Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-06-11
MR. wEBsTER's spEEcH-[coso1uDrD.

The first proposition which the protest asserts,
in regard to the Presidents powers, as Execu-
tive Magistrate, is, that the general duty being
imposed on him by the constitution, of taking
care that the laws be faithfully executed, he there
bv becomes responsible for the conduct of every
person employed IN the Government; for the en-
tire action" as the paper expresses it, " of the
executive department." This, sir, is very dan
gerous logic. lreject the inference altogether.
No such responsibility, nor any thing like it,
follows from the general provision of the Consti-
tuition, making it his duty to see the laws execu-
ted If it did, we should have, in fact, but one
officer in the whole Government. Having thus
assumed for the President the entire responsible
ity of the whole Government. the protest advan-
ces boldly to its conclusion and claims, at once,
absolute power over all individuals in Office as
being merely the Presidents agents. This is
the laaguag: The whole executive power be-
ing vested in the President, who is responsible
for its exercise, it is a necessary consequence
that he should have right to employ agents Of
'his own choice, to aid him in the performance
of his duties, and to discharge them when he
is no longer willing to be responsible for their
sacts.n
This sir, completes the work This hand.
somely rounds off the whole executive system
ofexecutive authority. First, the President has
the whole responsibility and then being thus
responsible for all, he has, and ought TO have,
the whole power. We have heard Of poll
tica ANTS, and our American Executive,
as here represented, is, indeed, unit. We
have charmingly simple Government IN
stead of many officers in different departments,
each having appropriate duties, and each res
ponsible for his own duties, We are so fortunate
as to have to deal with but one officer The
President carries on the Government; all the
rest are but Sub-contractors. Sir, whatever
name we give him, We have but ONE EXEC
UTIVE OFFICER. A Briareus sits in the
centre of our system and with his hundred
do
controls every thing. ask, sir is this republi-
cansm? is this Government of laws? is this
legal responsibility?
According TO the protest the very duties,
which every officer under the Government per-
forms, are the duties of the President himself.
II says that the President has a right to employ
agents Of his oloR choice, to aid BIN in the per-
Torrance of HIS duties.
Mr.. President, if these doctrines be true, il is
idle for us any longer to talk about any such
thing as government of laws We have no
government of flaws, not even the semblanCe or
shadow of ii; we have no legal responsibility.
We have an Executive, consisting of one per-
son, welding all official power, and which is, to
every effectual purpose, completely irresponSi-
be. The President declares that he is res
ponsible for the entire action of the executive
department" Responsible? What does he
mean by being {" responsible" Does he mean
legal responsibilities Certainly not. No such
thing. Legal responsibility Signifies liability to
punishment for misconduct or nt1l- GdtiniStr0-
ton. But the protest does not mean that the
President is liable to be impeached and punish
ed, if Secretary of State should commit trea-
SON., if collector of the customs should be
guilty of bribery, or if Treasurer should en-
bezzle the public money. 1t does not mean,
that he should be answerable for any such
crime or such delinquency. What, then, is its
notion of that responsibility, which it says the
President is under for all officers and which
otlthn fO cor dos oil off bic
own personal agents? Sir, il is a mere liza
ability to be blamed; ii is the chance ofbecom-
ing unpopular, the danger of losing a re-elec-
ton. 1t is the hazard of failing in any attempt
or enterprise of ambition. This is all the res
possibility to which the doctrines Of the protest
hold the President subject.
1t is precisely the responsibility under which
Cromwell acted, when he dispersed Parliament
telling its members not in so many words, indeed
that they disobeyed the will of their conSttu.
ents, but telling them that the People were sick
= of them, and that be drove them out {" for the
glory of God, and the good of the nation" II
is precisely the responsibility upon which Bona
parte broke up the popular assembly of France.
l do not mean, sir, certainly by these ilustra-
tons, to insinuate designs of violent usurpa-
tons against the President: far from il: but do
mean to maintain that such responsibility as
that with which the protest clothes him, is no
responsibility no constitutional responsibility,
no republican responsibility; but mere liabiIi-
ty to loss of Office, loss of character, and loss
of fame, if he shall choose TO violate the laws
and overturn the liberties of the country. 1t is
such a responsibility as leaves every thing in
his discretion and his pleasure.
Sir it exceeds human belief that any man
should put sentiments, such this paper con-
talnS5 into public communication from the
President to the Senate. They are sentiments
which give us all one master The protest as
serts an absolute right to remove all persons
from office, at pleasure; and for what reason?-
Because they are incompetent Because thew
are incapable? Because they are remiss, neg
hgen1 or lnattentive? No, sir, these are not the
reasons. But ne may discharge them one and
all. simply because he is no longer willing to
be responsible for their acts!n Itinsists on an
absolute right in the President to direct and CON.
troll every act of every officer of the Govern
ment, except the judges. 1t asserts this right
of direct control over and over again. The
President may go into the Treasury, among the
auditors and comptroers, and direct them how
to settle every mans account; what attachments
to make from one, what additions to another