Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1834-03-13

draushi too bitter, but for reason prccisel,
opposite 70 me one which no supposes. The
last act ~ txecutive usurpation had hlIos
the cup Of bitterness to the brim, and n, IN.
the majority IN this iiouse were In the YER,
act OF presenting u to the lips Of ,.is President
he squeezed hrs orange into u and thus made
u more agreeable To the royal palate. lie
has broken the force Of the blow which hs
could not avert, and which I wished 10 fall
with unmitigatcd severity.
I propose now To deliver nv sentiment.
very briefly upon the subjects involved In the
| resolutions under consideration. IL Is OBJ
Jected by tho member from Botctourt, (Mr.
Wilson, that we have censured the Pres!den,
FOR an act performed by his Secretary, who
IN fact removed the pubic treasure from the
sank aud Its branches IN the exercise Of q
discretion vested in him by Congress, and tina,
the President Is bismelcss. This defence Is
set up IN the face Of the printed declaration
oil the President 10 the Cabinet, that tho re-
| moNal should be made-that the act was 10
be regarded as bis owu. and that he took the
responsibility. The sole reason why AIR. Du-
ane was dismissed, was. that he would not
bow down 10 the will OF the President; and
the sole reason Why Mr.. fancy was appoint
ed IN preference tn any other man, was, that
he stood pledged at the very time OF HI, ac-
cePtance 10 execute that will. The true
sense OF the clause vesting the power Of the
removal IN The Secretary, IL, that the disc1e-
ton there mentioned shall he exercised by
The oiheer at the head OF tho Treasury De-
partment. aud upon IN opinion formed by him.
~hiie IN cLrre, with full knowledge OF the ifs
cal concerns OF the government and Of the
condition OF the Bank. There was no dis
cretion vested in Mr.. Attorney General fancy
over the money OF the people, and no man
Is absurd enough TO believe that he rs Sters-
fary Of hs Treasury, formed any opinion on
The subject. because he was appointed on the
23rd OF October, and in the brief space of J
days the fatal measure was carried into exc
cution. u Is too plain then TO DO denied.
That MIR fancy went into tho Office for the
purpose of acting rs the mere instrument by
which the will Of the President was TO be
carried into effect. and that they occupied, so
lar a. this measure was concerned, the reiu-
lion oil principal and agent. The name of
The agent may stand at tho foot Of the order
Of removal, but the whole is the deed Of the
President himself The gentleman might as
well tell me that Bonaparte was not res poosi-
bic for turning the Representatives OF the
French people out Of their lc gisIatiyc hall, at
The point OF the bayo1et, because he did not
IN person head the charge, but only gave the
order 70 Tho military rufiian who executed the
der his nephews, who stood in his " ay 10 IN.
throne aud he doubtless, in his day, found a
subtle casuist to draw distinctions between
principal and agent; but posterity will exc
crate the memory OF the tyrani, when the
miserable tools who received the price of in
nocent blood shall have been forgotten.
But there Is no necessity for resortin0 TO
history for Illustrations OF this defence of the
President by his friends. Cases which never
occurred may be supposed, which illustrate
The doctrine OF the member from Dotetourt
just as well as any actual transaction that has
ever been recorded; and as the opprobium of
an evil deed, committed by an agent, must be
incurred by tie principal, so, even-handed
justice requires that We should ascribe 20 him
all the merit II the act be n good one Let
me state such case. An editor Of a politi-
cal Journal Of commanding influence, is nc
tualiy engaged in canvassing the names Of four
aspirants 10 the highest Office in the gift of q
Tree people. To one OF them his opposition IA
Of the most deadly character. With q view
10 operate upon public opinion, and to prove
that his election must prove fatal to the liner
ues OF the people. be causes to be re-pub
iished IN has paper, tho classic numbers of
Alsernon Sidney" IN which are pourtray-
cd, by the hand Of a master, the almost innu-
merable infractions Of private right and pub
lie law, which had been pcrpetrated BY him.
lie sits down TO their perusal and warmed BY
their eioqucnce, and confirmed more strongly
Than ever 10 his opposition, by their unan-
swerable reasoning, he rises into inspiration,
and pens an editorial article, in which he de-
nOnnces his election as one Of the bitterest
curses which could befal his country. lie
takes the article TO the press-bis foreman
demonstrates against It's insertion--ieIls him
he had better noi commit himself-that the
day may come, when he will repent il. The
editor maintains his ground-he is fully sus-
tanned by the printers devil, aud finally, he
declares that the thing shall be printed. and
&c I" 'oiu take he pesP0nSibtiify." The fore
man remains obstinate, and is dismissed for
his eODtumacy-the subaltern Is promoted TO
execute the foregoing conclusion Of his mas
ler--the article - published, and in the full
ness OF time, the prediction is verified Now
put the question 10 the wvrthy member 10
whom does the honor belong, add who has
The best claim TO the mantle Of EIiiahp The
printers devil or the inspired edItori As he
decides va this case between principal and n
gent, so be must decide in reference 10 the
dePosites. The latter Is much the stronger
case Of the two; for, the Secretary Of the
Treasury was responsible 10 the representa-
iiyes OF the people alone, aud not 10 the Pro-
sideht, 90 whom all power over the public
- ~N-N'Nt~tg " VIZ OouaAAAuhtou
aud laws.
The member from Hanover, who, whatever
may BE- his intention, has taken a course eaI-
oulsted 70 atifie an expression Of the oplnioo
of the General Assembly, IN regard 70 The
late daring usurpatson Ofthe Executive told ~
yesterday thiog about the anciest rsnown
OF Virginia, and thought The aliusioo q most
unfortunate one foe the gentleman himself
SiF, We had AZ the psTIOd W Wbieh he alludes
another voice from the old county Of Hano-
yer, which, upon the imposition % q paltr,
tax, reused sPiril of determined opposition
from ono end q this great contineni 10 she
Other, which finally resulted IN . eoatest that
deiugcd the land with blood. There was 40
hat day fashion, which fear y now pas.
ing away, OF calling Thing, By their right
names. An unlawful exerci,e Of power "a.
then called By its true name--usnTpatioa.-
Bot what do we now hear Our public ser.
want, The President of the United states. cloth
cd with little brief authority, uhich he has
sWorE 10 exercise for our benefit, lnpsIied by
40 irresponsible cabsi, and IN open defiance
Of the laws and of the opinions IL = matorit,
OF hes constitutional Sdtisers has ia H..