The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-07-31
abe Gnqmrer.
July 81, 1910
TO JAMES MADISON, ESQ.
OF THE UNITED STATES.

TO JAMES MADISON, ESQ.
PRESIDENT OF THE uNITED STATE
SIR--In the letters of MIR. Erskine,
lately published, there is a mass of light
thrown on a variety uf points i'm the history
of this country.-Among these is one. in which
YOU. sir as the Executive Magistrate of
this nation, ought to take a peculiar inter
est. This point involves the Conduct of the
heads of departments. in regard to our to
reign re!atious-This point leads us at
once to the more general questions: Whence
has arisen what has been called the cApI
METZ! and what share ought the heads of
departments to take in the MANAGEMENT of
executive concernsf
The rule of the constitution is clear and
explicit. BY the I'd sect. of the Cd art. the
President may require the opinion, III
:" rvrttins, of the principal uRicer in each
" or the executive departments, UPON IN
SUBJECT RELATING TO THE DUTIES OF
THEIR RESPECTIVE If we
pursue, then, the strict text of the Consti-
tuition, the President is bound ND by two res.
trictions; 19t, to require their opinions in
WRITING only; and 2ily, to require them
of each department, upon such points only
as fall within their respective spheres {:
that rs to say, to consult the Secretary of
State on foreign affairs. BIC. the Secretary
OF the treasury, on matters of finance. &c.
&c.
From the very first start, however. of our
lPoii'ical car, q different track has been
pursued Inc rule has been, to bring the
executive departments together in one bo
DIV, and to require the advice of the CA
sIFET, not IN WRITING. but in deba,e
not ON the points relating to the duties of
their respective offices ; bur on all the prear
points, affecting the whole machine of go
vernment. II is certain, that ingenuity
mas not been wanting for striking out very
plausible reasons for this ARRANGEMENT. Ii
has been said, that the President uupht tn
take advice. for every man is in want Of II
mat IL ne were even "a Imam of ,alen.s su
perior 10 the collected talents Of all his
minister's. ne may vel assist his Judgment by
comparison and Collision ut ideas% ;" that
IN a multitude If councillors there &c
wisdom ;" that this fist step once admit
ted. all the subse quent steps will follow If
Course ; tor whom should he sooner consult
than the heads OF departments, whose mind,
are 1amiiiar with politics, as well as with tne
peculiar course of his adminis,ration II ne
does not get advice through Iee;t,na,p
channels, will it not tnd It's way ,o hin,
through such as are clasdestine and i,,
pure!-And if you CONSUL these peu,,e
men at all, why %confihe it to writing ) VIM
o tnem, .eparateiyf Why not bring ,nem
together! Why not resort to oral discuss,
on! Are not the richest hints struck on
by collision! Ii his own judgment is tn n
aided by a comparison of ideas, wnv no,
oy a comparison of various ideas. and a cni
llsion of several minds ,
hese ideas seem TO have displayed them
serves, from the earliest sra of our admin.
trations. Mr.. Marshal, in his Lie -
w aShington," tells US, i'm the margin u dig
5th Vol. of the appointment of the ofHcer.
OF the Cabinet Council'-and after .xn.Ii.
ing IN the text, on the characters o., Inc ,Gi
GERS, be adds " such was the first c.p,yvr
Council, of the President. "-Thj, ,rrm :.
not USED In the constitution--Aud there 70
no excuse tor using an ulconstiutlona
phrase OF this description, than bec,use n
expresses the fact of sGch an orpan,zat;on
OF he executive ministers, even al tbs ear
~ perIod -By recurring 10 the same volume
we may also discover, tnat there was sc.rca
~ an important question, on which, this ora
Gle was not consulted. On all the pre.I
points. connected with the French RevolnI,
on IN particular, the Cabinet was question
ea ana the Cabinet was nearly divided.
40 such extreme leng,h rs did the aid of
TINS cabinet extend. that we are even a,snr
ed, on some important points. things .Dsn,
ny noses. The President decided with tha
mAJoRITY OF his ministers.
In the days of Mr.. Adams. his ministers
went ON with a very high ha nd. They wish
ed to usurp the functions of the Presidenf.
though Mr.. Adams had decided on a neace
mission to France, yet they tried to c1ntrnnI
hlin-they addressed "a letter signed by
GH five OF the heads OF departments earnest,
~ entreating him to decline it."-sM Ene
la"a' as Mr.. "A. says, /" the first ma
gistrate is responsible for nothing his min
isters tor every thing. Here, according to
uhe praStiCe' II not the constitution, they are
responsible for nothing ; the President for
every thing-ln all great and essential mea
sures, he is bound by his honor and his con
science, by his oath to the consti ution. az
well as his responsibility TO the public opi
mon OF the nation, to act his own mature 3,
unbiased Judgment, though unfortunately
IL may De III direct contradiction to the All
vice oiaii his ministers. This was nv eli
uation IN more than one instance II had
been SO IN the nomination of Mr.. Gerry. u
was afterwards so in the pardon of fries.
wo measures that / recollect with ,n6n;ts
satisfaction. and which will console me in mv
last hour" NY
During the days OF MIR. Jefferson. Cabi
nets were occasionally held-but that ore,,
man never held himself bound to conform =
their advice. His councils COMPRISED ne
Secry. of the Navy-those of Gen VAST.
ington, Considered the Attorney General. as
Que OF its members.-But in The DAYS of Mr.
j. the Cabinet was MOI uniformly held-if we
may believe Mr.. GallatiD's complaint to Mr.
John Randolph, that Z" there was no Csbi
net."
But there are serious obiec,ioro D., uo