ghts; but that what
they enjoyed they might still hold by his own royal grace and
permission_. Sir Edward Coke and Mr. Granville were not satisfied with
this title to their privileges; and, under their lead, the house entered
on its journals a resolution asserting its privileges, _as its own
undoubted right_, and manifesting a determination to maintain them as
such. This, says the historian, so enraged his Majesty, that he sent for
the journal, had it brought into the Council, and there, in the presence
of his lords and great officers of state, tore out the offensive
resolution with his own royal hand. He then dissolved Parliament, and
sent its most refractory members to the Tower. I have no fear,
certainly, Sir, that this English example will be followed, on this
occasion, to its full extent; nor would I insinuate that any thing
outrageous has been thought of, or intended, except outrageous
pretensions; but such pretensions I must impute to the author of this
Protest, whoever that author may be.

When this and the other house shall lose the freedom of speech and
debate; when they shall surrender the rights of publicly and freely
canvassing all important measures of the executive; when they shall not
be allowed to maintain their own authority and their own privileges by
vote, declaration, or resolution,--they will then be no longer free
representatives of a free people, but slaves themselves, and fit
instruments to make slaves of others.

The Protest, Mr. President, concedes what it doubtless regards as a
liberal right of discussion to the people themselves. But its language,
even in acknowledging this right of the _people_ to discuss the conduct
of their servants, is qualified and peculiar. The free people of the
United States, it declares, have an undoubted right to discuss the
official conduct of the President in such language and form as they may
think proper, "subject only to the restraints of truth and justice."
But, then, who is to be judge of this truth and justice? Are the people
to judge for themselves, or are others to judge for them? The Protest is
here speaking of _political_ rights, and not moral rights; and if
restraints are imposed on _political_ rights, it must follow, of course,
that others are to decide whenever the case arises whether these
restraints have been violated. It is strange that the writer of the
Protest did not perceive that, by using this language, he was pushing
the President into a d