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

n hps"inte on the contrary, guaging thy thu
stfiet standard NJ the rule which defined while Il
conferred II, they declared that IT was gwen 10
the President only for the purpose OF f" securing
gGnhtul execution Oftie tdit4" rs M incident a
his great preroEalyo 10 preside over hi, country
for his country good--Ihey pointed out the
very cases for lis proper exercise They said
: II was necessary TO remove a traitor from af.
Zee to secure faithful execution Of the
laws They urged that an officer who
should become insane, corrupt dsa.
bled, or IN any manner OF by any nenns un.
faithful or disqualified 10 serve tie public 10
The public advantage, ought 10 be. aud oil
right removable, IN order " 10 secure a faithful
execution of the laws aud having thus mea.
suited aud marked down the length. the
breadth, aud the depth OF the whole priu4
cIpie recognised by them, they doubtless little
expected that any opinion gwen or precedent
set by them, would ever be hdduced 10 snnc.
ton the exercise of uncontrolled aud dies.
polio power lac honorable gentleman
from Tennessee. who has filled tho Office Of
Judge with great credit 10 himself, says thai
he loves mecedenls aud having informed us
that MIR Madison understood the uonstitu.
ton aud structure OF the government as well
Ms any mDn that ever lived holds ut the
Congressional gister of that day, points to
and triuniphaniy announces that there we
may see his doctrines. aud there his consiiia
hondi tatpger. SIR, we may venturo here,
thlok, TO meet the gentleman ON his own
grounds. saw, TOO, that, like others from
the school OF forensic dispuiation | love pre- 90.
dents /; and thai Nj NJ ldison on THIS subject is
also my constitutional td~ger But then. when
| like the opinion oi a constitutional hsyer 50
well, take the whole, aud not merely u part
OF tt do noi grniulipusly reject hall OF II,
whlie rely So much upon Ihc other. | read
from the same volume, Mr. Mhdsons words
UTTERED on thai snme OCCASION. that " tho dts
mission. Of II neliiorious officer wns m absue
Of power ABOVE Ills CONCEPTION, and
would merit impeachment" Again, h quail
hes the power no advocates, aud explains II
thus: The danger. then. consists IN this
tho President tan dlSplace hom Office n man
whose merits require that he should be eoniin
ued ~ IL What viii be the motives which the
President can feel for such abuse " has p0icer.
aud the restraints To operate 10 prevent II In
the first plncc. he VIII be ImpeaUhabla by tbs
House, before the Sruate. for SUCH AN ACT
OF MALADMiNiSTRAIl FOR | contend.
that the ~anton removal OF mernorious officers
would sublrcI hun 10 Impeachment. mud reno.
val from his own high trust" Our consIlu-
Iiuual lawyer, then, thinks Your President ought
to be removed from Office, II he has acted on
The principles nvowed by his friends here, aud
say the klnd Of power you contend tor is
ABOVE Ills CONCEPTION This does MOI
,ern 10 work well md perhaps you may
now think our Constitutional lawyer who
understood the constitution aud structure OF
HE government as well ns any mnu that ever
lived, 10 M error. 1llcn let us look into the
opinions OF others, expressed on the same oc-
casion, who were aiding IN the eslnb fishing OF
this precedent, admired so much. Mr. Law
renee, though an advocate OF the same power,
ienIed tina, according 10 hls understanding OF
Ill was ever 10 be exercised in n wanion man
Der. or from Capririons motives" aud, with u
view 10 silence the approximations of those who
were alarmed. test 1t might be exercised with
'ul restraint. he puts 10 them tho question
which had been Hns~ered Ivy Nir Madison
would he 0he Presdeni nnl be liable 10 i'm.
,eachmcnt Tor dsplncIng a worthy aud able
nan. who enjoyed the confidence of the PEG
lie - Mr.. Vning. on the same side, remnrkcd
thai If the President should remove u vnlnn'
lie officer. ii would be an act OF tyranny which
he good srusc Of the nation would never lnr
,Ci.' Such were the views of all the prOmi'
rent advocates OF this right at TINT time. DO
go an inch, then, beyond your own authoTi-
v when ] infer, from the opinions OF tho very
nen upon whuse judgemni you now build
hat the system Of removing meritorIons Uiii- |
ers before the regular expiration OF their
rrms of service, for either personal or pnr,y |
motives, is hostile 10 the spifii OF the constiu-
ion. an " impcachable NAL administration Of
he government, aud I" tytanniesl enoroach.
neni on the liberties Of the people p
But when we trace the hiLory OF the same
I'LL IN progress through tho Seuate, II seems
lot 10 admit OF a doubt thai, but for tue rK-
raordinary concurrence Of exit0neons Cncum-
iances then co operating To produce tbs
construction, the right ofremoval would never
ave been recognised While thai bill was nn-
Ter consideration in this House, on the lSth
Idly, 1889, motion was made 10 slf'ke oui
}. the clause. implying the existence o. the
light, the worls i" by the President Of tbs
Jnited States" the Object oil which was 10 dc
~ that right altogether The Senate then sui
with closed doors, aud we have 40 account
# the discussion. Bat we see from the records
low the vote stool Nh Madlson's cOnsIiu
ioual opinions were then unpopular 10 Ftginia
Is being TOO lailtuJiuaiian; III consequence
IF which he had lost his election TO the senate,
hat State being, NJ the period referred TO. re-
presented here Ivy William Grayson and Hch
nd Henry Lee. Both these gentlemen voted
against The power and III favor Of the mo.
ion TO strike out aud | suppose that the doc
rine District construction ofeIecniiye power
vas al that time. and II often since hiss been,
h. prevailing sen,Iment ot the STATE. Georgia,
south Carolina, and Nsw Hampshire were all
United against The power, aud they were sup
jorled by Johnson of Connecticut, aud Maclay
II Pennsylvania. Among The friends Of the mo
ION we fud Johnson. Few Of Georgia, Bniier oil
south Caroline, aud Langdon Of New Hamp.
,hite, who had all been members OF the } ehrt-
Al Cnnvention.-Nine r0ied for The striking out,
md nine against il aud Mr., Adams, the Vice
President having given a casting vote 10 favor
Of the power, Inc words we're retained. SO
he honorable gentleman fom Tennessee viii
perceive that he owes the whole OF his tayoriie
precedent at least 10 that same "elGer Adams,
he tendencies of whose opinions" were, il we
are TO rely on hi, friend from New Hampshire,
- to consolidation and monarchy | do not
call his attention to this fact, however, because
concur in any Of these sweeping denunclntions
Of the great patriot-The same QUESTION arose
again in the Senate on the 4th OF August, 1889,