Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-01-13
THE POLICY OF INSTRUCTIONS.

tween the claims Of eminent Demo-
cratic brethren for the Federal
Senatorship, we give place this morn
ing to a rather far-fetched criticism Of
our opposition to popular instructions
for Senator. 1t is proper to note just
here, that at least four Senatorial as
pirants have been instructed for by
mass-meetiag, primary elections or
otherwise-namely: Messrs. johnson,
Brown, Savage and Bate. Therefore,
our remarks are general, without APP
plying to any one or other Of the gen.
tlemen interested.
When the question was first preached
last summer, we opposed the prema-
ture precipitation Of the Senatorial
struggle, as being calculated to throw
into the shade the many important
State matters pressing on our people
for solution. We argued that true
charity and true reform begin at home
Let Us look first after our home inter
ests. We urged that if the people Sc
lected a Legislature competent to man
age State affairs to their satisfaction,
such a body could not 60 wrong in the
choice of Tennessee's Senator. Fortu-
nately, this view prevailed with the
people almost unanimously, and the
Senatorial agony was postponed. As
one consequence, we had a canvass
conducted almost exclusively on State
issues, from which we are likely to de-
rive great benefit. Secondly, we have
the ablest, most representative and
most Independent Legislature, so far
as rings and eiques are concerned,
that we have enjoyed since the war.
We entertain other and Interior mo-
tives for questioning the tendency of
applying the doctrine Of instructions
to the selection Of Federal Senators.
ATowedly, the United States Senate
does not represent the population of
the States, but their Statehood. Any
policy or practice tending to base that
body on population direct, tends to de-
stroy this distinctive character. When
a comparison Of populations is thus IN
vited, Ohio, with 100000 people, viii
want twenty Senators for Delaware's
one, representing only 10000. New
York with her 100000 will be no Ion
ger content to have her two Senatorial
votes neutralized by those Of
Nevada, representing only 5O,-
600 people. This populari-
zing" of the Senate is therefore dan
gerous-dangerous to the constitution
of that body, and to the Statehood it
represents, gradually paving the way
for a merely provincial system. This
danger has already been made apparent
through the murmurs aroused in the
larger Northern States by the Radical
practice Of rushing into the Union
premature territories not yet out Of
the swaddling-clothes Of civilization.
To-day there Is mUrmuring because
they seek to make States of Colorado
and New Mexico, if they can only Sc
cure thereby four more Radical Sena-
tors, to prolong their majority in the
upper house of Congress.
The strong point with our would-be
critic, to which he reverts again and
again, is that we have quoted 'mon.
arehial" precedents, French and En-
glish. We mustiplead guilty to respect
for the lessons Of wisdom to be CLEANED
from other times and even other coun-
tries. He caps his argument by saying
ne is hardly willing for the British to
determine questions of government for
US" Now, a great many people think
the British is a very good sort Of gov
eminent, and some go so far as to af-
firm that it is to-day freer and better
governed than these United States,
pointing for proof to Canada on the
one side and Louisiana on the other.
Be that as it may, We are not so con-
ceited as TO imagine ourselves wiser
than the demigods Of a century ago,
who framed our organic law on the
British Constitution. This may be
news to &c. G. r." but let him rip out
of our Federal Constitution everything
that was determined" by British law
and precedent-let him eliminate the
rights Of Magma Charta-and see what
remains. Nothing but framework,
scaffolding. Thea let him seek the orr
gin of our modes for administering
justice, our jury system, our common
law, our parliamentary usage. The
men Of '76 were not above learning
from the past. Let US initiate their
wisdom in this respect.
When the wise men Of I787, sitting
in the convention TO frame the Con.
stitution, came to devising the Federal
Senate, they sought to reproduce a
counterpart of the British House Of
Lords. They might have confded leg
islation to a single body they had eI-
amples Of it in many European States,
republican and monarchiaL But they
preferred the British system, and
sought to reproduce it. They had no
nobility and wanted none, except the
nobility of States. The House Of Peers
originally represented the estates ofthe
realms; 50 they made the Senate the
embodiment Of States, the only peers
in this country above the people.
Their leading object was to secure a
Conservative body, that would act as
a check on the impetuosity liable to
characterize the popular House. That
their object was to remove the Senate
as far as possible from the excitement
and tumult Of popular elections, is most
emphatically shown In two ways: