The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1879-02-26

sponsible to the people Immediately; and
the other branches are responsible to it.
What has produced
this magic spell, Instructions? Well
then has it come TO this. Have the PEG
pie of this country snatched the power
of deliberation from this body2 Have
they resolved the government into its
original elements and resumed their
primitive power of legislation. x x
If such be the fact. let gentlemen pro
duee thei" Instructions properly anthem
ticated," &c. &c. Not word in all this
speech touched the issue we are discus
sing, viz: the relation of the Senator to
his constituency and whether his will
during the long term OF his service is
paramount to theirs. But we are not
lef: to a mere inference from language
which sophists may ccnstrue to suit
themselves, to ascertain the opiuion held
by Mr.. Calhoun. In the following pass
age, in words which admitted if no
doubtful Interpretation he recognized
the right of the Legislature to instruct.
In his essay on Government, in 1850
speaking of the encroaehments of the
federal government upon the reserved
rights of the States, he says:
81 shall begin with considering, what
means the government of a State possesses
to prevent the government Of the UGiced
State, from encroaching on its reserved
powers: l shall pass over the right or
demonstrating against its encroachments !:
OF adopting resolutions against them as
unconstitutional; and
(the right) Of iHstructing its Senators and re-
questing it members OF the House of Rep
reseEtatiyes &c, Works Volume l, DID.
"A, and y
So much for Mr.. Calhoun.
While a. b. c. is correct in saying
that the Democratic party has always
adhered to the right of instruction, we
are not 50 sure that he is correct in as
cribing the opposite position to the Wing
party of former days. Mr.. Webster, the
great Wing leader, who won the title of
"expounder of the Constitution" main.
tanned the doctrine, and intimated his
readiness to yield it obedience upon any
question which involved the interests of
his State, and, pray, what question could
come up in the Federal Congress that
does moi !?
Hugh L. White, of Tennessee, a Wing
candidate for the Presidency in 1886,
whose integrity and patriotism gained for
him the appellation of the American
Cato, not only maintained the doctrine
as an abstract principle, but practically
illustrated it in his own case by resigning
his seat in the United States Senate in
1889, rather than disobey the will of his
constituents as communicated through
the Legislature of his State.
John Tyler, of Virginia, who was
Wing candidate for the Vice Presidency
in 1910, had previously resigned his seat
in the Senate rather than disobey his con
stituents.
On another occasion, Felix Grundv.
of Tennessee, an iIlustrious apostle of
Democracy, retained bis seat in the SEN
ate and voted against the Sub Treasury
bill in obedience 10 instructions, though
he did not approve the measure.
HIS rule was that it was better to adhere
to ga sound principle wiz, the duty of
Obedence) though error may sometimes
be committed in its application by men
who have the management of public
affairs, than to odondon any of those fun
damentot doctrines on ,ohich the people |
must rely to curry ont in practice the rep
resentative p1'iactpIe itself" Letter to
Tennessee Legislature, February 9th,
1888
THE so-CALLED PRACTICAL TEST.
But, discarding this fundamental doc
5rine, our correspondent considers the
subject from standpoint of expediency;
and says that if the doctrine were put to
he test at this time, the Democratic
majority in the L. S. Senate would melt
way and damaging consequences would
ollow. His premises are wrong to begin
With as to the number Of Anti Radical
in the North. But suf.
lcient reply is that if the doctrine had
'een enforced in 1878, the Senate would
lave been decidedly Democratic four
ears earlier, and thus the Democratic
'arty would have had control of both
ranches of Congress in 1877. There
7ould have been no Electoral Commits
ion by which the people were cheated
ut of their choice of President; and all
he departments Of the Government
'ould now be in the hands of the
Democratic party. The measures for
ne persecution of the South would have
cen repealed; and the Republican party
o longer the dispenser of the public
atronage, by which it is held together,
ould have been scattered to the winds ,
ears ago. So much fer our correspond i
nts practical test" 1t is ever safer l
} stand upon the solid rock of principle i
han to trust to the shifting winds of ex /
ediency. And it is better to lose
arty advantage temporarily, than that J
lie great principle, which lies at the =
foundation of free government, should S
erish il
THE CLAIM OF IRREsPoNsIBILIrY. e
The fact that Senators are elected by :
lie State Legislatures for given term
Oes not support the theory of irresponsi-
llity, and of one man power, advanced =
our correspondent, In framing the