Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-09-26
THE PRESIDENTIAL CONTEST.
The Issues Involved The South
"a Yearning for Cancellation.

The Issues lnyOlyed-The SOntI
- = Yearning for Cancellation.
speech OF Hon. u. n. II. Hunter, o
Virginia, at the Great Greeley and
Brown Meeting I'm New Y0rk, Sept
II, 1sz2. -.,.5-.,,F .t,l,--- ~
IooScLUDRD FROM YEsTKRDAY.l rsF
CONSTITUTIONAL LANDMARKS OVERLOOK
-rl. En- iilil ~ q. ''ailiais5
Imsy well ask has the Constitution, BY
their consent, ever stood in the way of The
accomplishment of any favorite scheme OF
that party. The usual and acknowledged
subjects Of Federal Jurisdiction do not sat
isfy them. Internal improvement, educa.
ton, the telegraph, and railroad system, al
are coveted as subjects Of jurisdiction, and
some of them are actually placed under
their control. Under the power claimed 10
have been given by recent amendments to
the Constitution, they are exercising GRIM
inal jurisdiction; that over the property and
debts Of the people they are exercising TO a
great extent in the South, through their
bankrupt laws, the supervision and control
of elections in the States, they ara seeking
and TO some extent already possess. Sub
jects which used to be considered entirely
under the control Of the States, are now
claiIn& as within their jurisdiction, and II
there be any Limitation to their power, it is
not 10 be found either in their theory or
practice. Where all this Is to end, If not
soon checked by the people, it is not diff
cult to see. If the whole people attempt
to manage all these vast concerns of this
great country, It is manifestly impossible
for them TO do it. They must intrust it
TO the Executive and his officers,
and if the Executive be armed with
the additional patronage which the in
creased jurisdiction of the Federal Govern
ment confers, who can show the limitation
upon his power? It already is virtually
confessed that the civil service of the coun-
try is to furnish the Pretorian guard OF his
power in matters of election and Office.
That they belong TO him as an electoral
corps no man doubts. They are openly
trained for bis reelection, and the fact
scarcely provokes comment. They are
organized for his reelection, and with that
organization are worth as much Tor that
purpose as double the number Of the irregu-
lars In opposition. The heads of Depart
ments themselves wander about the coun-
try and take the stump in favor Of the re-
election Of their chief almost without re-
Duke, and openly pursue course OF cleo
pioneering which even in my memory would
have provoked such storm Of disapproba-
ton as would have defeated the reelection
Of any President, even of Washington him
self. Add to the Pr9torian corps the num-
Der who would be brought to it by this in
crease of jurisdiction, and the power of the
Executive will be irresistible. He will re-
nominate himself as often as he pleases,
and indeed it is doubtful if he cannot
already do so with the means now in bis
hands. Should this concentration be &C
complished, populaz government viii be-
come impossible, and the empire is inevi-
table. ..-.
All, my friends, say not that this is i'm
possible! With hundreds of thousands,
nay, il may be with millions Of ofhce-hold-
ers and their affiliated friends to secure such
elections as he wishes, with the army and
navy to quell disturbance, with the whole
treasure of the country to buy up the dis
affected if they should prove dangerous,
how is he to be resisted? For il is 70 be
remembered that the power given by
patronage is to be estimated not merely by
the number of the ofice-holders, but by the
influence acquired by its action on the
subjects committed to her charge. Other
nations from whom it was to be less ex-
pected than from ourselves are already be-
ginning to see the dangers Of the concentra-
ton of political power into few hands,
and are we, who ought to be the best
taught people in the world upon this SUBJ
iect, TO be insensible to them? The
Ere: ch themselves, before the close OF tie
IL hanan n Qffrihntn
their failure TO their system Of concentra-
ting al power in the government.
The English are ciearly throwing
upon their colonies the work OF
self-government, and begin to COM
plain OF the Inability of Parliament to dis
pose of the subjects committed TO their
care with sufficient dispatch. The Glad
stone Ministry have been reprosched with
not pressing their measures with old
prGmpiItude, and they excuse themselves
Nv :, ferring to the nature OF the House Of
Commons and the delays incident to popu-
lar bodies. The English already begin to
talk of rules similar to those in our Con-
gress for forcing measures through, and as
their Government becomes more Demo-
cratic and the people have more control, the
necessity for doing this will be more OBJ
yious. There is a limit TO the capacity OF q
legislative body for managing public affairs,
and this is to be attained either by dimin-
ishing the subjects of their Consideration,
or by restricting the extent eff the country
submitted to their government. The first
is the American idea, and it is one
of the greatest sins in the Radical party
that it seeks to abandon it in the practice
of our Government. The affairs Of this
great csnntry require the attention, not
only of the common Congress, but of the
Legislature of different States which man.
age them and deal well with separate inter
esls hich they thoroughly understand,
and 10 an extent not to be expected from
ConGre IS. To embarass Congress with all
these cJncerns would be to render it an iI-
efficient and impracticable body, and make
the intervention of the Executive will and
its supreme control indispensable for the
movement of government at all. Before
left Congress it had become exceedingly
difficult to command its proper attention
TO the legitimate subject of their jurisdic-
ton. Increase that number greatly and it
would be impossible. Fellow-citizens, it is
neither a new nor a singular opinion when
say that such change in our system
must inevitably lead to monarchy in some
form or other. Some of the fathers of the
Republic and State Legislatures have long
since proclaimed it. think those Of you
who viii consider the subject will come to
the same conclusion.
LIMITATIONS OF FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
Feliow-citizens, you have already passed
law v hich lays the foundation of Federal
interference in State elections. You have
adopted an amendment to the Constitution
which, under pretense of doing justice be-
tween The races, will enable the Central
Government to control the state legislation
10 an extent not yet defined, but great
enCyi.h 10 be perilous TO the sovereignty
and The degree of independence eontempla-
ted for tie States by the Constitution as
originally formed; and now more than
seven years after the war has closed, you
have Ku.Klux laws, and majority could
have be sn found at the very last session of
Congress who would have vested in the
President she power to declare
martial law in the South, AMI rule
it ACCORDING to bis unlimited discretion.
Add to tins such a concentration of power
and extension of jurisdiction In the Con-
gress as 10 render a discharge of its proper
duties impossible, and change in your
form OF government becomes inevitable.
am not 50 bigoted an advocate OF Demo
cratic government as to deny that much
may be said on both sides. Monarchy and
republic .nism have each its relative ad-
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