Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1830-05-31
TWENTY FIRST CONGRESS-
FIRST SESSION.
SPEECH OF MR.. HOLMES, or MA,sr
IN SENATE UNITED STATES
lcosTfSuED'l

age from appointments from tho Senate aud
his reason IS, that a, seat ofa Senator is So
exalted aud 50 desirable, tina, no gift of the
Executive could detach him from il. II nigh,
have been so once, and | wish to heaven il were
so still. But I Nm u practical man | take
things as they are. and | consider ono fact
worth a hundred theories. We know fun well
the truth slares us IN the face, that there are
many Offices in the git OF the Executive which
Senators will gladly accept. because ibey hare
accepted them. THIS throws his theory 90 the
winds. Blu, as he has INDUCED in sDeculntion,
lei me speculate too-and | think | can md
strong reasons why Senators would become
s%olicious for Executive Offices. II would seem
TO me there were two classes that would desire
them The first is the young and ambitious ;
o. ambition, properly tempered, n under reason
able RESISTANT, Is a virtue. The Senate is not a
" stepping stone" to the highest Offices in the
gilt OF the Republic; il is not q ambitions lad
der on which 10 climb to the two first honors.
Since the inst organization of the Government,
| do not reCollect a SINGLE candidate for Presi.
dent or Vice President, (wbether successful or
not, taken from the Senate. There have been,
and trust there are nov, men III this Senate
quite as well qualified for these offices as those
officers are bat il seems to be the settled
custom. that neither OF them shall be taken
from this body. How, then, are the aspiranls
here 10 reach the object oftheir ambnion By
being made " Prem,ers," or other heads Of
Departments. This is the road to glory. The
other class consists Of those in advanced lie,
who have been long here, and are ialigued,
aud perhaps Disguised, with the tolls and con-
ticis which have lately become but too com
mon, and yet from long habit they would not
wish TO retire 10 private life, as the oiiam cum
! Ito-pfJ ,yanII .a, a.Uo,l, -, IL. Fl
would be grauied with a comfortable Office,
sufficient to support them. aud give them an
employment which would keep The mind from
rushing. Hence the facts and reasoniugs
Prove that Senators would be as likely TO be-
come ofice-seekers as other men, and, as
they are subject To like passions. they would
lie inti lenced by like considerations, aud there
fore might become tue creatures OF Executive
will. From all these considerations, il seems
10 me most manifest thai 10 check this abuse
Of power by impeachment alone, would ba a
hopeless experiment.
But another remedy has b en- named" Dllb.
Tic 0FdlioH," II the last would provoke u smile,
tins would povoke IL laugh, .Surreuder TO The
president the pow, I OF remo.al Z appoaOtm,n,
in the recess, u at his will aud p easnre, and then
correct his abuses 10y public opinion Sir, ran
gentlemen be seTlons IN tbis? He has she
right TO withhold the evidence on which he acts
he is not obliged 10 disclose a single reason,
but public opinion is TO Judge hun Yet all
this, while he IS poryeruDg and corrnptlng
' pubic op,nioH." He eau remove and APP
poIui al pleasure he has the army 0t his heels
he mas the navy at his beck he has the lreA
sury at his control during four years he holds
the purse and the sword. Is this all ? No he
has more-the Posi- Office and the Press. He
| Inc N apIn. N ay.r. Dnst hfbra Ia haa =
recurring officer at every Press. This, then,
is the way TO check these abuses During all
his period of four years, official influence will
be subduing our liberties and Independence 3;
the gengrene will have beenspreading, the lep.
rosy will have become broad aud deep, and
nothing but the interpositiou of Heaven can
save as Did our civil fathers, who gave us
this Constitution. deem II possible that the time
would ever come, when any man should i'm
Heine that an Executive usurpatlOn for four
years Conld only be corrected al the end OF the
term , let this is rhe consolation winch gen
tlemen would administer when they seem to adj
mt, or cannot deny, the abuses OF which we
complain Here present, concisely and at
one view, the only remedies of Executive usur'
NATURALIZATION, impeachment, and public o
ptniOn-each or all entirely inadequate, utterly
visionary. This enables US 10 define a term
lately introduced into our modern political code
-" high responsibility" Now, as words arc
only intended to convey ideas, IT will be well
To ascertain the meaning of the term. The
r esident can remove from ofhce and appoint,
in the recess, and no one has a right to inquire
the cause and if he does, the President is un'
der no ob ,gation to answer. lie is responsible
but not obliged to respond TO any earthly tribu'
nal which has any right whatever to consider
of the response and this is =" high responsible
" High responsibility, then, is unques-
tlonable, unlimited, illimitable discretion, and
UNREASONABLE unlimited, illimltable discretion
IS sovereign uiH, and sovereign will IS absolute
despOtism -uheret0re " high responsibility IS
absolute desputism. Now, think, SIR, thai
this is reasoning syllogisllcalIy or a fair conclu.
sion from your premises. II hence follows fair
", if not irresistibiy, that there 10 no other
check upon this abuse of power but The Senate
Here the People and the States are TO look and
here they have hitherto looked.
But, Sir, each subordinate executive of1cer
also, is securely intrenched behind this high
responsibility Al the request of Trend who
had been very unceremonIously removed IRON
! the Post Office, | wrote a letter TO the Postmas.
Ter General TO inquire the cause Of his removal.
This new fedged,or rather undedged head Of a
recently created Department did not cO,.deceHd
10 dHSWtT tHC I1hhy "
ceiyed n note from one Of his sub0rdiaGtes,
u bicb was IN substance this-'I am directed
by the Postmaster General TO iniorm you that
you are not permitted ! 10 know SIR la the
nroud DAYS Of the Republic, when the Senate
was what il should be, the Postmaster General
would, for such a reply, have beeo summoned
10 The bar of this Senate 10 answer Tor a con-
tempt. But il would nolV have been madness
to have proposed ii; We are the humble ser,
wants of these petty tyrant5. They all act up
on their high responsibility You will no!
allow US to ask the President why he is doing
this ? aud If you yourselves know the causes
you refuse to inform US. Can II be doubted
that if you ofthe majority had satisfactory rea
sons. YOU would not withhold them from us
| We invite you to join us in an inquiry Of the
President, why this extraordinary course ha:
been pursued-why this general sweep hal
been made. If you know, tell US give us The
satisfactory information, and there IS an enc
20 the call. 1t may be that you DO know I'M
Presiden, 8 reasons for his removals., and tha
they will no, bear the light. bis friends,
am srire- hay not the moral or political courage