Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1834-09-18
Mr.. wEBSTER'S SPEEC II,
At the Salem fsstiraL
TConcluded /

Dua tuc vucsuon was n0t one oil bank O
no bank. i the attempt 10 hold up The admin
lstra,ion as the fountain ofight on the on,
hand, and to cry monster" and +" glory
on the other would not succeed. Tn,
Senate thought fit, for reasons which il ha.
laid before the country, TO express its dis
appreciation Of the removal OF the puhli,
deposites, to say that there was no cause
Tor such removal, and that the President
IN efectlng removal, had trans cended hi
constitutional powers, This unwary, rasl
and improper conduct Of the Senate, cal
led down on the members Of that bod,
the proIcsl!t! That protest which wa.
meant TO teach them, not only the extent OF
their past transgressions. but the extent Of
future obedience by which alone they
could hope for forgiveness. II was homily
on the extent of Executive power--a sort
oil creed but like all other creeds, il met
with great deal of probes, antism--it was
withai so ambiguous that nobody could
swallow IT. IL appeared TO tend but TO one
result, and that was, that all powers, which,
IN the widest range Of Executive definition
could be called Executive powers, were
TO be placed in the hands of one man
that all officers. whose duties were pre-.
scribed by the Constitution, and whom the
Constitution and laws made amenahle to
impeachment for NAL administration, were
but so many puppets TO be moved by one
supreme Executive head, and to perform
those duties which the Executive himself
could not perform. He (Mr. w J did say,
as lawyer, that the whole theory OF the
protest was built on this foundation and
that there was not one power belonging TO
the Customs, Army, Navy, Treasury, SC.
which was not, according to the protest,
an Executive power and to be exercised
according to Executive will. He (Mr. w
had said that the one great elementary
principle which characterized the present
administration was desire TO extend Ex.
ecntive power. There was however ano
Their principle connected with this first one.
and which formed its chief support it was
this principle Of reliance on party, that en-
abled the administration 10 rear up paid
troop Of mercenaries--every man marked
some with a button, but most with cot
tar-men upon whom they could reckon
with certainty and he (Mr. W. believed
that the expectations of those who hope d
to carry the President through were found
ed solely on their confidence in the disci.
pine, activity, the tactics and obedience
of this corps. He would ask if there was
any thing like argument on the other side?
Did the advocates of the administration
come out into the field and meet discus
sion? Were they ever seen coming out
to discuss their principlesp Were they
not found calculating upon the Post Office,
the Custom House, and the paid and disci
pinned troops that they had every where ?
These latter were the sort of persons who
were to go to the polls aud vote down the
argument of the Wings. II appeared to
him that the same thing was desired to be
effected with the people and the peoples
friends as was to be effected with the coi8
of the country that they were not to be
peighed but to go by tale. II was desired
to have the people. stamped, so that when
a man showed his forehead, he would al
so show Caesars image and superscription.
1t would be observed that this power of
removal claimed by the President having
check in the Senate. an attempt had
been made against the Senate, in that par
ticular. II has been the custom of the go
vernment, hitherto, in the event of any
vacancies occurring during the recess of
Congress and being filed by the Presi-
dent, TO submit such nominations for the
appreciation of the Senate within thirty
days after the commandments fits session
But what course had been pursued by
the present administration For more
than twelve months important offices had
been filed without the consent of the Sc
nate. [Mr. Webster here instanced the
cases of Messrs. McLane, Duane and
Taneyl So that here was the key of the
Treasury The did not know whether there
was any thing in iii held for more than
twelve months by an officer whose nomi-
nation had not been confirmed by the Sc
nate The means Of exercising that pa
tronage of Government to which he Mr.
w. had slluded-the power Of the Office
holders--much as has been said upon the
subject, were stli, he conscientIousiy be.
lieved, greatly moderated. In times OF
prosperity---when every member OF the
community was prohtably employed IN his
own concerns, men got into Office who
were wboffy dependent on The income oil
office, and it was one of the great evils OF
the times that whatever other manuiac
lures were discouraged the government
mandatory Of public opinion at Wash
incton still went on. 1t was from these -
from the patronage Of ofiice-irom sub
sidized press and from the support thus
procured from the people that the greatest
danger to the Institutions of the country
was to be apprehended. There was the
Custom House-a great power, with the
most extensive influence, and he was glad
a. COW that the prescribed Senate had de
termIned 10 look into that matter His
Colleague stood pledged to bring IN mea-
sUre At next Congress which should re-
Strain and limit this department and take
sw a ali un Just profits from the collector c!
down to the tide waiter. 10 the Post ofiice
t u' had but just raised the veil-nObody
had as vet looked into the dark recesses
of the department. but they had seen
enough 70 know that it ought to be lnqn,r-
ed ;nfo~He did not wish TO influence the
minds Of those who heard him' out ne pc
i;syed that the extent to which money m
fluence had been actually used IN 'he pur,
chase Of political partlzans was yet ou'
half exposed. ,L rov.;led in
-, Denartment through the meui'