was the club of Hercules." It was not an original
expression with him. He had only referred to an
editorial which appeared in one of the Baltimore
papers, and where the ground was taken that the
Democrats ought not to part with Executive pa-
tronage in the Convention, until they had secured
power in some other way—he presumed it meant
by representation.
Mr, BRENT, of Baltimore city. said that his
only object was to correct the gentleman, and he
would read the article,
Mr. B. accordingly read the following extract
referred to in an editorial article of the Baltimore
"Argus."
Before the people of Baltimore should agree to
any compromise of the basis of representation,
short of their just rights to equal participation in
the government, they should require as prelimi-
nary conditions the following, viz: —
1st. That the right of the people to call a con-
vention periodically, say every ten years, should
be guarantied and fully provided for in the Con-
stitution, without leaving it dependant on the
caprice of the Legislature in any respect, other-
wise posterity will have no stipulated remedy to
effect such reforms as the progress of humanity
will require.
"2d. That the Executive Department shall be
elective by the people in the same way, for the
same term. and at the same times as now pro-
vided for; otherwise, if we agree to a scheme of
adjustment for representation, the Convention
may go on to adopt the report made by the Whig
minority of the committee on the Executive,
abridging the term of the present Governor, fresh
from the people, to two years, and providing there-
after for an election of Governor every four
years, in order to bring about the election of
Governor and President of the United States on
the same day—thus, as it is hoped, insuring Whig
Governors by bringing out their full vole at the
same time for President. If the cloven-foot of
Whiggery shall thus appear stamped on the Con-
stitution, it will and ought to rally the whole De-
mocratic party to oppose it, especially if it strips
the Executive of that patronage which has proved
itself the club of Hercules in the hands of the
great Reform Democratic party.
"3d. The overthrow and re-organization of the
entire Judiciary system, to take effect so soon a
practicable.
"If these three principles could besecured a
preliminary, then in the absence of better terms
the people of Baltimore ought to consent to such
a basis of representation as would give her double
the power of the largest county in both the House
of Delegates and Senate.
"To condense the whole proposition, I would
not surrender the Executive patronage, now
wielded through the Governor by the sovereign
people who elect him, by aggregate votes, until
had secured to posterity the remedy for vindicating
their rights against even the basis now to be
taken, because it will after all but be a mitigation
of injustice and inequality; nor should the
Democratic party surrender the Executive patronage,
which will certainly be thrown away |
by this Convention, without first securing the
same mode and time of electing the Governor
as heretofore; otherwise, the Democratic party
would for an increase of six members in Bal-
timore city, (which is not enough to Secure the
Legislature on joint ballot) be called on to give
up the Governor for all future time to the Whigs;
also to surrender for distribution, among the
Whig counties, that patronage which the Demo-
cratic Executive now possesses.
"Such importent advantages should not be sold
or surrendered, until we obtain the certain guar-
anties of the rights of the people to have a future
Convention, and to keep the Executive Depart-
ment free from the schemes of the Whig poli-
ticians. Then and not till then would I agree to
adopt a basis of adjustment, which does not se-
cure us a majority in the Legislature; and then
will I he willing to strip the Executive of all his
important patronage."
Mr. BLAKISTONE, for the purpose of understand-
ing the article, re-read it, and remarked that he
understood that the principle of the reform party
was to give all the power into the hands of the
people. If by taking patronage from the hands
of the Governor and giving it to the people, they
stripped the people of all power, he must con-
fess that it was a new idea to him and one that
he did not understand. He was content, howev-
er, that the gentleman from Baltimore should
have the full benefit of the discovery.
Mr. HOWARD said, that he did not rise for the
purpose of making a prepared speech. He had
no notes, and he was apprehensive, therefore,
that he might fail in expressing some. of those
thoughts which had induced him to claim the at-
tention of the Convention for a short time only.
He had heard opinions advanced to-day by the
gentleman from the city of Baltimore, (Mr.
Brent,) to which he entirely dissented, and to
which he thought the people also, whom that
gentleman represented, would dissent. Further-
more, he had looked at the course which the
gentleman was pursuing here, and thought it as
well qualified to destroy the dearest wishes of his
constituents as any course he could take. if the
gentleman had intended to defeat the Constitu-
tion, he could not have pursued a course more
effectually qualified to do so. He did not mean,
however, to impute any such motives to the gen-
tleman. It was only a difference of opinion.
Mr. BRENT, (interposing,) said he had only to
say, in reference to the remarks of the gentleman,
that he was welcome to his opinion, but he
B had no right to denounce him, and to bring the
weight of his character against him. He (Mr. B.)
was prepared to respond to his people, and let the
gentleman do so in regard to his.
Mr. HOWARD said. that he did not lecture the
gentleman, but would certainly claim the privilege
here of expressing whatever opinions he
chose to entertain. The gentleman had spoken
of the people of Baltimore. Why, for half a century
he had passed his years among them as man
and boy. It was now more than a quarter of a
century since he represented them in this hall
and there used individual reproach for allowing |
