Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1826-05-26

shosld think, constran every one who reads them
10 conclude, that the power which the President
asserts In his message of the Goth of December last
to be within his " constitutional competency" is
the broad unqualified power of sending minis, ers
to this Congress OF states, to be assembled at Pa
mama, at any time, and for any purpose he thought
proper and this without consulting the Senate,
even as to the expectancy OF the measure. Such
a power the Senator from Mary.>nd declares TO be
destitute OF any The slightest warrant derived from
the Constution-toh be power never before as
serted by any olhe: President, and power so e.
nornous and dangerous in itself, that the people
OF this Union ought 10 revolt its use. | use the
very language OF that Senator, and am happy TO
| add my entire concurrence in the opinions il ex-
lpresses.
! cannot concur, however, with this gentleman
| IN the inference he deduced from these premises
He argues, that such power is destitute of war
rant or authority in the Cona,tu,ion that therefore
we ought not 10 feieve the President mesnt to as
sert It, And resting upon this assumption, he
proceeds TO tax his ingenuity 10 find out some o.
Their meaning Tor the Presidents words, than tha,
which their obvious Specification, their clear co H.
text and Their coienporaneous explanation by the
! author himself, communicate Do thew who az
cue thus perceive the unkind effect OF their argu
inen,: Do they see, that TO save the presidcn,
from the charge of asserting an authority not oil
ven 10 him by the Constitution, they seek to con.
Vict MN OF The grossest ignorance Of his yernacu.
{ lar tongue: 10 hx upon him, as an author. such
want OF acquaintance with the structure and sicui
hcat!on OF the language in which he writes, as
ought rot TO be imputed lightly to the verest Ounce
Vi u peoasoSue wfo ever pretended to Gch the
rules OF rhetoric III the most OK IRE country viii
4 iase: For my part, sir, will much sooner believe
that well educated man, enjoying much power
already, would assert an unsanctionel claim for
more, IN terms PuTp0sciy made broad and general,
than that lie was so mseraby ignorant of the force
and Specification Of the words lie employed tn as
se.t this Claim can much sooner believe tina, n
ny President would claim power not beloug;,c IN
hIin OF right, than that THIS President had less Of
knowledge of his mother tongue than orincIina
! non 10 keep the commandments Of the Cons,i,u
! ton.
But, sir, some meaning must be annexed 20 the
| Presdent's words, and what is the rule of inter
probation by which tie Senator from MARYLAND
/ contends we ought TO try them for the purpo.e Of
asre.tainns their true Specification: He admits tina,
| me power Is asserted III terms general and unoua
| iheu' o"t tells U.s. that an intended limitation and
restriction OF the terms used may be found else
! where, II we will but search for it. And where
s'r' does lie search for this intended limitation,
In me context! No. In the cotemporaneous ex
position given by the President himself? No. But
ne says must take these general and unqualifi-
Gu terms, III conneXion with other language to be
'oa'o IN o'Eer documents, which came 10 US cover
ell ny the same envelope that enclosed This nessage
and 10 which other documents we are referred Ia,
| 'iie message Itself. That is to saw sir 10 learn
'ie true meaning o! plain words, used bv the Pre-
siuent upon ore occasian in a confidential MESSAGE
! 10 '!'is Dody, and in relation to one subject. we
!eso'' !" o'her words, usel by the Secretary
| O'0"'e, upon another occasion, in letters to To-
reign ministers, relating to a different subject. If
this rule of Interpretation he corrsc, tbe Sen,,o,
from mar land, 20 far as lnow, is certainly emit
TIC! o"ii Tue merit OF an invention so novel and
IL ~ seems 10 me so singular also
w 'o. '"!h"' however, that even this newly In .
e''eu RUE OF construction, will stand the Senator
rom mar wand IN much stead at least upon this oc
Sor' u you refer to these letters of the Sc
cletaFy OF Stale, which il is p!oposeJ IN copn.c,
with this message in order 10 understand ,Ln ,.,'.
meaning OF The words used in the latter. Won will
discover mat Mr. Clay, in referring to the consent
y, 'e senate, as preliminary to the aDpointrnent
Oh Inc Minister TO Panama does not intend IN in
! 'o,n 'ie 'oreion ministers TO whom he was writing
Mh"t was me nature and extent ofthe power which
'"e resident cFa"led to be his but merely 10
STATE 10 them as fact, the mode in which tho,
power would be emp!oyed, in This nar,irnI.r c,sa
whereas 10 TINS message, the President refers NOT
70 Inc power he meant 10 employ but to that which
ne deemed to be within his " Constitutional COW,
Petency y, although he did not mean 10 exc,t :,
upon mat occasion. The Pre.iden, claims riebt
| a'o"hS IN his claim itself that he did no, iptenI
exert IL al that tine although il was his; while
the secretary refers 10 the manner in which = ,
ro,ea existing power would be then ernplovea
+ livery one must see Immediately that it wouId
nave neen a. great an assumption on the part of the
oecTetiry, II he had undertaken to Communicates
10 any foreign minister, the extent of what he dee
| Ell 10 be the rights OF the mere abstract au,Lo-i,
oil lie President, which it was not intended IN o.,
e''' as II is admitted to be on the part Of the Presi
oe"'' 10 assert such an authority without limitation
| u IL
what way the statement of Mr.. Clay made 10
foreign minister, as 10 the manner in which tho
! power OF The President would be employed bv him
IN particular case, can assist US in discovering
"hai Is the true nature and precise extent of re
neral and unlimited authority, claimed BIZ the PIE
sident but which is expressly declared by him no,
70 be intended TO be used on that occasion. And
YET tlIs IS the sole source from whence the Senator
from Maryland has derived his opinion. that the
President by the broad and unqualified terms he has
employed IN this message, meant 10 assert nothing
more IMAM the right of appointing ministers to Pa
n"ma' during The recess ofthe Senate.
ana here, Mi. President, cannot avoid again
noticing The unkindness to the President, of those
VINO wish to inerpolate in his message these ,vor1s
uurihS me recess OF the Senate which are not
70 De found even in the documents accomnanvino
1t. To defend bin from the charge of clanin5 se
authonty, which s conceded on all sides thai the
Constitution never conferred upon him, thew ,vould
not only convict him of the grossest ignorance Of
ms mother tongue, but now seel, 10 FIX pbon him
the lmpHiation Of the miserable, pueriIe, childish
VANITY OF asserting unnecessarily, and ex cstl,re-
GTa' 10 The Senate in session, what would have
Oeen MS power II they had not been in session If.
sH' could once bring myself to the belief that
such was his real purpose, would advise m friend
rom North Carolina (Mr. Branch - to Withdraw
MS resolution, and in its stead propose to the Sen
ate' to return as an answer to his message the ON