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.,,...':. ,1 v''r-"" ' i ' ; - WiA ;-;;. . .v-: ,--v' , -v k - :i.V.----.- iv-.:J- iV-v .-c-M v-;.;. -s . j ' ' - "," J . C . . ' ' i ' '' '-' . , . . ; . -;- - i- : ' ' i ;' C ' j i:: ; - . t ;i i ' ?i ' '; ' ' ' . V.MmAi:' may JfepljK fhcm tfiaiiingjPi 6nr advrs ir V1 v;; ;?vV;i isKoId Soraptics a Caucus Iwsh n?ft; t situbn0 X- ' " ' "--v! w"Vs. -V v""; -V :::: ;?t ; - V7 '"l of 'ioursei that "fcrticufo 'Cricur d Ute! eveutfuf a failure pfj the -Electoral cij-V ' -rTemohihetuecino uncideratiotu the deep interest felt purpph'eiurj; W?M phfd;. --neXwS (VxmthemosttHv,a toth tppointed.' . ; He regretted --'. as the jN were calculated to excite 'angry ' thos.e'wbo took a part in their 'discussion the.politicalHce of the countrr, without .'. bv the nrbsnect of anV sood result :. After .' vlehTrom gentlemen occupying the aame side ' I t t - A ? ti " A ' that'the Bad ever be ihtrodud, inasmuch cfm and malignant passions among umnpmrwu ":t "V" :v4fv jrv z j , it- 7" . ' "l u,esua r and tcr 'scatter fire-brands ore? independence, : an ?tt- o these eTilsfeeine counterbalanced npW enjoy gtr muh happiness a the House of rPentatives in the case the able remarks which had fal- uest tmngsmajr oe convme . wuirwmui uur f1". rv vm tQiu of- the question with M r. S. j rant that eyen that Dlesseil iteugion wmcn was tiesiRrieu uj usxreaiauinur ior u iu pei wu? u.c. c ic. ...ine utnise of ft.; tT mjtn In t!iiiJfp jinfl hlshanniness in the next. lias been convert-1 Dresentatives does not fiit as anannIattt-;u... - --i- t.- thfrromfnrt of man in this life and hishanDiness m the next iias been convert- presentatives does not sit as an apellate trih, this occsirin, he tnttst claim to himself the fill benefit of the malim, that gjne.Vto.JMdict tBe.wTetMea or ' u ' rw- ' ' J men or of devils coubl have invented. rhat anv set of men hath a right into the House ot Representatives is, that in., a o4 thing is none the worse of bei t8: ' fllpULr HsserVand pr their opinions .upon any question whatsoever I notbefi.re !beeri iTechfen :and therere U h 4 lie might likewise plead the example pf the centfemen on the other side to assemoie anu exR XZezJ uL ari nhua t k.i ,CV!. of the question, to whom he had listened .with much attention; under, the presume na one, wiii ueny. .n u, u.ci u.u,y,ui;f ..rnfMW Hir eTpctatiodnf bearing some Argument whch.mijrht hew :that the if they thfnfc 'proper nominate the Presidennp oji will enyUiU 2J.P trin set forth' in (h?PiamUei and 'Resolntion we're thenihev respectability of members of Congressand their means of nfor- rtberty 6f ukM 9U1 some pt the reasons trnm - which a nnmmation mi?nc come woum incieasc its weisrni; no onei "? uac w an iau mw iu ivccu me eierhm ..- -of the !dea9 and sentiments contained in the Preamble and .Resolutions i . - . --MUii ir 11 question but (hat it twoud therefore be nidre likely to be an errone- the-Jfresideut' out of the House of Representa: , fullV as tnuhnlitnerl nnonihis subiek had each of thentlemen ous nomination th, X u.A t-w 4i ' tartoA KJmcnlf wifh rPiiiT?n ovpr tn That a nominationvby some person is necessary,-1 thmK is ery.evident. peP the.House in a distinct and audible roice the -Preamble and Resolutions. The lainented Wni. Jowr Bat lIr. S. was-frerr far from attribuHng this to any want of ability in the every mn ofcorrect feel i by some person is neessry, T thinx is yeryievi(Jent. people are mattet acqsrainted with the. opinions Lowndes has veVV happily expressed- the$entimnts-of members of Conigtess, and if totally at vatiull t mz. wJicn he said that the r residency ot the wim tneir own, irterc , sumcieni awe ior ti entfenien thertses. -O mat -no man can-wiui-nroprteiy ictmcr.ms-owu sci vwes aim r .hiiuiviiw y. Mv,tviius,4a ut ""sressa.-. e. people, scattered as4 they are over an annoSt,Jo.uhdi ientlemen in those ranks who could clothe truth in her loveliest attire, and o country, w persopaiiy cuoiiiu jr.. ayuc -" smp lajsehood ot her Dorrowea gannems ; or,rwnen smie lllllCSa SUUJCaUCl 'J II V tip ltlA. u i U.1 if J lji.iiuh.m - iuu i iiu vv. . v. i vi uuiuim ---- " .7 i- Ti -1, -y- 1-'T" -. , T-T. "tUI l innate as- members of Consress ? The President must necessarily be wishes ot the mass ot. the people, .n; J3y ;the p e are c t9Vn frnm f a.nlf s of Tuihlir. Ufei And whose evewould.be so' clstantlv of Caucus ;Nomnktiqn .mnra'df Consres fixed upon him as his associates4 ih public life ? They would be hi$ rivals, ly recommend; and ttfe people retain in theiro. u and would neveraward to him the meed of preferment, unless h'is; merits hands .th; greats p'rerogattve of election; bye ,.ftu wcu.w'wi , ; - imn9rl. moIlf!. challemred denial. The maw who gets the Caucus nomination Lin Congress other plan, ;the .people pnmrctommend, andte have been charged, Mr. Speaker, said Mr. S. with unparliameitta- cnauengeu . ' f JL.