Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-05-07

appearance off the harbor. Under this perilous
circumstance. Commodore Perry made pres
sing appeal to Mai. Gen. Meade to furnish mill
tia immediately for the protection OF the vessels
and other public property then at Erie to vast
amount. Gen. Meade being so well aware OF the
Importance of having so important station guard
ed against danger from the enemy, that he Or
dered Mai. Clark to march his whole brigade
forthwith to the town of Erie. With such prompt
ness was this order executed by Maj. Clark,
that in forty-eight hours after receiving 1t 100
militia had arrived at Erie, and on the 9th day $500
organized militia were rendered by Major Clark
to the commanding General, the greater portion
of them having marched from forty to ninety
miles. These troops were furnished with sub
sistence by him on their march; aud while they
remained at Erie large detachments OF them were
necessarily engaged in assisting to get the neet
over the bar, procuring ballast &c. and when
the fleet was ready for service, as many OF these
troops as could be taken on board volunteered
with Com. Perry on his first excursion on the
lake in search of the enemy. Late IN december,
1918, the British crossed over to the american
side and burnt the town of Buffalo. capt. ELL
OF, who then commanded the Erie station, where
all our vessels and naval stores lay, considering
the station to be altogether unprotected by land
forces and nothing to impede the march OF the
British from Buffalo to Erie, deemed 1t necessary
for the safety Of the station to call on General
Mead for military force for its defence. TO
constitute such defence, Gen. Mead issued his
orders to Mai. Clark, on the LIST OF Jan. 1914,
commanding him to march his whole brigade I'M
mediately to the Erie station,-whlch orders con-
sidering the inclemency of the season, were ex'
ecuted with extraordinary promPtitude and des-
patch. The time spent by Major Clark IN ex-
ecuting these numerous orders, holding courts
martial for the trial of delinguents, and settling
with government, necessarily occupied near
y three years, to the totata neglect Of all private
concerns. And while engaged in these services,
numerous and arduous as they were, Major Clark
received the pay of Major, which compensation.
to say nothing of his personal services and those
of horse, was not equal to his actual expendl-
| lures.
In Governor Snyder's order of the 5th Sep
TENDER. 1912, to Major Clark, he expresses his
high sense of the valor of these patriotic citizens,
who voluntarily focked to the standard of their
country, on the Northwestern frontiers OF the
State, to arrest the progress OF an invading foe.
In letter from the Secretary Of the Common
wealth of the 9TH September, 1912, to Major
Clark, on the subject Of military affairs, he con-
cludes as follows: s. have only to add, that the
Governor highly applauds your patriotic exer-
TONS"
ask you now Mr.. President, if examples Of
such sacrifices were numerous during the late
war! Do they constitutute no claim to public
gratitude, with those who rule this nation? And
the only way left for the Senate to show
their disapprobation Of the removal, is to do
what has often been done herctofore-to call on
the President for his reasons of action. He may
have been deceived. If so, it will be satisfacto-
ry to the Senate to know it, and but justice to
himself to make it known. He will not with
hold the information.
1t NAV, however. be said, that the President
was not informed of the. extent of Mr.. Clark's
services to the country, or of his character as a
citizen in his naive State: Sir, am instructed
to say, that he did know it; and with the informal
ton before him, it would have been creditable
to the President to have suffered him to remain
where he found him, at least until he could
have had an opportunity of consulting his con-
stitutional advisers.
MIR. President, have now shown you the way
the late Treasurer served his country during the
last war. have shown you the estimation in
which he was held by his fellow citizens-the
various Offices he has held to their entire salts
faction. have shown you how and when he
was transferred to this place, and appointed
Treasurer-the unanimiy in the Senate in con-
firming the appointment. l now inquire, was
there ever a President in the United States, pre-
vious to the present, with the knowledge of all
these facts before him, would have exercised such
high-handed measures? | think am warranted
in saying there was not, and hope such exam
pies hereafter may be rare.
MIR. President, the whole appointing power is
conferred upon the President and Senate jointly.
Whenever the Executive shows a disposition to
abuse the power vested in him by the constitu-
ton, by an unlimited exercise of those construct
i've powers never intended to be conferred by
the instrument, the Senate of the United States,
who possess co-equal and coordinate power,
ought Immediately to check such disposition,
and restore tie instrument to its original inten-
ton. If the President is permitted, during the
recess of the Senate, to 60 on and remodel the
government. by turning out and substituting
whomsOever nc pleases, it at once reduces the
Senate Of the United States into mere re-
gistering botiy, Invested of all Executive inAu-
ence or Executive control; and this, too. not only
without positive grant, but in plain contradiction
to the positive expressions of the constitution.