Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1801-1806, 1804-10-04

JuuICidi Objects, except VI iupoIui-
nate nature.
S. To make treaties. J
To take care that the laws be faith.
fully executed.
And to iecure the execution of
thefe duties, and fuch others as are
impofed bythe contribution, he is re-
quired to take the following oath of
office.
"I do folemnly fwear that I will
faithfully execute the Office of Pref
dent of the United States, and will, to
the belt of my ability, preferve, pro-
te6t and defend the conlfitution of the
United States"
The firlt is two fold-The Pref
dent Z" 6aH from time to time, give to
the Congrefs information of the fate
of the Union--and recommend to
their confederation fuch ineaiures as
he fhall judge neceHary & expedient."
1t muft not efcape notice that both
thefe duties are mandatory the term
nfed is "baH" 1t does not there
fore ref in the difcretion of the Chief
Magifrate, to give information or ad-
vice, according to any theory of gov
ernment efablilhed in his own mind
but he JbaH give information, and
he baH recommend fuch meafures
as he ihall judge necehary and ex-
pedient. For one, | do not heGtate
TO fay, that coniider the abfolute in.
junction OF this duty, 70 far as it relates
10 the recommendation of meafures a
defect in the contribution. 1t tends
unnecelIarily to blend Legislative and
executive power---to give the execu-
tive a dangerous agency in the enac-
ton of laws and to diminilh the free
will and unprejudiced deliberations of
the Legislature. But thefe conGdera-
tions, however powerful on the minds
of the trainers of the contribution, aye
diveited Of all their influence when APP
piled to the magiilrate, on whom its
execution devolved. What would be
a virtue in one cafe becomes a crime
III the other.
The information required by The
contribution has been fupplied by the
PreGdent in liberal ltream. 1t may
confidently be affirmed thar the MATS
laid before Congrefs during the laa
four years has not been exceeded, eli.
ther in interelt or magnitude, by that
furnilhed during any antecedent equal
period. Whatever relates to interior
concerns has, in every infance where
its importance jultifed it, been expoi-
ed; and the mylferious obfcurity, in
which diplomatic relations are ufually
involved, has been happily diilipated
in an eminent degree. The wilhes
of the Legislature and the people
have, in mof initances, been an
ticipated, and in no cafe, as under
preceding administrations, has veto
been pafled upon Legislative requili-
tions. In fome few cafes, it is true,
complaints have been made that the
public were not duly Informed of paf-
fling or impending events; but in all
theie cafes, it has afterwards manifeit-
ly appeared that the government had
withheld no information, Whole COM
municationwould not have done more
injury than good.
Ii is perhaps to be regretted that
there is no regular official journal pub
liihed OF executive acts: Were iuch
a journal publiihed at periods however
remote from the occurrences recorded,
it would ultimately afford more cor
req means of Judging of the conduct
of the cabinet, and thereby produce a
more rigorous relponiibility TO public
opinion, than at preient exit. But
until provifion. is made for this, we
mutt expect, from the nature of exec.
utive acts fome degree of obitinacy to
develope the grounds on which they
were taken. ft3
Confidering the peculiar circum-