Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1834-04-25
Richmond. Friday, April 25.
THE PREsIDENT'S PROTEsT-

The President has heard Of tho miscons,fuctions whieb
have been placed upon his Protest, and lie has thought IL
uue TO his own character snj TO the public interest, to
give inc" an authoritative contradiction. We are happy
thathe has taken this step with the candor wbich become.
the Presidento Of the U. States.
on Monday, the Globe gave a long article on the cub.
ject, from which we make the following extract:
"Now. this passage is part OF all entire argument in ans
.wer 10 the novel doctrine recently maintained In boil,
Houses, and especially in the Senate. that sch. Src,r,s.
~ OF the Treasury, is not an Executive Officer. .ub;sct
to the super vision oil The President. and liable 10 no -.
ed by him, but the officer ofihe t,ro Houses of Conorr,,
and therefore, in all bis powers and duties ia respect to
The public revenue, si especially in those deyoiyeJ nm
MN ny the charter OF the United States Bank, iniepend.
ent OF The President, and responsible onl, to Coneres..''
ANA ~ IS Indispensable to the iil and proper under.
s'anu'ng Of the pas aye quoted. that il should be read
in CONNIE xion with what prece,les and follows II s,i
WIN reference to The propositions which the Mcs-
sage denies and undertakes to retute. But even s,,nd.
ing alone, II will be seen, OIL the slightest pen,saI ,h,,
II could not have been intended to assert sny con,,,i
over the public money, nor any right 10 hold il, or to inter
ioto WIN It's uisrosi'ioi or RENO, al, much less to appro-
pirate or employ il; because il is very careful 10 speaL ariy
Of ITS custody which merely Implies a care, watch. or
guardianship, Tor the sole purpose Of preservation and
not oil its possession, or OF any power Of using. controlIino
or interfering with il; and even in respect 10 his eus,oJ,
IL twice admits the unlimited power OF the Leei.Is,u,s ~
m'Ne regulations concerning IL, as they may think
pro .r "~
"Ihe custody OF The public money! says the President.
"under stch regulations as niuy be prcscribed bv Ieg;.
tdfiue authority. has always been CONQUERED an an,ro,r;-
ate function OF the Executive Department"
u mohu, tueIc VIII De no gfOL MI tOr misapnreh.c-
SION or cavil, ~ respect to the doctrines stated in The quot
ell paragraph, II the word 'cus ody' ~ only confn,J IN
us appropriate Specification, aud not dis'ol led 10 include
what II does not imply; aud il the explicit prov Visions Of the
constitutions, in relation 10 the Executive Department. ss
Only Kept in view. And by reie rring 10 former and nh
s,Ioe"' p",'s o. 'he messsge, IL will be sten that tho
President claims for the Executive Department no au,hori-
~ to designate d. PostoIi.s OF the public money; TO remov,
any part OF 1t from one depository to another. or 10 inter-
fcre herewith In any other way; excpp; when ,ueh n
'ho'i'Y Is conferred, by iatc. on the Executive, or ON some
officer oil the Executive Depsr ment. for whose act, the
Pr sideni is constiiutonaiiy response L."
we hasten to lay as soon as possible before the public.
Tie following Message, which was submitted TO the Sc.
nate OF the United States on Monday last. II clears I'D
every doubt about ihe true Interpretation of the presi.
cents Protect. 1t distinctly %recogriz, $ the constitutional
power o the Legislature to designate the places where The
pooic money or property is 10 be deposited : and disclaims
on The part oil the Executive, all rieh, 10 supervise or In.
'eriere with the person entrusted with the public money
or property, unless he lie a person for whose conduct IN,
President is co"stitu'ionally responsible. We deem il a
cheer act c justice TO the President thus promptly 10 clear
UP every doubt, which, has been propsga,ed ty The Oppo-
s''iOn upon the true meaning of the Presidents Protest
The following Message, explanatory of the Pro-
test sent OH the 17ih instant, WINS received from the
President of the United States, by Mr.. Donelson, his
Private Secretary.
To the Senate of the United States.
Having reason TO believe that certain passages con-
tanned IN my Message and Protest transmitted 10 the
oennte on the l|th instant, may he misunderstood.
1 thlpk It proper to state that it was not my inten-
uon 10 deny IN The said message, The power and
right OF the Legislative Department to provide by
law for the custody, safe keeping, and disposition, of
the pubic money and property of the United States.
Although l am well satisfied that such a construc-
uon Is nor warranted by any thing contained in that
message yer aware, from experience, that detached
passages OF an argumentative document, when dis
connected from their context, and considered with
out reference TO previous limitations, and the par-
ticular posinons they We're intended 10 refute or IN
establish, may be made TO bear a construction. W.
ryiihg altogether from the senti ments really enter
tanned aud intended 20 be expressed ; and deepIv
soiicitous That my views OH this point, should MOI.
either now or hereafter, be misapureIended. 7 have
deemed ii due to tie gravity of The subject. IN the
great Interests il involves, and TO The Senate. as well
AZ To myself, to embrace the earliest opportunitv tn
make this communication.
i admit, without reserve, as I have before done.
the constitutional power of The Legislature 10 pre-
scribe, by law, The place or places in which The pub
TIC money or other property is 10 be dcposited; and
10 make such regulations concerning its custody, re-
mosa'' or uispoSition' as they may think proper to
enact. Nor do i claim for the Executive any right
10 The possession or disposition of The public proper
~ or treasure, or any authority to interfere with tho
same, except when such possession, disposition. or
autnorry, Is gwen to Inn Ivy law. Nor do I claim
'me rlght III any manner TO supervise or interfere
with The person Entrusted with such properly or trea-
sure, unless ne be mn officer whose appointment js.
under The Constitution and.Laws, devolved upon the
PRESIDENT, alone, or in conjunction with the Senate,
sible.
AS tic Message and Protest referred to may np-
pear on the Journals of tie Senate. and rcmnip
among the recorded documents of lie milton. nm
unwilling tiat oprDiors should be imputed 10 me,
even through misconstruciion, which do not Ell,
ter'aiD; md more particularly am / solicitous that
may not be supposed 10 claim for myself, or my sue
cessors, any power or authority moi clearly granted
to the President by the Constitution and laws. I
have therefore respectfully to request that this rom
munication may he considered n part of that Mes
sage, ana mat II may he entered herewith on tho
Journals of the Senate.
April Dist, 1884.
MIR. Snow,leD, the Editor OF The Alexandria Gazette
slant:
=, q letter "a been received by a gentleman 10 this city, from ono