Vandalia Whig and Illinois intelligencer. [volume] (Vandalia, Ill.) 1832-183?, 1834-05-08

try; and, until very recently, appear never
10 have been called into question.
Thus was it settled by the constitution,
the laws, and the whole practice of the
government, that the entire executive pow
is vested in the president Of the Uniteo
States; that as incident to that power, the
right OF appointing and removing those Of
ficers who are to aid him in tile execution
of the laws, with such restrictions only as
the constitution prescribes, is vested in the
president; that the secretary Of the treas
ury is one of those officers; that the custo-
dy of the public property and money is an
executive function, which, in relation TO
the money, has always been exercised thro'
the secretary of the treasury and his sub
ordinates; that in the performance of these
duties, he is subject to the supervision and
control of the president, and in all impor-
tant measures having relation to them, con-
suits the chief magistrate, and obtains his
approval and sanction; that the law es-
|tablishing the bank did not, as it could not
change the relation between the president
and the secretary-did not release the for
mer from his obi cation to see the law faith
fully executed, nor the latter from the pres
idenl's supervision and control; that after
wards, and before, the secretary did in fact
consult, and obtain the sanction of the pres
ident, to transfers and removals Of the pub
lie deposites; and that all departments of
the government, and the nation itself, ap-
proved or acquiesced in these acts and prin-
ciples, as in strict conformity with our
constitution and laws.
During the last year, the approaching
termination, according to the provisions OF
its charter, and the solemn decision of the
American people, of the U. States bank,
made it expedient, and its exposed abuses
and corruptions, made it, in my opinion,
, the duty of the secretary of the treasury,
to place the moneys of the United States
in other repositories. The secretary did
not concur in that opinion, and declined
} giving the necessary order and direction
i, So glaring were the abuses and corruptions
of the bank, so evident its fixed purpose to
persevere in them, and so palpable its de
sign, by its money and power, to control
; the government and change its character
that deemed it the imperative duty of the
Executive authority, by the exertion of ev
+, cry power confided to it by the constitution
and laws, to check its career, and lessen its
5 ability to do mischief, even in the painful
; alternative Of dismissing the head of one o
, the departments. At the time the remova
: was made, other causes sufficient to justif,
f it existed; but if. they had not, the secreta
} ny would have been dismissed for this cause
only.
His place supplied by one whose o
, pinions were we'll known to me, and
/. whose frank expression Of them, in ano
Their situation, and whose generous sac
rafces of interest and feeling, when I'm
!, expss.edly called to the station he now
occupies, ought forever to have shielded
his motives from suspicion, and his char
, acter from reproach: In accordance
t with the opinions long before expressed
t by him, he proceeded, with my Sanction
to make arrangements for depositing thu
moneys of the United States in othe
safe institutions.
The resolution of the senate, as orr
ginally framed, and as passed if it refer
r to those acts, presupposes right in tina
, body to interfere with this exercise o
executive power. If the principle b.
once admitted, it is not difficult to per
! ceive where it may end. If by mer.
denunciation like this resolution, thu
president should ever be induced to act
on a matter Of official duty, contrary t.
the honest convictions Of his own mind
in compliance with the wishes Of the
senate, the constitutional independence
of the executive department would be
as efectually destroyed, and its powel
as effectualIy transferred to the senate
as if that end had been accomplished by
an amendment Of the constitution
But if the senate have right to inter
+ fere with the executive powers, they
have also the right to make that inter
ference effective; and if the assertion OIL
the power implied in the resolution BE-
silently acquiesced in, we may reasona.
bly, apprehend that it will be followed
at some future day, by an attempt at ac-
tual enforcement. The senate may re-
fuse, except on the condition that he will
surrender his opinions 10 theirs and obey
their will, to perform their own consti-
tutional functions; 10 pass the necessary
laws; to sanction appropriations propo-
sed by the house of representatives, and