lease of the bay of ST.
mana to the United States. and if so by whom,
out of what funds and to what amount; ais if
| such moneys were paid by private persons to re-
| port the names of such persons their business
and the inducements to the outlay, and whether
| they were interested in land grants or other
| Speculations on the island Of San San Domingo,
| aud whether there has heen any understanding
| that such moneys should be refunded by the
| United States. Also to ascertain the appca-
| ton of such moneys and the agent in obtaining
| and dSbursinr the same with noVpr IN ccnd