Amendments to the Constitution, [8 June] 1789 — reading text

Itronger reafoning, he right now in oppoling the appoirAtment of another couMuittee on the 284 P E B A T E S A. 17189. fame fubject. 1 he joint committee reported, that no titles ought to be given ; we agreed to the report, and I was in hopes we Ihculd have heard no more of the matter. The Senate rejected the report, and have now fent usarefolu- tion, exprellive of a determination to give a title j to which they defire our concurrence. I am Hill of opinion, that we were wrong in appointing the lirlt committee, and think that we (hall be guilty of greater impropriety, if we we now appoint another. V/hat, fir, is the intention of this bufinefs ? will it not alarm our fellow- citizens ? will it not give them juft caufe of alarm ? will they not fay that they have been deceived by the Convention that framed the Conltitution ? that ic has been contrived with a view to lead them on by degrees to that kind pt government, v/hich they have thrown off with abhorrer.ce / bhall we not juflify the fears oi thofe who were oppofed to the Conltitution, becaule they confidered it as infidious and holtile to the liberties ot the people ? One of its warmest advocates, one of the framers of it (Mr. Willon of Penn» iylvania), has recommended it by calling it a pure demo- cracy. Does this look like a democracy, when one of the nril ads of the two branches of the Leg.ilature is to confer titles? lurejy not. To give dignity to our government we mult give a lofty title to our chief magiitrate. Does the dignity of a nation confift in the difiance betwixt the firlt magirtrate and his citizens? does it conlift in the ex- altation el one man, and the humiliation of the relt ? if fo, the molt defpotic government is the molt dignified and • to niake our dignity complete we muif give a high title, an embroidered I'obe, a princely equipage, and hnally a crown and hereditary fucccfhon. Let us, Sir, eftabliih tranquility and good order at home, and weahh, flrengih, and national dignity will be the infalhble reiult. I'he ag- gregate of dignity will be the fame, whether it be divided amcngft all or centered in one. And whom, Sir, do vt'e mean to gratify ? is it our prefent Prefident i certainly, if we expect to pleafe him we fliail be greatly dilappointed. Ke has a real dignity of charadicr, and is above luch Hale vanities. We iiiall give hmi infinite pain we ihall dp ; him an elTential injury we Ihall place him in a molt deli- ; cate and difagreeable iituation ;we Ihall reduce him to the nccellity of evincing to the world his diiapprobation ^ pf our meafures, or of rifl<ing lume diminution of that iiinh reputation for difmtercltcd patriotifm which he has fo juiily acquired. If ic is not for his gratificaiicn, fur A. 1789. Of CONGRESS. 285 whck chen are we to do this ? Where is the man amoiigit us who has ihe prefumption and vanity to expeft it? Who IS it that ihall lay ; for my aggrandizment three millions of people have entered into a calar.iitous vv ar, they have perfevered in ifeipr eight long years, they have iacri- need their property, they have Ipilc their blood, they have renderL-d thuuiands of families wretched by ilie lofs of their only protestors and me^ns of fupport? This fpirit of imi- tation, fir, this ipirit of mimickry and apery will be the ruin of our cuuiiiry. Inficad of giving us dignity in the eyes of fo' eigners, it v. ill xpole us to be laughed at as » r.pes. They gave us credit for our exertions in effeding the revolution, but they ,11 lay that we want independ- ance of fpirit to render it a bleliing to us. I hope, lir, that we (hall not appoint d committee. I thought ic improper before, and 1 Itili think that we cannot bejuftified 111 do- ing It. Mr. Trumbull. Moved for the appointment of a committee of confe- rence to conlider on ihe difference which appeared the m votes of the two hpuies iipon the report of the joint com- mittee. Mr. Burke. Koped the houfe would exprefs their decided difappro- bation of beftowing titles in any fhape whatever, it would be an indignity in the houfe to countenance any meafures of this nature ; perhaps fome gentlemen might think the fubjccl was a matter of indifference, but it did not appear to nim in that light, the introduction of two words which he could mention, into the title ot ihefe officers, would he would forbear to fay alter tlit conitiiution itfelf, but any thMig farther, as he had a well grounded expectation that the houie would take no further notice of the bu- nefs. Mr.GooDHUK, Thought the conference unnecehary, becaufe the houfe had not oi'ly adopted the report of their committee but proceeded to adl in purluance thereof, Mr. lENEY. Joined the lafl gentleman in fentiment, and thought it an unneceiTary wafte of time, to give the fubjed any long- er difcuffion. Mr. Madison I may be well difpofed to concur in opinion with gentle- raen that we ought not to recede from our former vote on  : 286 DEBATES this fubjcfl, yet at the fame time I may wilh to proceed A.17S9. Avithdue refped to the Senate, and give dignity and weight to our own opinion lb far as it contradidls theirs by the de- hberate and decent manner in which we decide. For my part, iVlr. Speaker, I do not conceive titles to be fo preg- nant with danger as fome gentlemen apprehend, I btlieve a Prefident of ihe United States cloathed with all the pow- ers given in tlie conilitution would not be