Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1834-12-18
From the Globe

"The editor of the National Gazette,
after admitting that a resort to force must
be inevitable, under the supposed circum-
stances, yet condemns the President for
asking from Congress the authority to
perform, what is conceded to be right
-" He possesses already The po,rer Of the purse;
schat he suggests IS equivalent 10 the tcar
po,cer I"
:" Who is to WELD the war power in
case of war but the Executive the com
mander in chief of the army and navy 3
Does the editor of the Gazette know any
hand in which this power can constitution
ally be intrusted but the Presidents
Does he know any one likely to use it
more discreetly and effectually, than An.
drew Jackson ?"
Occasionally, the Globe seems to be as
deficient in apprehension, as it is always
in the spirit OF truth. We have made no
admission Of the extent stated nor have
we condemned the President for asking
The authority in question. When we used
the phrase lcar p0lcer, we mean, plainly
the power of declaring, or beginning war
not OF conducting it when undertaken af.
ter full dehberaton by the national coun
ellis. We think that the President did
we'll to present the subject to Congress as
he has done, though we would earnestly
dIssuade Congress from giving him dis
erection so important as that of reprisals
| This power may be reserved for the next
Congress; yet correspondence of tone
and object, TO the Message the nantes
tation Of similar feeling and resolve, on
the part of the two Houses this winter,
would not be, in our humble opinion, pre-
mature or unwise.-By next December
the question, surprising the Treaty to re-
main unexecuted, will be complete for de
Liberation and action. In the interval, the
feeling and opinion Of the American PEG
! pie wall be o far expressed that Congress
may reason and decide with that aid or
obligation. Whenever matters shall be
fully rIpened for the alternative of force.
one OF the most serious difficulties will be:
the extreme danger Of authorizing Andrew
Jackson :" to WELD the war power" To
the query Of the Globe, --'' does the editor
| Of the National Gazette know any one
likely to use II more discreetiy and effect
ually than Andrew Jackson?" we renly.
that we know no one likely to use it more
indIscreetly Ia general, and more mis-
chlevously for the liberties and essential
welfare OF the country, than the President
whose power, patronage and opportunities
have been so much abused in time of
peace. The Constitution would be lust
such as he might choose TO understand il ::
he would submit 10 no limitation on his
personal Judgment and will! and the Ca.
bal would turn TO account for their cor
rupt purposes, the new incentives to des-
potIsm, and the new means of gratifying
l's arbitrary and absolute spirit, which
the nature and exigencies Of war must af
ford. Judiciary, Senate, Congress, State.
governments, might indeed hide their d.
mlnished heads, when Andrew Jackson.
with his Kitchen Cabinet, should be nut in
iull swing as commander in chief of the
army and navy, and enabled to claim the
People as his sole authority and Judge in
the exercise of the war power. We could
venture to predict the greatest difficulty in
preventing The government" from doing
the business " efiectualIy" in their old
war on our Republican institutions and
principles.