-! . ...u.. ' .u lfu l,i: UnKifrttJnl .IpriiRmr KnrL. ' li-ii-fci. fr,-:or Mh f;rt tt:h inrlAf.nifpnnstnonPmP.Tit off Will ffCIierai IV SUinu II Ke ;ini:imUH,ivsf wuo fvus ui iuc uuuu yi cava """ J .r v 'v." 'v T. '0 ..rrrf. W U.e , ,.";- V V T " ' i , . I 1.1-. IT.i i U;..,I4 hood of her borrowed garments ; or,r when it suited their pur pos. and the nronosition was not too manifestly against them, ' make the worse'appear the better reason.', On' the present occasion, therefore, he - felt satisfied, that It was the cause they had espoused which was so sterile 'j In argument, and not that tjie gentlemen possessed not ability to find them ,out, ihat so few had been ottered! -We . -4 ry cenducr, for insisting on otrr the-PrraTTihTA and Rpcointlnn Tt isarf mittAfl that bur course is not a vio litfcrn bFrlfamentary .ruie, but it is asserted that it is a violation of par- ib believe that parliamentary rules were founded upon the.strictest.prin r Cmles of. 'Ptiod manners.' ati that he" who kent within parliamentary j tjufi wouldjje in little danger of violating parliameritary decorum.- ft "' feems, however,1 to 5e one of thelmisfortunes of disagreement on political Questions, that. things right in themselves bechme wrong when they may be . dsed to "defeat any favorite measure, or to shew the fallacy of any favorite opinion:;.- ..:-f . ' ; - .' ,-. ..,';" -; v . t j : Mr. said he Wd two ohie'rtinns to the adontion of the PreambTe 'and Resolutions. 4 The first was, because he deemed the act itself useless andim proper. . The very head and front" of tlie evil which these Resolutions L:L i m-' J " i " i . 1 - ' . Ai J- x i to aes viciuai second onrv to mmseii. In Renouncing the Congressional Caucus, -its enemies have stated two classes of obiections. ! First : that such a caucus unconstitutional, and therefore morally wrong, 'inasmuch as by attending it, members of Congress violate the Con stitution which they have sworn to support. t SpporulTv that a Congressional caucus, is iinnoliiici. Let us examine each of these classes of objections in detarl. The first cus ?A tn" tliene asev" there are only the inei, I objection of the first class, (which for the sake of perspicuity. We -wi 11 take pers ot the House of Uepresenta,tives to corrupt j se. In the one case,-the unprincipled as. House oT Representatives ; ; ' ' Upon tlf6 score of cou'iof;abOTt:wnic'ii si much has beenl suid is itnot niaiiifest that bota tlie facilities to accomplish and the inducenientt to ajtemj)t,' are much greater in the ifouse of . psentativiei''-sittiriff.;as ;' the eleciire body,1 tl, L a.uiou'' tnu iiiemuei ui vuai ess, siiuog S a t-i office, and, mat, therefore,' f hey are in' that respect not the representatives . ot moe4Who elect them. Let this be granted, and what follows r is.it . tiot as representatives alone, that the warmest advocates of the right of in struction affect to instruct r4 And: it is only in these matters in which one represents us. that we can claim any right to instruct him. If, Sir, I em ploy a man to" transact any piece of business for me, I have unquestionably q. i im iu lusii uci niai man as lo.viic uiaiiuer iu wmtn uiai aiLiuu-ai uu iness 3 to be performed, but do I j therefore acquire a right to instruct him in matters exclusively his own ? or! does he not remain entirely free to act Upon 'all matters not'involved in his aency, precisely as he would have done nad he not become my agent? JNeitherf &ir, do ienators and mem bers of Congress Decora e'de faeto .the slates of those whom tlfey represent, ahd Upon any act whjch hey .do not perform officially, we have no more ;right to instruct them than upon the color of their coats, the quality of their Jood, or with whom they, shall associate during the hoursr of relaxation. It respect y come fear our -Senators ini Ite'presentafives ip Congress would retort upon us our own . language, -anu say, ucnuemen, you.raxe ioo mucn upon you. s jam uie Preamble and. Resolutions seem "to m? to be framed wth a' view to make their oivn inconsisfencies aIS manifest as possible, and while the one lo'idly and positively disavows the agency: of members of Congress in the fcaucus Dominauon oi me president ot the u. states, tne other stu very language which could only properly be used when age