Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-07-15
MONDAY, JULy IS, 1911.

las was done in March last; and not
witastandng the clainors OF two newspapers
lhat have SINCE been placing him daily be-
lore our eyes, we were forgetting MIR. Smith
IS last as possible. He might have past Oft
IN silence, and even have mistaken oblivion
tor pardon, IL ne had been endowed with
moderate share Of prudence. But lie thrca-
tened us with pamphlet, and ne has now
committed the farther folly OF executing the
anlueky threat. fts phanplet is before the
pubic; 1t must from the nature Of the sub
Ject excite considerable attention and tho
us first characteristic is weakness, yet its
wickedness IS Of two dangerous tendency
TO be passed over without u comment.
We will begin with a notice fits frriacihte,
the gross immortality OF coming before the
world with such a publication. 1t is not pos
sible that Robert Smith, OF any other man,
however coarse and clumsy the texture of
his mind may be, should not perceive The
sh0ck that must be given TO public morals,
the stab into the vitals Of executive govern
ment, the violation Of one OF the eSsenti i
provisions of the federal constitution, noces-
sarily involved in the principle Of publishing
tne secrets of the cabinet. The question acre
IS not whether his statements are true or
IA Sc, nor do we empire whether they are
Important or uDimportant; but can such
statements be made without q crime! Should
they be made by a clerk in the same Office
OF state, it would be perjury sach clerks
being under an oath OF secrecy. = - the
head OF the department, the Secre;asy,
whose very title signines depositary OF Sc
crets, is supposed to be bound in honor. And
civilized society went on from its commence
ment to the days of Robert Smith, before
that tie, in so exalted station, was found To
be insufficient
How precious is the advantage of . free
press, how august the tribunal CT public o.
pinion Here is acrime that fines and hal
tiers will net reach; not because it is too
small, but because it is too great; it is ike
parricitle escaping the code ofSoion the law
has not provided for it. What then, Mr..
Smith, is. to hinder your example from beng
followed by your successors in Officer / viii
tell you: ycur example itself Will hinder it,
and the indignation Of your country which
must now attend you, until you viii consent
to be forgotten.
Thus it cannot be said you viii have lived
in vain. The defects in human laws have
usually been owing to some defect in the
knowledge cf human depravity. Your pub
lication will have contributed to enlarge the
sphere of such knowledge; and the me-
thod YOU have taken to injure your benefactor
Will have rendered real service, if NOT =
him, at least to the government he admins
| tiers.
Bpt to judge CT the atrocity Of the prinoi-
pie of divulgng the secrets Of the cabinet,
We ought to reject on the consequences to
which it must lead. The constitution of the
| United States has vested the supreme ex-
ecutiFe power in the hands Of one man cal
| led President Of the United States, and it has
concentrated all the responsibility iii him.
| The laws have distributed the labor CT the
administration into several departments, o.
yer each of which they hare placed chief,
called Secretary or keeper of secrets. The
President dominates these Secretaries, and
| removes them at pleasure he assemblies
them in his cabinet for consultation, or he
consults them separately; he obtains their
| opinions either in conversation or in writing !;
he adopts or rejects them at pleasure for
it must not be forgotten that he alone is re-
| sponsible for the acts Of the Executive; he
alone is the Executive. Now consultation
supposes discussion, doubt, different points OK
view, various degrees Of Information. change
of opinion, existence OF error and search af-
ter truth. All this process is confidential
between Kim and his Secretary; and for any
oftlese heads Of departments % diyuge these
discussions, without the consent Of the Pre-
sident, Is ceasiug 20 BE his Secretaries. 1t
is Il breach Of the most sacred ties of honor
and Of trust, it dcmolishcs the whole fabric
Of constituted authorities on which the nation
! had relied as a means OF aiding its Chief
| Magistrate in managing its high concerns in
their vast variety Of details Ifthen his mi
nisters have right to publish his secrets, the
| consequence is he can iust them no longer,
| he must do so much OF the work himself as
his faculties viii admit, and the rest must be
left undone.
But Robt Smith has asserted this as Alright,
| and has acted upon it in a most licentious
manner in the pamphlet now before us His
| conduct is breach Of Official and personal
confidence, rs much more criminal than
! common perjury az Il breach Of Parole, in n
prisoner Of war, is worse than breaking pri-
son. And what Is sufficiently singular, he
! has committed this crime for the express
! purpose Of proving to his fellow citizens that
he IS a man Of talents and worthy Of his place.
| How unlucky for him that il proves the re-
verse Of his own proposition
But we viii check the expression Of our re-
! yret on The general character Of the TRANSACT
sion while We examine the internal merits Of
the pamphlet and compare its statements
| with what is known Go persons cut Of Office, or
! is easily collected from the broad surface If
| Circumstances open 90 every eye. We viii
| not dwell On the insidioUs conduct Of it's an
thor in coniniug his attacks as much as pos
| sible TO things known only 10 the person
| whose oficai station absolutely prohibits a
reply VIC shall waste 10 time in NOTICING