Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1813-08-05
4Hr0n, The National IntciuseEeer.
THE SENATE.
Niessrs. Editors,


Messrs. Editors,
~s Onrca;iins the notice ia =
ken in the Eatiana. ,rtepigcncer a few DAYS
ago of the rel csion az MIR ,;ailatin, in the
Seuaic. Il appeared 20 nae that YOU had ne
llxc.,d ore Iea'ure i'll tie transactions of
that saor. body, q, tue '.cs5 novel and alarm
ing ma ure. !, is asserted Il presume from
sufice,t authoiieY) TIA, iusine; tlle penGen
cy ot ,!iatGacs;ipn, the Ssnate app .insed "a
comn.'ttcs L. confer or coriSlsue With the
Pres!lcn,. The asowed object OF this con-
ference $685. to prevail upon the Chief Ma
gis;ra,e to All .nc cfiicc al Secretary of the
Treasury, CT 20 c5sain tfcin hrn an assu.-
anee thar sllo2id be done, pgior 70 u deci
sion upon the ncininaiioi. The President is
said 10 nave declined tile proposed confer
encc, at the same tiu.c declaring his rcadi
ness TO afford 10 the Senate any Informs Ion
in his power, Which should be Gated for ac
cotdmg to established usage, ard which he
should have 1T IN his power TO Communicate
in writing. do rot mean to examine into
the propricty OF deputrg the individual,
acting as secretary Ut the Treasury, upon
a foreign embassy. / will say however that,
wii;tJeverob objections might have existed orr
ainatiy 10 the measure, they are believed to
he iasigidhcant when compared TO those
which ny against the rejection oe his non,i-
fiasiel!, considering the actual circumstances
ATTENDING the mission at that time. nor arc
the latter objections at all diminished by
giarcing at the compound character OF that
majority, by whose votes it is said 20 have
been elected. mean only to ask the atten-
tion oi We pubic TO the principle assu,r ed
b. the senate III appointing the committee
OF ccnfei cnce. l boldly assert ,hat a more
alarming attack upon the independence of
the Executive could Aot haze been ,aade BY
that bod, nor do the annals OF 1ie coantry
afford, | was gong to say, 81 hagigcas an
attempt ny one compliment branch 81 tr@ go~
vernn.ent 10 usui'p the powers OF ano,hcr
Ia every Country the appointing power Isl
one of ilIc uIcst fruitful sources Of corruot;-
OH. Ti.e trainers o. our constitution mani
tested, therefore, great soi!citnde SC to rcgu
late il IS to guard against thc abuses to
which il is iucicn.. Fhis hyperion: a5icc:
was supposed 70 be accomplished WIN the
power vt nomination was Con!:ded to the
PrcsGent, subjec, 70 the pow er Of rejection
in the Senate. Bat the thecr: OF That instru
ment sappOses (and al this is wiadom Goa
sists) an entire independence OF each consti
tpent part upon the ether. 1t supposes the
Executive will, Ia the nomination 10 be un :
iiihnenced by the :;enate, and the Senate, in
its turn, wnen acting on the nomination, to
be uncontrolled by the Executive. But VIVA;
becomes OF This ines.;mablc check, If, when
called upon 10 act on il nomination, the Sc
nate may, by means Of a commmittee of Con-
ference, or bY aoy othsr means, enter the
cabinet of the President and propose, pre-
scribe and stipulate for conditions precedent
10 :heir approval? 1t is of no consequence
to aHedse that. in the particular instance.
the union of two Offices liz the person OF one
individual was highly improper. Usurpati
or knows well how to avail itself OF the pre-
tended plea Of public good. 1t is to the prin-
Ciple, ript of all its imposing and insidious
guises, that we are 10 look; and in exanin-
ing it we ought to throw out of the question
the particular case. IF the Senate, prior to-
and az the price of, their approval. of gi-
ven mmnation to one office, may require OF
the President the condition Of his filling an
other Office, what is TO prevent their annex
ing any other coidition? That man must be
grossly ignorant OF the character and pro.
gress Of usurpatiCn, who does not sec that
The principle, set up by tue Senate, being
once established, that body would soon have
virtually absorbed the whole patronage of
the government. The duties erjOiued by.
the constitution upon the two parts of the
appointing power are pam and simple, and
may be practically observed With the utmost
facility. LET tic Pre sidcnt, ia the free ex'
ercise Of his judgement, nominate. He acts
upon his responsibility. Let the Senate
freely exercising It's judgement, neither cen
troiled nor controlling, reject or approve the
noniinaiion. They act Oh their responsible
ty. Is Information wanted IN the posses ion
OF the President, to enHghten that judge
u.enti Let ii be demanded in the custom
AIRY form Of written resolution. free from
fnisinterpretaton, as is the answer which it
produces.
The honorable body, whose proceeding in
shis particular. I lave ventured, without
hope presumption, to Question, might. in
some Of its other recent transactions, fur
nish ample matter for further observations.
it might for example be respectfully enquir-
ed how it happens so frequently that h1nDr-
able members OF that body enter it with one
ext of principles, and Come out with ano-
theri Have the states, of whose will they
purport to be the REPRESENTATIVES, abandon
cd them or they the statesl Shall we find
solution Of these enquiries in the anomal-
Gus organization of that body, comprehend
ing the duration Of Office. or is tito be sought
: for III the singular structure Of certain honor
able minds!
CT HWOT A