the liberty of putting into syllogistic form) is as follows r That the Consti- jin th tnfion has nrohibited members of Congress from hComin? E-ectors of re'- likewi 1 - v ' - - i -i. 1 .. L 1. i . I . a 11 - II . . I II A. J.I I sident of the . U. States. But the members of Congress by nominating ja Paut aiter omce, snows uiat.ine man wnom t caucus, do virtually elect the President of the United States; therefore, the has corrupted carf renUernimreal service, and givel members of Congress-making a caucus nomination of tlie Presideiit df the him actual siippprt; by his own vote f and if he juc- Archimides boasted chinery, he could move the globe if Vnii rr;nt a in an his nremisesJ sis'tance, to prove any thins' that he may desir& But with all their talent Congress; he ba still; tOundergo an. inVestigaU tor sophistry, the gentlemen err the other side will find mnstrate, that nominating is virtually eleetinev and with argument tails to the ground ; tor be assured, xhey will hud tew men, that, with a spot whereon to fix! his ma- ng We Denentoi nis unrighteous pargaiii j out, m itself i and such is the force of logic; that the other case, should: he even succeed in corrupt ft is nerfoVtlv m his bower: with such as-linff a majority df the Senators" and Members ef it impossible to de-H oi nis merits oeiore uiepeopie j ana mere are nit- out this! their whole t ny cnances to one, mat uie lmamoas iramcit n in I wmcn ne uas ueeu cugagcu viu uc cajjujmcuj ana possessipn or their reason, w no win without such demonstration, conceue u. o-vvv! g.woi.Mw iiyiiiai. them the point. I have been often toldy that there were no two words' in ter which lie has be'en reaching htf will, in addi the English language precisely svnonimbus but according to.thelnew vo- tion to 'a failurejhlUs Object; ..hater, te mortirV cabulary which gentlemen, wh"contend that election and nomination mean tion of beholding his reputation; shipwrecked, aJ the same thinff, are about to establish, men-have been heretofore gteatly his fortund 'ruined by the base meal to wmdi lie ntlemen pretend that the people are not has resorted: ' The second gfourfd uon which die Y or that by the irere fact ofnoimna-fgeutlmen oter the way contend that a Uaucv , the person nominated may tortnwitn oe omiuauuii uicuiucia ui vua- is. rrue, oir. we can express our opinions .; nut are iney Dound to .them ? 'VeM:an'call spirits from the vasty deep, but will the When we do call for them r" I should fear not. Sin T shoulil mistaken upon this point. Do ce free to ratity or reject the nomination tion by the Congressional caucus, tuailV eiecc mm r ii btcius nis nomination mriincappniwauuu vi i lature : but was the Legislature obliged to approve r Arid art people dency. This objection, to say tlie least of it; luns farther bound by the Congressional nomination than their respect ior tne wiu ai icust us, nu cu.uu: wo opinions of members of .Congress, and the coincidence of such" opinions jplan of election, by k the HoUfe of liepresentatives, with their own, binds them ? And to satisfy ourselves th'at this is the ex- as it does upon the plan orCa'ueus NpininaUoa tqnt of the obligation, let-us ask ou H el eAthe question, if Aafon Burr or for, if members of Congress be ni)t elected witii Avpn Dft Witt Clinton were to obtain the Caucus nomination, whether such' a view , tor the - Pfesidentiai Election, T they stand inonsier ot iniquity,Wnicn tnis rreamDie and resolutions re 60uld not have been entirely innocent even when attended by M ford Adates, and Calhoun. And lastlv. bv. adopting the ir' ny passm'; these KesoIuhons:;we pass a direct censure on almost a .1. i- " . -r . -i . .-.. uie great, cooti. and wise men m the nation, not exciudinarour own vener able Senator, nor even the present most prominent candjdates for the Pfe- uueocy ior it is to oe presumed, 11 tne congressional caucus oe now the present it,;i faconf Craw Pre mble' and Resolutions, we place ourselves in the dilemma of condemning that, which in the very act ot condemnation we are ourselyes performing for no one can pretend, that it was for the purpose. of passing such Resolutions as those now upon. your tablei that our constituents sent us to this place, and thus, tyhile we are " pulling: the mote out of our brother's eve, we see not the beam that is in our own eye." j ; , 'cThe setbnd objection which Sir Si had to adopting the Preamble 'and Hesolutions, was, - that by so doing) he would be permitting persons to put wurus inio nis moutn wnicntno notaccora witn tne sentiments 01 nis heart. It is true, said Mr. S that in