a dangerous per- fon to the liberties of America, if you were to load him with all the titles of Europe or Afia. We have feen fu- perb and augull titles given without conferring powtr and influence or without even obtaining refpect ; one of the moft impotent fuvereigns in Europe hasafiuireda title as high as human invention can devii'e, for example, what words can imply a greater magnitude of power and Itrength than that of high mightinels ; this title leeins to border al- moil upon impiety ; it is alTuming the pre eminence and omnipotency of the deity, yet this title and many others caft in the faiiie mould have obtained a long time in Europe, but have they conferred power ? does experience fandify fuch opinion, look at the republic I have alluded to and lay if their prefent itate warrants the idea I am not afraid of titles becaule I fear the danger of any power they could confer, but I am againlt them becaufe they are not very reconcilable with the nature of our go- vernment, or the genius of the people ; even if they were proper in thenifelves, they are not fo at this jundure of time. But my itrongeft objedion is founded in principle, inffead of encreafing they diminilh the true dignity and im- portance of a republic, and would in particular, on this oc- cafion, diminifh the true dignity of the firft magiftrate him- felf. If we give titles, we muff either borrow or invent them — we have recourfe to the if fertile fields of luxriant fancy, and deck out an airy being of our own creation, it is a great chance but its fantaft ic properties renders the emp. ty fanthom ridiculous and abfurd. If we borrow, the fer- vile innVaation will be odious, not to fay ridiculous alio — we muff copy from the pompous fovereigns of the eaft, or follow the inferior potentates of Europe ; in either cafe, the fplendid tinfel or gorgeous robe would difgrace the man- Jy Ihoulders of our Chief. The more truly honorable ftiall Y/e be, by ihewing a total negled and difregard to things of this nature ;the more limple, the more republican we are in our manners, the more rational dignity we acquire; therefore I am better pleafed with the report adopted by A. 1789. Of congress. 287 the houfe, than 1 Ihould have been with any other whatfo- ever. The Senate, no doubt, entertain different fentiments on this fubjedl, I would wi(h therefore 10 treat their opi- nion with refped and attention, I would del-re to juftify the reafonable and republican decilion of this houle to the other branch of Congrefs, in order to prevent a mifunder- ftanding. But that the motion of my worthy colleague, (JV'Ir. Parker) has polfeflion of the houfe, 1 would move a more temperate propofition, and I think it deferves fome pains to bring about that good will and urbanity, which for the difpatch of public bufinefs, ought to be kept up between the two houfes. 1 do not think it would be a facrifice of din-nity to appoint a committee of conference, but imagine it would tend to cement that harmony which has hitherto been prefeived between the Senate and this Houfe— there- fore, while I concur with the gentlemen who exprefs in fuch decided terms, their diiapprobation of beftowing ti- tles, I concur alfo, with thofe who are for the appointment of a committee of conference, not apprehending they will depart from the principles adopted and acled upon by the Houfe. Mr. White. Did not approve of a committee of conference, becaufe the houfe had already determined the queilio''', by uitani- niOuHy adopting the report of the joint committee, he did not think that it was worth while having the fubjecr long- er contended ; be was facisfied both the fpirit of the con- {litution, and the fpirit of the people difapproved of titles. Mr. Bland. Would be careful of giving umbrage to the fenate, be- caufe he wiflied that the unanimity and moderation which fubfilled between the two houfes might continue, he confi- dered the prefent as a very proper opportunity for the appointment of a committee of conference, the two houfes had difagreed on the report of their conunittees, it was pro- per therefore that they lliould mutually allign their reaians in order to bring about an agreement to the lame refolu- tion ;he hoped therefore that fuch a committee would be appointed, tho he had no expedation that the houfe would give up an opinion they fo juftly and decidedly entertained refpeding titles. Mr. Parker Wanted to know what was the object of gentlenien in 2^8 DEBATES the appointment of a committee of conference, the com: A. 1789 mittee could only fay, tliat the houfe had refn'ed their con- fent to annexing any titles whatever to the Pi-tlident and Vice Prcfident for certainly the committee would nor. ; defcend into the merits of a queftion ah'eady eltabliined by the houfe ; for his '-.art he could not fee what purpofe was to be anfwered by the appointment of fuch a conimittee, he wiihed to have done with the fubjfeft, becaufe while it remained a que/lion in the houfe, the peonies minds would be much agitated it wasimpofTible that a true republican ; fpirit could remain unconcerned when a principle was un- der confideration I'o repugnant to the principles of equal liberty. Mr. Sherman Thought it was prettj' plain, that the Houfe could not comply with the propnlitlon of the Senate, the appoinnnent of a committee on the part of the Houfe, to coudJer a^id determine what llile or titles will be proper to annex to the Prefident and