Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-04-19


1 tive Department.; and with that view, and that
view only, are they here made the topic of re-
mark.
The dangerous tendency ofthe doctrine which
denies to the President the power of snpervs-
ing, directing, and removing the Secretary OF
the Treasury, in like manner with the other EX-
ecutive officers, would soon be manifestin prac-
tice, were the doctrines to be established The
President is the direct representative Of the
American People, but the Secretaries are not.
j If the Secretary of the Treasury be indepen-
dent of the President in the execution of the
laws, then there is no direct responsibility to
the People in that important branch of this Go
vernment to which is committed the care of
the national finances. And it is in the power
of the Bank of the United States, or any other
corporation, body of men, or individuals, if
Secretary shall be found to accord with them in
opinion, or can be induced in practice to pro-
mote their views to CONTROL through him, the
whole action of the Government, $50 far as it is
exercised by his Department. in defiance of
the Chief Magistrate elected by the People and
responsible to them.
But the evil tendency of the particular doc
trine adverted to, though sufficiently serious
would be as nothing in comparison with the per-
nicious consequence which would inevitably
flow from the appreciation and allowance by
the People, and the practice by the Senate, Of
the unconstitutional power of arraigning and
censuring the official conduct of the Executive,
in the manner recently pursued. Such proceed
ngs are eminently calculated to unsette the
foundations of the Government; to disturb the
harmonious action of its different Departments
and to break down the checks and balances by
which the wisdom Of its trainers sought to en-
sure its stability and usefulness.
The honest differences of opinion which oc-
casionally exist between the Senate and the
President IN regard to matters in which both
are obliged to participate, are sufficiently en-
barrassing. But if the course recently adopt
ed by the Senate shall hereafter be frequently
pursued it is not only obvious that the harmo-
ny Of the relations between the President and
the Senate will be destroyed, bnt that other and
graver effects will ultimately ensue. Ifthe cen
sures of the Senate be submitted to by the Pre-
sident, the confidence of the People in his abb
lily and virtue and the character and useful
ness of his administration, will soon be at an
end, and the real power of the Government
vii fall into the hands of body, holding their
offices for long terms, not elected by the Peo-
pie, and not to them directly responsible. If on
the other hand, the illegal censures OF the Sc
nate should be resisted by the President COLI
sions and angry controversies might ensue, dis
creditable in their progress, and in the end
compelling the People to adopt the conclusion,
either that their Chief Magistrate was unwor
thy of their respect or that the Senate was
chargeable with calumny and injustice. Either
of these results would impair public confidence
in the perfection of the system, and lead to
serious alterations of its frame work, or to the
practical abandonment of some of its provisions.
The influence Of such proceedings on the
other Departments Of the Government and
more especially on the States, could not fail to
be extensively perncous. When the judges in
the last resort of official misconduct, themselves
overleap the bounds of their authority, as pre-
scribed by the Constitution, what general disre
gard of its provisions night not their example
be expected to produce? And who does not
perceive that such contempt of the Federal con-
stitution, by one of its most important Depart
ments, would hold out the strongest temptation
to resistance on the part Of the State sovereign
ties, whenever they shall suppose their just
rights to have been invaded? Thus all the in
dependent Departments OF the Government, and
the States which compose our confedeTated
Union, instead of attending to their appropriate
duties and leaving those who may Offend to be
reclaimed or punished in the manner pointed
out in the constitution, fall to mutual crimina
ton and recrimination, and give to the People,
confusion and anarchy, instead of order and
law; until at length some form of aristOcratic
power would be established on the ruins of the
constitution, or the States be broken into sepa-
rate communities.
Far be it from me to charge, or to insnuate,
tend, in the most distant way, to encourage such
a result 1t is not of their motives or designs,
but only Of the tendency Of their acts, that it is
my duty to speak. 1t is, if possible, to make Sc
majors themselves sensible of the danger which
turks under the precedent set in their resolution;
and at any rate to perform my duty, as the re-
sponsible Head of one of the co-equal Depart
ments of the Government, that | have been
compelled to point out the consequences to
which the discussion and passage of the resou-
luton may lead, if the tendency Of the measure
be not checked in its inception.
It is due to the high trust with which have
been charged to those who may be called to
succeed me in it, to the Representatives of the
People, whose constitutional prerogative has
been unlawfully assumed; to the People and to
the States; and to the constitution they have
established; that | should not permit its provi-
sions to be broken down by such an attack on
the Executive Department. without at least some
effort I" to preserve, protect, and defend" them.
With this view, and for the reasons which have
been stated, do hereby soLEMNLY PROTEST
against the aforementioned proceedings of the
Senate as unauthorized by the Constitution;
contrary to its spirit and to several Gifts express
provisions; subversive of that distribution Of the
powers Of government which it has ordained
and established; destructive OF the checks and
safeguards by which those powers were intend