Berkeley and Jefferson intelligencer. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va.) 1802-1810, 1803-02-25

preservation of republican institutions !!
But who can find fault with cIesedd oors,
when they consider the nature Of the bn-
siness that has oflate so much occupied
the attention of the lower house I Win
any man Of common prudence say that Z
proposition TO vest in the executive the
moderate sum Of frue nallions ef dollars,
70 be disposed Of this discretion, " should
have been openly proposed ON the hoor of
congressl Daring and hardened asare
the leaders Of democracy, It was NOT 70
Be expected thar they would have hazard
ed so public an exposure Of their true
character and views. Heneethe necessi-
y ofbroachin6 i IN private. Where Is
now the can't about executive patronage
executive influence economy and sPeci-
&c appropriations ! Formerly the exer-
else of the powers con6ded by the consti.
tuition TO the president, and the executi.
on Of those with which he was vested by
the laws ordained in the usual way, was
afrequent source ofaPprehension 70 these
timid patriotic. Liberty was then in con-
slant danger from every thing that looked
like executive discretion even the dis
tribution Of few thousand dollars Of Sc
cfet ssto &c money was not 70 be conf
ded TO It without mHrmuring. It might
be proiigately employed in the corrupti-
on Of our citizens Il Of It might be put IN
to the pockets Of the officers of govern
ment or convened into some engine or
others to oPPress andchgat the people
How altered Is their tome at the present
momeAt ! Confidence the most unbound-
ed Is now to be placed in the chief magis-
tate He Is 50 pure, so upright, 80 free
from all the frailties of our nature, that
no powers can sednce, no authority, how
ever unlimited, can render him DANGER
Of TUG millions 81 dollars are to be
entrusted to his dfspasai, without know-
ing or enquiring what are the objects for
which they are 20 be expended. II ID no.
ped that after this we shall hear no more
about specific appropriations men who
can 80 iayishly appropriate the funds. Of
the country, for unknown purposes, must
surely have abandonedthe scrupulous mo-
tons they have been pleased 10 profess on
this subject. No longer ago than last
session, the celebrated inyes figating COM
mittee q lattered themselves that the rs.
deral government required no services Or
any nature which ought Is be concealed
from the officers Of the Treasury, or from
the LeEislsfnre' land vet these consist
entgentemen now propose to give the
President two millions Of dollars, to Be
employed in services which neitherthe
officers Of the treasury, nor the legisla-
t,ire, nor any body else Is to know any
thing about II may for the purpose
of enabling Mr.. Monroe, to purchase
from the SPaniards a right already qua
ranteed to 10 BY treaty, and which, 1--WE
are fools enough 10 buy, they can'tsell Us
or it may be TO insure 10 our eatyaoy-
binary ambassador more favorable re.
ception, at therourt Of Buonaparte than
ax aited a late embassy to France---or, in
short, II may be some great economical
project Of cur philosophical president, BY
which he is going to extinguish the
: whole national debt BE il what twill,
It behoves Americans to think Of these
things, and to determine for themselves
how long they win submit their affairs 10
the eontroul Of men, who are constantly
betraying their want Of capacity, If not of
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