Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-01-01

r,r ove the Constitution, the Executive pow.
- .baii he vested in President of the Unlted
St.,es of America" The whole Executive pow
- 10 here vested in the President; and, by ano's
49, clanse of the Constitution, It s made the uu
~ If tbe President to see that the laws are 'atn.
f1,Iv executed Faithfully executed !--ho% ac-
cordipe to the understanding that each inferior
officer NAV have of theml II that were the case,
there would be no uniformity in the execution .,
| tho laws. One Secretary, Tor example, woo'd
eyecute an embargo Law; and another would re-
fneo IN do so because he believed 1t uncohsttu'
t;onal. Was that the intention, do you thlnK'
of tho trainers of the Constitution, when they 10
yestad the mower of supervision OF the execution
IF the laws in the President of the Y. States, and
made him responsible theretorf was IL con-
templated that the inferior officers, VINO are aP-
popted BY the Executive, and are OUT MS 1ns"u
ments and assistants in the discharge o' rxecu'
tive duty, were to construe the law each io' n,a'
self And when this clause, which requireo .ne
President of the United States to see tnat ing
laws are faithfully executed, was put into the COD
atitution, was it simply intended 10 "ean' as na'
been suggested that he was only to execute tnem
q
sed to prevent their execution
! This unauestionabIy would be one OF the du-
ties of the Executive, should such case arise;
but the President, affirm, is bound TO see mat
all laws are executed; and he cannot exeeu1e
them. but as he understands them. Ii the assts'
tants which he has chosen, BY and with the ADVICE
and consent of the Senate, not IN his opinion,
the Fl persons for their stations, he must neces
sarily possess the power to remove them, ana 10
nut in others whose opinions do accord win DIS
I own If this power does not exist IN the fresi'
dent of the United States, how. when that great
civil revolution took place, which IN 1901 eleya'
ted to the Presidency of the United States cti-
zen of different political opinions from his imme-
! date predecessor, how could the new President
have brou CHIT into his Cabinet those citizens whose
opinions were in unison with his own? How
could he have seen that the laws OF the United
States were faithfully executed. as he understood
them, without the power Of changing the individ-
uals charged with that dutyl This question,
however, Mr.. p. said, had been so long settled,
that be would not trespass on the patience OF the
House by dwelling longer on this particular point.
| The Constitution looks to the Heads Of Depart
ments as the Presidents advisers, and requires OF
them, when asked by the President, to submit
to him their opinions in writing. on any question
presented to them. Why does it exact this, ii
furnish him with their opinions, because he is the
chief executive officer of the Government, and
as such, has the whole of Executive power COM
mitted to his hands; and he IS held responsible
to the people to see that the laws are faithfully
executed. How can he do this, unless he has
aids and assistants in discharging the duty! The
power to require the opinions OF his Cabinet IN
fers of course that il is not to be given without
meaning; but il also nfers that, if their opinion
/ shall differ from his, ne has complete power to
control them.
But, sir, it is said that the Treasury Department
has been differently organized from the other Ex'
ecutve Departments And how is 1t differently
organized? Congress it will not be pretended has
any power to appoint the Secretary OF the Urea
sury, nor any power to remove him from office,
If his conduct shall not please them; nor would
they possess any such power, even il they could
pass law comforting it upon themselves No.
sir; though they should the public treasure
wasting and the officer derelict in his duty, they
could not get at him otherwise than by the te-
dlous process of impeachment.
But sir, was il ever contemplated by those
who framed our Constitution that there should
! be no power, any where, to remove an officer
whose base designs were distinctly seen, except
by the circuitous method of impeachment? Sure
| ly not, sir. The Secretary has no legislative
power: neither has he any power OF Judiclai
character: his whole duties show him TO be an
Executive officer; as such, he is responsible to
the chief Executive, as that high officer is in like
manner to the People Let us for moment re-
verse this question. Let US suppose that Sc
cretary of the Treasury should avow his inten-
ton, at certain PERIOD to remove the public de
posites from the place where they have been pla.
ced-from the United States Bank, for example;
and let US further suppose that the President,
then filling the Executive chair. should hold
different opinion as to the propriety of such re-
moval The President calls his Cabinet toge
Their, aud he says to the Secretary, Sir, it is my
judgment that the Deposies ought not to be re-
moved, as you contemplate. The members Of
the Cabinet cay to him the same thing. The Sc
cretary of the Treasury turns round, and says in
reply, Mr.. President, am independent of you:
and, gentlemen, am equally independent Of
you also: the Bank Charter has given me the ex-
elusive power ofjsdgng in this case, and choose
to carry my own views into execution. Well,
c;r no fnI. lie