Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1833-12-31


nave igh to determine the law and the fact, under
ne direction Of the court a, in other cases." :
vosd the passage Of that the sake Of Justice;
IS now .ad that was necessary to remove the depo-
site: S. IN Older to preserve The purify of the press Thar.
ALL Sir But there part this assumption of power
by the President much more tyrsnnica than that act I'm.
der that law the offending party have trial by iury
the bencht ol witnesses and OF counse and the fsh 10
have the truth Of his alleged rb.is examined. But
what the case now under consideration Why sir tho
President takes the whole matter into his own h,nd r..
at the Judge, the jury and the Of the
sentence, and utterly deprves the accused party OF the
opportunity Of shelving that the Imputed libel IL NO libel
at all, but founded IN the clearcst truth
but the purity Of tho elective franchise" also, tho
President has very mach at hearts And here sgan ask
that irancse Look sir, at the nature Of the exercise
o. this power! II was really necessary that steps
freedom Of elections what ought The President to have
done! Taken the matter into his hsnd.i No. sir; Il
was his duty to recommend Congress the passage
laws Tor the purpose under suitable sanctions; laws which
the Courts oil the United States could execute We could
not have been off under such laws (hoever ex.
cep'on"be they might be) than We could
then, sir, have reviewed the laws. whether Con.
the President had properly any power over this
matter or whether the article OF the Constitution which
oroids that the press shall be touched declares that
religion shall be sacred from all The powers legislation
applied in the case or not This the President has UNDER
taken to DO Of HIMSELF without the shadow Of authority,
either in the Constitution the Laws.
suppose sir that this conumaeous institution, which
President to certain of its Branche-suppose that
the Bank ehoud 20 aud vn,cae itself against the ca
umn'es poured out upon i-that il should continue TO
stand upon its deence how inefficient will have been the
exercise OF power by the President! How inadequate to
the end he had in view OF preserving the press from be-
ing made OF to defend the Bank! Why sir if we had
had the power, and the Pcsden, had come to us, We
could have laid Mr. Nicholas Ddde by the heels, If no
neral Smith Mr.. McDufie, or another speech Of the
eloquent gentleman me, (Nr. webster or any other
such hees tending to bring the President M adnins-
raiion into disrepute But the President of the United
States who thought he had the Bank in his DOW er who
thought he could stop it, who induced to believe by
that influence behind the throne greater Than itse'
that he could break down the Bank word, has only
shown his want OF the press his attempt to
exercise it In the manner he has done. The Bank has
avowed and openly declared its purpose e nd itself
all suitable occasions And, what is still provoking,
instead OF being bankrupt as expected, with its
floors closed, aud its vaults inaccessible has now it
seems, got more money than knows what do with;
and this greatest Of mers and hoarders cruelty refuses
sufferings Of the Banks which the Government, demo-
sites have been transferred
Sir the Presden, Of the United States had nothing to
do with the morals OF the community. No, sr for the
preservation Of morals responsible God and
trust that that responsibility will to Him and
his Mercy alone Neither had The President any thing 10
do with the freedom Of the press. The power over il
denied even TO Congress, by the People, II was said by
one OF those few able men and bright lumnares whom
Povdence has yet spared to in answer complaints
by foreign Minister, against the freedom with which the
American press treated certain French funconares that
the press was one oil those which admitted no
regulation by the Government; that its abuses be to.
era,ed lest its freedom should be abridged. Such sir is
the freedom OF the press recognized by our Cons,i,u
ton, been ever since The renea of
the obnoxious act which have already quoted until the
deestabie principles OF that law have been by
the fresdentin his assumption Of power, nowise be-
longing to his Office OF preserving the purity press
Such sir are the powers which the President relies
TO Justify his seizure OF the Treasury Of the United States
have examined them by one; and they all fail ut
ter'y sil to bear out the act We irressbIy brought
to the conclusion that the removal OF the public money
from the Bank OF the United Staes has been effected by
the displacement from the head OF the Treasury Depar
ment OF one who would not them, and putting
his stead another person who woud and that
the President has no color Of authority in the Constitution
or the Laws for the act which he has undertaken 10 per-
form.
Let us now, said Mr.. c., for few moments examine
The consequences which may from exercise of
this enormous power II the President has authority in
case in which the law has assigned specific duty ex.
clusvey TO designated officer, control the exercise of
his discretion by that officer, he has right to interfere
who hesitaes do his bidding against his Judgment of
his own duty This surely, is logical not 10
be resisted Well then, how stands the matter! Reca-
phuiang the provisions of the law prescribing how mo.
ney should be drawn from the Treasury the deduc
ton above stated, what asked Mr. CLAY is to prevent
the President from going to the Comptroller and IL he
will not counersgn arrant hch he has found an ac
commodang Secretary sign, turning him out for ano-
her then going TO the Register, and doing the same and
then TO the Treasurer and command ng him paw over
the money expressed i'll the warrant subec, him 10
exPuIsiol'
Where the security against such conduct on the mart
OF the PRESIDENT: Where the boundary to this tremen-
dous authority which he has undertaken to exercise
Sir every barrier around the Treasury broken down
From the moment that the President said 81 make this
measure my own take upon myself the responsible.
ty,''-rom that moment the public Treasury might as
well have been at the Hermitage as al this place. Sir
the measure adopted by the President is without prece
dent-n our day at least There is indeed precedent
on record but you must go down to the Christian for
It, 1t will be recoecied, by those who are conversapt
with ancient history, that after Ponpey compelled to
retire to Bundusium Cesar, who had been anxious TO
give him battle, returned 10 Rome, shaving reduced
Italy says the hsorian) in sixty days-[he exact peri
OIL Sir, between the removal OF the deposes and the
meeting OF Congress, without the usual allowance of
three days grace]-n sixty days, without boodshed"
ne historian goes on: "FindDg the city in more SET
tied condition than he expected, and many Senators
there, lie addressed them in mild gracious man
ner as he President addressed his late Secretarv of
the Treasury,] and desired them send deputies 10
Pompey with offer of honorable terms of peace &c
As Meellus the tribune opposed his taking money out of
the public treasury and cited laws against it
"such, sir, suppose, as have enJe4vored 10 cite on
rsh together. II you not pleased at what 1 am
" about, you have on'y 10 Withdraw. Leave the Office
"Mr Duane War; indeed, will not toe rate much II.
"bery OF speech. When say this, am renonnciDg
my own rights for you and all those, whom I have
found exciting spirit Of faction against me- are at nv
disposal Having said this, he approached the doors
"of the treasury, and the keys produced
"he sent for workmen to break them open. MeteIlus
"agan opposed him, AMI gained credit with some for his
hrmDess; but Caesar with elevated voice ,hreatened
TO put him TO death, IL he gave him any farther trouble
"'And you know very well young inpn,' said he that
this harder Tor me TO say, than 10 do Meteu. ter
rhe1 by The menace, refired and C was
easily and readily supplied with every thing necessary
for the war ''
And where now. air. il the public treasury, who can
tell! II is certainly without local habitation il be-
not without name. And where is the money of the
People OF the United States! Floating about in Treasu
~ drafts or checks 10 tho Of millions placed i'm