New-York tribune., 1878-02-20

sumption Act being prevented, can De rendered
nearly harmless. Victory is within reach, II
defenders of the public faith do their duty
like men.
CONGRESSMEN And THEIR CONSTITUENTS
We do not often find anything to praise In
the conduct or conversation of General Ben
iamin +. Butler, but in the deliberations OF
the Silver League the other night he did
show n spirit which many better men might
initiate. lie boasted of holding an opinion of
his own in opposition to the sentiments oil
two-thirds of his constituents. IL Is no
novelty with him to disregard the wishes OF
the people of his State; indeed 1t IS great
many wears since Massachusetts and General
Butler have been in hearty accord on any
subject; but if he honestly believes that the
massage of the Silver Bill will be advantage
Gus to the country, he is quite right to
disregard the opposition of the voters
who elected him. The duty of representa-
tive is to serve his State and country accord
ing to his best judgment, not according TO the
Judgment of other people, and Tor the manner
i'm which he performs this task he must an
swer TO his own conscience. In the course o1
the Silver debate, we have seen other exam
ples of independcn0e more striking than Gen
eral Buffers. Mr.. Lamar has won general
rcspect by a courageous defiance OF the mis-
taken sentiment of Mississippi, and even oil
the formal instructions of his Legislature-an
act the more gallant in Southern man, be-
cause it is apparently at variance with the
doctrine of State sovereignty which lies nj
the foundation OF all Southern politics.
81 have always endeavored to impress the be-
"lief" said he, "that truth was better than
"falsehood, honesty better than policy. cour-
cage better than cOwardice. To-day my les
"sons confront me. To-day / must be true
cor false. honest or cunning, faithful or un-
" faithful to my people, evev III this hour OF
"their legislative disapprobation. cannot vote
"as these resolutions direct. | cannot and
"will not shirk the responsibility which my
"position imposes. My duty, as see 1t,
"will do, and | Will vote against this bill"
This seems TO US one of the noblcst speeches
of the session.
Contrast it with the behavior of Mr.. Thur
man and Mr.. Hendricks. The latter gentleman
has shufiied out of his own financial declara-
tions in the lamcst and most melancholy way,
not because his constituents have commanded
him 10 cDa1lgt Ills Ullli, put D'''"oS "' w
lieyes the next Democratic candidate for the
Presidency must be an advocate OF unlimited
silver. Mr.. Thurman, only few years ago.
was one OF the bOldest-spokcn hard-money
men IN the United States. But the Democracy
of Ohio became mad for imitation, and MIR.
Thurman straightway mounted the fence. lie
sat painfully for while on the topmost
rail; then clambered awkwardly down the
other side; and has ever since been combat
ting his own principles, in Difference To the
wild fancies OF the pOpulace. III Mr. lhllr-
man had been living on tho left bank OF the
Ohio in 1861, he would have been rampant
secessonist; and if disuni0n should ever raise
IFS threatening head again he, and Mr.. Hen
dricks, and others who like them have been
governed in this controversy not by their
convictions, but by the passions and pre-
iudiccs and ignorance of their constituents
would have to make their loyalty a mere
question of geography. There are Senators
and Representatives who know perfectly well
that the Silver Bill il dishonest who know
that it is desired by debt-burdencd commu-
mites simply because it will enable them, as
they imagine, to repudiate ten per cent of
their honest obligations; yet they vote for it
on the plea that their people demand It,
They will hardly pledge themselves to vote
for everything their people may choose to de-
mand but we should like to know where they
draw the line.
At the bottom of this delinquency lies
common misconception of the duties of dele
gate in the legislative assemblies of n repre-
sentative republic like ours 1t is not the
theory of this form of government that the will
of the constituencies for the time being should
control the action of the legislature on the
contrary, great precautions are taken in our
Constitution to guard Congress agains the in
huence of popular clamor, and to insure
certain stability to the Government, notwth-
standing the fluctuations of public sentiment.
Congress may, and often does, cease to represent
the wishes of the people but it is iucmOvabc
until its term has expired the deliberate in
tcntion of the trainers of our Constitution be-
ing that the whims, tempers and fancies OF
the hour should not be embodied in the Ma
tional legislation. A Congressman, therefore,
who lays aside his Judgment in order to vote
according to the popular current, degrades his