the mass of obnoxious matter, some princi pies are cunningly and ingeniouslyinserted to which no one can refuse as sent, as the Phvsician who wishes to administer to his nation t nm5 n mco ous drug, artfully combines with it6ome more, palatable ingredient : but i uie picacui vase, mat wuitii is juauscuus, ou iai cajccus in propoiTlon that which is palatable, that I am for rejecting the whole dose. If anv one wiirbe at the trbuble of examining' the Preamble in detail, he will be sur pnsed to find j to how small a portion he can yield his assent. ;To the first paragraph I . would freely agree, that this House should subscribe, did I thmtitnecessart that the Legislature of . North Carolina should proclaim to the world its hlif that hUck is 'not whltp; or thnt tlip'n1; ttpn irt nature is true. But 'upon the second paragraph, (and remember it contains the gis of the whole .matter) our friends over the way will excuse us 11 we do not agree, witn them : jii we 00 not accept the man-ow,, until they have cracked othe bone : if wejdd not admit the dangerous tendency nay the innate corruption of the Caucus system; until they have proven it 10 us. 'nat, oir: aumit witnoura scintilla 01 proof, that those whom we have selected from amons us for 'their wisdom and inteirritv are so stiinM as to be cheated ino a nomination decidedly against the interest of the 'na tion fc.lOr so corrupt as to he bribed by douceurs or promises to bend their backs for an unprincipled traitor to mount to honor at the expense of the happiness f his country? That the people of these United States will so iar lorgci uib pnee wmcn tueir nappy institutions nave cost them, as tame ly to see them bartered away .by a contract which requires their ratification before it cah have any binding effect i That our political fabric", of whose strength we so often boast, and whose foundations are cemented bvr the Diooa 01 our ancestors, can oe su averted by a breath ? I confess, Sir, it ;wpuld require a degree of. tredulity which I, trust I neither possess, "nor w pva?ca3, wjiuuiu jwauiuua bu rcvwung up Quv oest ieeiinrsand our best Jiopes, with no farther proof than has been offered us by thegentlemen on .the "other side. ! But this, Mr. Speaker,is one among the many cases 4 in. wluch the mere application of. opprobrious terms : has loaded with dis trace and condemned to ignominy a practice innocent,' hay useful in itself idiousl v selects the 'a nomination would be ratified by the votes ot a majority of the free people equally uftinstructed , whether theymeet to elect, ncvexdts Airain of thehe United States ? If not, how can the people be bound by a caucus irr the House of Representatives, or to nominate Kiifp nn almoin nomination ? Buticould we so far forget otfrselves as toadmit thatjuoiainat- in Caucus. Bur thej truth is, theyneetin Cau- prejuuicc, arc uiwraeiu to,se,e.tnat it is not names which make thin &TMtiy rds but representations of ideas; that the nrialitiSs th mideaa the things thc2nseITcs,;and itiiU7.t&sn ing is virtually, electing, it does not strike me that our admission would avail our.aaversanes ior uie purpose tney oesign. n woum uot uku iuhu.w that the members ot Congress had violated the letter oi the Constitution, and it is no part of my political creed that it has a 9pirit that may be vio lated. : : -. ;.. - v : ' 7,..' :. - The . Constitution of the United States is a written brgaih oi compact, entered into.between the several States of the Union. Likeall o'tjier written coritracts, it is to be construed according: to the plain interpretation of the language it contains, and ho evidence of an intention not to be gathered from the face of the instrument itself, fS admissible. The term Elector used; m. the Constitution; has a technical signification,- and is intended to express an office created by that Constitution,' from the exercise of which members of Congress are expressly excluded : to give it greater; latitude of interpretation,, would be to exclude members of Congress from voting for the President ot the United states, directly or indirectly, which cannot be supposed to nave Dee n its intention. 