Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1834-05-01

on any other principle) that the Secretary Of
the Treasury n tho officer Of Coa='~ss. and
indie pendent oC tho President taat the Pres,-
dent has right to control him, aud coe-c-
quently, none To remove hum. W ith the ss.se
Propricty. aud on similar grounds. may the
4 Secretary OF State, the Secretaries OF War
and the Navy, and the Postmaster General,
each IN succession, be declared Independent
Of the President, the sabor,ii atcs of oagrcs.
and movable only with the concurrence OF
the Senate. Followed to it, cooseq ucnees,
this principle will be found efIectusily To de-
stroy one coordinate department Of the Co
vernmeot, To concentrate On the hands OF the
senate the whole Executive po~er. and "a
leave the President as pow-riess - he would
he Useless -the shadow Of authority after the
substance had departed.
4 The time and the occasion which have call
ed forth the resolution of the senate, seem 20
impose upon me Nh additional obligation not
10 pass II over in silence. Nearly forty-iive
years had the President exerci sed, without n
question as Ia his rightfui authority, those
powers, Tor the recent assuiapiion of which
he ~ now denounced. The Nicissit,,d~. Of
peace and war had attended our Go, rune nj ;
violent parties, watchfui TO take advantage ,f
any seeming usurpat,on on the part Of tho
Executive, h,d distracted our eounc lis: fire.
quent removals, or forced resigu,tions, in
every sense tantamount 10 removals, hal been
"ade Of the Secretary and other officers oi
The Treasury; and yet, IN no one instance .,
IL Known. that any man, whether patriot or
partisan, had raised hrs voice against il, n n
violation Of the Constitution. The expe,i,cn-
cy and justice OF such changes. in reference
I 10 public officers OF all grades, have fresuent-
" been the topics Of discussion; but the con-
/ shirtnnal right Of tie President 10 ap,lo,ut
control, and remove the head vi lee IRE a,ur,.
rs we'll AZ all other departments, seems 10
have been universally conceded. Aud what
Is the occasion upon which other prineipI.s
have been hrst iiicially asserted; The Bank
ot the United States, great mon,ed monopo-
! ~, had attempted to obi,n n renewal &c ~,
charter. by controlling the elections OF the
People, and the action of the Government.
The use OF its corporate funds ard power ma
that attempt, was fully disclosed, AID II wa.
made known 10 the President that the co-ro-
ration was putting IN train the same course Of
! measures, with the view Of making another
vigorous en"rf. through an Interference in the
elections Of the people, to control public
opinion, and force the Government 90 Weld
To its demands. This, with it, corruption of
the press, its violation Of its charter a., ex-
cinsion Of the Government Director. frosu il.
proceedings, ITS neglect Of duty, and arrogant
pretensions, made il. in the opinion of the
Z
tercst ard the safety OF our institutions. :h.,
II should he longer employed rs the fiscal n
gent OF the Treasury. Secretary of the
Treasury, appointed in the recess OF the Sc
nate, who had not been confirmed by thai
body, and whom the President might. or
might not, nj his pleasure, nominate To them
refused 10 do what his superior M the Eaeeu-
tive Department considered the most imprr-
alive OF his duties, and bee anne, in fact, ho~
ever innocent hiS motive, the protector OF
the Bank. And on this occasion, IL is disco
'ered, Tor the hrst time, that those who franz
ed the Constitution misunderstood il; thai
The hrst Congress, and all lis successors. La. g
been under delusion that the practice OF
near iorty-hye years, Is but continued usuY-
patton that the Secretary Of the Treasury T.
not responsible 10 the President; and that to
remove him Is violation Of the Con,titu,ion
and laws, for which the President deserve.
10 stand forever dishonored On the journal of
the Senate.
There are also some other circumstance,
connected with the discussion and passage al
The resolution, 90 which feel il 60 be. no,
only my right, bat my duty, 10 refer il an
pears by the journal Of the senate. that. a
mons the twenty-six Senators who voted for
the resolution on its final passage, and Who
mad supported h IN debate in ITS original form
were one OF the Senators from the State of
Maine, the two Senators from New IerSey
and one of the Senators from Ohio. N aiso
appears by the same journal, and by the iil--
OF The Senate. that the Legislatures Of these
states had severally expressed their opinions
VA respect 10 The Executive proceedings drawn
, IN question before the Senate.
Here follow the resolutions passed by the
Legislatures Of Maise. New Jersey and ohio
nstructi0g their Senators IN Congress to vote,
against the re-eharier Of the United S,aies
Bank and the restoration Of the DepoSIis-sl
II IS thus seen that four Senator. have de
ciared b their votes that the President. IN
the late Executive proceedings in relation 90
'he revenue, had been guilty Of the itnte ach-
ao'e ouence OF assuming upoa himself autho,-
r'iy aud power not conferred by the Coast,-
tuition and laws, but in derogAlion IL both
whilst the Legislatures Of their resueet,ss
states had deliberately approved those yer,
proceeding, a. consistent with The Constttt,-
ton, aud demanded by the pabIlc good. n
thc>e Tour votes had been giEea IN accordance
with The sentiments Of tie Legislature. -
ABOVE expressed, there would have been bal
twenty-five votes out of fotty-s,x for een.ur-
Tug the President, aud tl,e unprecedented re-
cord OF h's conviction eouId no, have been
placed upon the journal Of ihe s-uate
10 thus referring To the resolutions and in
str,iet'ons OF the state Legislatures 4 d,.cIsi,a
and rePudiAie all authority or design 10 m.
teriere With the responsibility due from u,.Un-
Dcrs OF tho senate 10 their own eooseieners
thetr commitments, aud their country. The
facts nov stated beiong 10 the history Of ,h~.e
proceeding, and are important 10 the iust de-
'eloPment of the principles AID interest. an
.oI'ed ." them, IS we'll .. 20 IN. proper vim
d'cai'on OF the Executive Department; aud
s"h .ha' ''e.' and With that view only, are
uey here made the topic Of remark.
The dangerous tendency Of the doetrine
"h%h denies io the President the po1er Of
supervising, directing. and removiog the Sc
eret9fy' 80 Ike manner With the other exc.
euh'e officers, would soon be manifest AZ
practice, were the doctrine to be established
ihs president - the direct representative 81
the American people, out the Secrstar,ss ar.
not " u'e Secretary % tie TEsasury bs n
, dependent Of the Prcsident, IN the sxeeution
OF we Avs Then ~ there 30 ditect RESPONSE
buty TO Tie people in that importast brsnch
" this Government, 81 which - eonso,ti@d
the care Of the nationai finances. AID A. 4.
20 che power Of The Bank q uis nited states.
1 or anV other farrufagsvo