Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1832-11-08
WHOLE NO. 1876

IN his decisions upon the laws, he Is in
dependent Of both. A government in
which the power of the executive is not
controlled by the legislature and the ju-
dietary, is an unqualified tyranny. What
else indeed is an absolute despoism, but
government in which the will Of one
man il substitute for the lawsi The
opinions of Gene,al jackson cannot be
mistaken. They have been solemnly
Published, sanctioned with his name, and
reduced to practice. II he does not as
Sume 10 make The lars, he claims 10 forbid
he passage Of all phich, mhether IN Meir
principles on their details, differ from such
as he himself woHId make. Jfhe does not
assume 10 pass the sentences Of the Court,
he denies his obligation TO respect or 10 er-
ecute any but such as he himself pouid
pass. lie cannot expect us to pause and
deliberate upon the nice distinctions be-
tween these assumptions Of power, aud
that blending of the powers Of making,
expounding, and executing the laws in
one person, which is said to constitute
the best definition ofa despoiisn,. They
are considerations unfit TO be addressed
to a free, an enlightened, may it not be
said, an indignant people. The power
/ OF the President in causing removals
/ from Office has been exercised with little
i apparent discretion. Under all former
! administrations thi, was considered an
extraordinary power TO be used only for
! special cause shewn. 1t was the opin-
ion of Mr. Madison that ii any President
should exercise this power for mere par
ty or personal purposes, he would deserve
TO be impeacbed and tried for the Of
fence. IL is believed that the whole
r number of removals from the first foun-
!, daiion of the Government to the begin
= ming Of the present Presidential term did
I not exceed a twentieth part Of the num-
5 Der made by this administration in the
2 short space Of thee years. More than
= fourteen hundred removals have been
) made in that time, and some Of them un-
IF der circumstances of extreme privation
e and hardship Men venerable from
e age-patriots among the worthest of the
q Revolution have been discarded solely
II on party grounds. Others have been as
sailed, and their regulations bIackened
= with calumny, and their goods confsca-
: ted upon Government process upon char
II ges afterwards proved TO be lalse-mere-
II ly 10 divert the attention of the public
i from the unpiinciped motive which caus-
t ed the change. BY this process a two
d fold objection. has been attained. In
IS cumbents IN Office have been punished
y for exercising freedom of acting, vo-
e ting or even thinking on political sub
e jects, and others have been rewarded for
h "serving under Chief" q vocation
v which the man highest in his favor has
4 declared to be glory enough. This sys-
10 tenn of rewards has extended to nume-
'e rous members of Congress, or those who
n had recently been such, in direct viola
le lion of n rule which the President pro-
h icssed to have prescribed for himself. II
p has embraced editors and publishers of
s. partlzan newspapers in upprecede nted
Is numbers. 1t has been conducted with
rs SO little regard to moral worth that it is
l. said one who had served under the BAH
y ner Of the Chief, might be one day n
ot candidate for the Penitentiary, and the
. next for Presidential favor. Here too
Sc we observe the introduction Of new
or principle into the system of our govern
e. ment-a principle indefinite in the extent
al Of its application and in its very essence
h. destructive Of liberty. IL has been ADOPT
ss cd as an nriom by this administration,
n that The millions Of money, and The rast a.
Of mount Of influence at the disposal Of the
ID General Government IN appointments to
J. office, are a fund TO rerard partisan erer-
f hons, and TO secure future support for men
l. IN po~er. 1t is not proposed to enter in
n to reasoning nor defamation on the dam
J. ge,ous tendency Of n doctrine like this.
s We see its effects in daily operation a.
e round us. Who are the men in our own
c State that take upon them the defence of
The ruinous and absurd measures Of the
1t present Administration Are they not
G offices holders or expectants or their de-
= pendents and adherents, Thoy form
a part of band organized and marshalled
C throughout the Union-men who know
that Office under the present system is
,f held upon the tenure Of partizan exer-
: tion, and that incumbents, are liable ut
a any moment to be removed, and SUPER
: ceded by others more disting uished for
i. zeal and activity than themselves. There
n may be honorable exceptions to these
: observations. Let us not direct our ef-
{ forts against individuals, but against the
= authors Of a system which attempts 10
suborn their integrity by direct attack
upon their means Of life.
VI After this recital will il be said that the
milton is still prospercdi Let il be re-
collected that the physical energies Of a
country like ours cannot be prostrated by
Tour ycnrs Of misrule Of any one man OF
s't Of men. II may not yet be dcpopu-
4. n