Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1804-09-19
FROM TIE national ixrELLlc nNckn.
T. tie PEOPLE.
THE DEFENCE.
No. H..

q ''SN''S ~ VIC SNCGuAtNc Qnlley or
great nation is such as not 10 admit OF
discharge by one man. They are so vari.
GUS ald extensive that the cXer.ions of an
Individual, however splondid urmiechly arc
Inadequate 10 the lagl. oil lulIllin,s 4, ia.
h''hough' therefore, the theory of The go
Nefhmcnt vests in the President the Whole
Executive power, qualified in some ia
stances by the advice and consent OF ihc
senate yet 1t Is no less manifest, from
thS teSai provisions established than from
"''e reason oil the thing, that a DIVISION of
power was contemplated among subordi.
nate agents. Hence The establishment
Oh iout great departments, each POSSESS.
ca 81 supreme control overs cilcu,Es,ri.
Ded sphe'e ot delegated powers. The
government was no sooner put into one
i"'i"h Than laws passed establishing the
| uepartnlnts oil State, Of the Treasury,
ana oil War; and as soon as the public
J eXigcncies required a Navy, q law Wa
| passed establishing the Navy department.
al the head of each of these DEPART
ments the President was required, with
the appreciation of the Senate 10 place AN
1naiVidual, whose continuance in Office
should depend upon his pleasure. Laws
passed rom time to Tine, defined the Iu
tles' as wei OF these officers, as of those
J placed under them. These laws were, in
several cases, SO many limitations Of The
Executive power of the Chief Magistrate.
hey devolved specific duties upon sub.
ORDINATE agents, and Lett only to him ee
neral superintcndance, Invested Of all dis.
cFeuon. Even the responsibility of aD.
pointing proper officers is divided with
the Senate, who are possessed of the ripbt
OF REJECTING any candidates offered by The
PRESIDENT as instances may occur, and
probably have occurred, in which names
have been proposed by him, as much from
knowledge that they would be accepta
bic to that body as from his own estjr,ati.
on OF lhcir qualifications.
1t Is not the object OF these remarks to
dero@ate from the responsibility of tke
President. II canhut be denied that his
powers are vast, and, of consequence, Thai
ne should be held under a rigid response
O'li'y' Ii is only meant 20 shIw that this
responsibility is not absolute and that all
tue MEASURES OF the EX, culive govern
ment IN their various details are hot To be
cohs'aered as his. 1t is true, however.
! althooSh he does not possess an abaolu,e
cohtroiover the acts of subordinate AGENTS.
I lie yet does possess The eficleut power of
4 removal and OF thus preventing CONT
huance, though he may not have been a.
I Die % prevent the FIRST occurrence of mis-
conduct.
II is apparent, from this feature of the
( government, that much depended upon tn.
character of the men called upon to 6u
otiices' and particularly of those on whom
are deVolycd the superinlendance Of the
TOUR great departments. To the Sccrela.
ny or state is Immediately committed The
cohduct OF ioIeign rela Ions,-on which III.
peace ard commercial prosperity OF the
nation depend to the Secretary of the
treasury Is committed Tie management
Oh the whole resources ofthe government :;
ana 10 the Secretaries Of War and Nav
are committed all the duties attached TO
lhese mighty engines OF national defence.
Besides the distinct discharge OF ,hese
great duties, these high Offices in coniunc.
ton with the Attorney General as mem.
Ders oil the Cabinet, arc called upou to ad.
wise the President in all CASES of great
moment, and to cooperate in The taking
eHeCtuaI measures IN every interesting
crisis OF affairs. From these considerati.
ons, the formation Of ministry has been
deemed under all governments work of
the greatest deIicacy and difficulty; and so
arduous as to have been tcputCd critic
rion OF the talents Of the man at the head
OF public affairs. In proportion to the
freedom of the government, does this diff
hculiy increase Tor, under free govern.
mehls, II IS not only necessary that men
OF talents should be appointed, but like
wise that they should enjoy the confidence
OF the people, without whose hearty COO
pepelion II ia impossible for such q goveIn
ment to be efficient or respected
When, therefore, the present chief ma
gistraIe assumed the rcigns Of govern.
ment IL was with no uisapplied solici,ude,
that the nation looked forward to the de.
signaion Of these great officers Of tate.
Madison was called TO preside over The de-
pariment Of State, Galiatin over The j.
names, Dearborn over the War depart
ment, and Smith over that Of the Navy ;
while Lincoln was named Attorney &c.
neral.