Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1830-04-15


Senators many of whom we're his old cum
patriots and uosi intimate friends and " ifhobt
! the powerful CO operation o MIR. Adams. the
decisions would have been different Under
such circumstances, | would pause TO iuaose
whether II Is reasonable to suppose thai ihn
understanding of those Senators who 81 Is.
lablisbed this power, was that the President
upon whom il whs conferred, waste exercise
IL whhout limitation Ia IL probable thai
uncontrolled and absolute authority would have
been aoknowled.e then, and that. loo, by It
body OF men whose patriotism aud devotion
10 the cause Of liberty have never been sufpass
ed
The opin,one of Mr.. Adams on this subject,
are probably Ia great measure attributable to
hellef which he had ladulgrd IN opposition 70
the Federal Convention. thai the power of The
senate, IA regard 10 appointments, ought 81
have been entrusted 10 " n council selected Ly
the PrcsIdent himself at his litduire' 6ci
mere prisy council without the authority To
check him. lie thought that the people wouId
be Jealous that the influence of the Senate, il IL
were entrusted with appointment would
-" be employed 10 conceal, connip5 nj and defend
gull IN Executive officers, Instead of being "A
gunrd nnd watch npon them. md terror ~
them Those opinions are disclosed IN a cor
respnndence which took place between him
and Roger Sherman, in the summer ur 1850
With these opinions. thus known to have be, u
entertained by him ut the very tine when he
decided by his casting vote, he went far, we
now find 10 destroy the rights Of The senate
aud Ia reduce IL 10 oie,e p,isy council with
out any effective power. In that corrcspon.
drace Mr. Sherman, who had been member
of that Convention, urged agains, such opinions
the views oil that Convention. which ought 20
hive been decisive in favor OF fhr rights OF the
Senate. &" But, said he, Z" Il the President
was left To select n council for himself, though
he mny be supposed TO he nc'uard by lhe best
motives, yet he would be surrounded by nnltef
ers who would assume the character OF f,end.
aud patron though they had no ntnchmcnI
10 the puhlic good. no regard 10 Tho laws Of
their country. but, influenced wholly by SELF
interest, would wish 90 extend the power OF the
Executive Ia order 10 increase lhr,r owu, thry
would often advise hlm IN dispense with laws
that should thwari their schemes. and ia excuse
plead that II was done from Necessity to no
mote the public good--thcy will use their own
influence, induce The President 10 use his 10
get laws repealed. o. the Constitution altered
10 extend his powers and prrroganyes. undcf
preteEis of advancing The public Rood aud gru.
duaHy render the government Refp0tiSm. THIS
seems 10 be accOrdirg 10 the course Of thumhh
affairs. aud what may he expected rom The ~,
ture ofihings.' The views Of M. Adams on
this subject appear 10 have been difercnf FROM
those ot any Other mao who participated IN ihr
decisions IN 1889, Of which we have any iofoi,
nation now, as well ms from ihoS" Of The frdc
raj Convention Itself
lis true thit Washington exercised III
power during his adnlni-lra ion The gepli
man from Tennessee produced niHf cases astne
result of his industrious researches, which had
L. Ill. IL -.
Washington presided, to Justify Vie hundi eds
which have been made In the first year Of this
But in every instance, Wash
inglon's REMOVALS were made (nnd II VIII not
DO denicd) only wbrn necessary for the publ,
good exncdy complying with the rule which
had been established. Ia announcing the eG
ercise of this right 10 tbs Senate, he used thc
word " superccded" instead OF " TemUval' o.
" dismissed" which were subsequently adopted
l,y his successors Bm whether he did On dd
not consider the removals as trovisi1nal and
dependent on the future acIl0n oi tho senate,
We have no distinct Information. On All coca
song he unaffected the highest respect Tor its
concurrent powers IN the business Of Executive
appoint msni, and prescribed duty for a Pres
,dcnt, which has certainly not been regarded
M such Ivy one OF bis successors, When ~ his
mrssage ofihe 9th Of Feb. 1890, continuing u
few nominations 10 supply vacancies which
lad been temperate, filed IN The recess. he
says, i" these appointments viii expire wHh
your present session, mud, indeed, 0Ught NOT u
endure longer hah unit others can be regularity
nude
The gentleman from Tennessee informed ~
Of twenty three cases III winch Mr JEFFERSON
had removed, and then read, 10 justify the In
mcnse prescription now made, his answer o.
the 12h July, 1901, 10 "A remOnsIrance OF the
committee OF the merchant. UI New Haven, ou
the nppoinlinrnt Of Samuel Bishop 10 The Of
zee oil collector at New Haven, then lately vi.
cnied by the death Of David Austin. That iet
Ter was doubtless written updr, some exfiie
insult caused ny the memorial itself, and toe
fame Of Mr.. JefeIso is rescued from the
inpoln,ion now attempted to be cast upoo il
nv better evidence. Yet even IN this answer
he places his removal upon the ground that !.
was for the public good. and 20 SECURE the ne
cessary co-ppsralDn with the government
expressly stating. too that his general obJeci
WIS IT. remedy the very evii now complained
Of During the late administration, says he,
{ the whole Offices OF the United states were
monorollzed bya sect lie considered thar
the former ineumbanis had been Appointed
merely for psriy aud personal nggrandi2
ment, aud not for tlso pubic "'elfare.-lty tbs
present abuses OF power by the standard .!
that letter, and you iind yourselves standing
on The very doctrine which he rep0drdIed, au,i
the deleierions effects of which he says he en
den vored 10 correct shall correct the pre-
cednre but thai done. return Wdh Joy To thHi
state Of things when the only question CON
corning a candidate shall be, II he honest s--i'
h- capable ?-is he faithful 10 the Constitution :
The last administration removed no man for
party motives, before the regular expiration ot
his term, aud even wen, beyond the line pres
scribed by Mr.. Jefferson, by regularly reap
pointing political opponents when their Offices
had expired. You now rest therefore, on the
principles which Mr.. jefferson, attributed 10
the elder Adams, aud your pol'et, as avowed
here by the Senator from New Hampshire,
does noi follow up the doctrines of the great
revolution Of 1907 This construction OF the
answer 70 the New Haven femonsira0ce makes
Mr. jefferson consistent with himself. 10 his
letter 10 Mr.. Gerry Of the Goth March, l5oI
he says officers who have been guilty OF
IL. .,ff "a