1 1 f But to proceed to the ffecond argument, which is, if possible! still more mmsy tnan tne nrst : i That inasmuch as the Constitution provides, that in the event of no one cen- aioate ootainmg a majority or votes in me Electoral college, the election shall be made by the House of Representatives : and inasmuch as a Con gressional Caucus, would tend to promote an election, and thereby defeat me conungeiu ope rauon or tn is provision oi tne uonstituuon,j Uierelore, members of Congress who so lend their assistance to effect an election in the Electoral College, do virtually violate the Constitution. Thisars;u ment like tlie first is founded upon what I conceive to be the great politi cal error that the Constitution bos a spirit which binds beyond its letter, and may therefore be violated without violating its letter. But were we to auuiiL uujs w ue a puiuicai uogma, wmcn we could not contradict, sun ji think, in the present case, it would not avail the gentlemen to the extent they calculate. It must be evident to all, that this provision of tlie Con-" stitution was intended for a state of things which it was by no means de sirable should exist It is, as it were a remedv for a disease to which our political Constitution is liable i but I can see no trround upon' which tlie opinion cm be founded, that weare bound to stand quietly by with means in our hands to prevent the approach of the disease,; without using them j unless it be that we' may, afford an opportu nit v of she wins: to the world what admirable political quacks our forefathers were, who could foresee .the oc currence of such a disease, and provide so admirable a prescription for its relief. But it is said, ours is a Constitution of cdmnromise: :bI(T this fea ture was intended for the benefit of the smaller States, and that therefor It is a violation of good faith for the larger States, to endeavor to prevent the occurrehce of the contingency upon which the operation, of tht.1 provision will depend. It .is only necessary to look to the absurdities into which ---.rr. mv.uuu.u iui'uu ui& pan io enaeavor xo accorapiLsii the proposed undertakinov as he would tlierebv denrive the nthpr tne sum to wbich hehad a contingent iht r and every man who h any occasion, sworn to support the Ck)nsumuon of tlie United States would be restrained under the rak . of comnuttmg pen u us for the purpose of conferring together," there by to ascertain wlfa't mart in the community th'fir can witn most propriety recommend to tne petr ple as possesing the t qIificati6nsi.they desire. It is, therefore,' necessary, that they should agree both upon what thosej qualifications are, and who it is that possesses thiem; ' This they cannot do, without being1 in sonie way acquainted -Wth the sentiments or the people, and the alleged uni formity of correpohdence between the result and the i Caucus Nomiriatiomi proves nothing more tlian tiiat the meuibers of the Caucus havehitherto acted with fidelity and discernment in renresen1 tins tlie views of their constituents iipoji'the Presideatijl question A third objection to the practice of caucusin?, is, that in, time it will become custom and obtaia the sanctity of a law.fy The weight of this objec tion must depend entirely noon the weisht those with which it is associated Ifa .pracucebe bad in itself, it certainly is a good "reason for has tening proper checks' : that -there is danger of time so strengthening it a9 to preclude all hw9 of iU destruction On the other Hand, if a pra; tice be pood iu itsfclfV j its becoming firmly esta blished and, growinff into custom, cannot make t evil. If thexustom under discussion be uncouf suwuunai, fwnne me constitution remains uir teredj unconstitutional it will remain. Andiere I would replyto a question which is so triauiov antly asked us, viz. if the practice be riglit in if self, why we do not propose that the cbhsnuitiafl be so amended as to authorise it rV'eau8'r belieyirig that the constitution does hot prohibit it, we think it no more necessary so tcralter tiie oB stitution as; to, expressly authorise ithan we dv so xp alter the constitution as expressly to aum ise any other lawful act. And that, on theotber handw if gerttlemen think the 1 practice 'peraicioa nilHnni !-! in Cm tiAm ninninnci lirK All I" mendment aa ,iivUh bring iti under the panif constiution. .... For ourselves, we are content.. tliat matters should remain as tlie Y are, satunea that the practice under discussion is neither 'm' ?The last objection Which is more 'properly' .1 rebiitr tn wh-At ortf flrlvArsitrlps Ifeel to be tt , www mm uia iuk : m wimii - - most powerful argument in favor of a t ongre onal Caucus, is, that if a caupus is ever pu! v is when there U a contest between parti.esv SOnie iirreat nn titiral iirinrinle : but that- Oil l5 present ecsiOh,;it caanot be justified erefl or0
The Weekly Raleigh Register (Raleigh, N.C.)
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April 23, 1824, edition 1
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