Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1834-01-16

whether Congress or the President had
any power ovef this matter; or.
whether the article OF the Constitution
which forbids that the press shall be touch
ed. and declares that religion shall he |
sacred from all the powers Of Legislation.
.rplied in The case or not. This the Pre-
-ic.ent has undertaken 10 do Of himself. |
without the shadow Of authority. either in
The Constitution or the Laws
suppose, sir, that this coniumacious in
siituiion, which committed the great sin,
in 1879, Of not appointing a new Plesi
pose that the Bank should go on and vim
dictate itself against the calnmnirs poured
ont upon it-ihat it should continue 10
stand upon its defence. how Inefficient will
have been the exercise of power Ivy III.
President How inadequate TO the end he
had in view, Of preserving the press from
hring made use Of 10 defend the Bank.
Why. sir. if we had the power. and the
President had come TO US. we could have
laid Mr. Nicholas BiddIe by the heels, ifhc
should have undertaken TO publish another
Report Of Gen. Smith or Mr.. N'Dniiie. or
another speech Of the eloquent gentleman
near me mir Webster,) or any other such
tibeis, tending TO bring the President or
his administration into disrepute. But the
President of'he United States. who thought
he had the Bank IN hts power; who thought
he could stop it; who was induced TO be
lieve, by that "innuence behind the throne.
greater than ITSELF" that he could bre *
down the bank at word; has only shown
his want Of power over the press by his
attempt TO exercise II In the manner he has
done. The Bank has avowed and openly
DECLARED its purpose 10 defend itself on all
suitable occasions And, what is still more
provoking, instead Of being bankrupt.
as was expected. with its doors closed, and
| its vaults inaccessible il has now. it seems
| got more money than il knows what to do
with. and this greatest Of misers and
| hoarders cruelty refuses to let out dollar
Of its ten millions Of specie to relieve the
suiferings Of the Banks TO which the gov
eminent deposits have been transferred.
Sir, the President Of the United States
had nothing to do with the morals Of the
community No. sir. for the preservation
| Of our morals we are responsible TO God
| and trust that that responsibility will
yer remain 10 Him and his Mercy alone
| Neither had the Presi lent any thing to do
| with the Eosdom Of the press. The
power over il is denied even TO Congress.
| by the People: II was said. by one OF
those few able men and bright luminaries
whom Providence has vet spared to MS, in
answer TO complaints ny foreign Minis
| ter. against the freedom with which the
| American press treated certain French
functionaries. that the press was onr oil
those concerns which admitted Of no re
gulaiion ty the Government; that its a.
buses must he tolerated. lest its freedom
should be abridged Such sir. is the free
dom Of the press; as recognized by ou'
Constitution and SO il has been respected
ever since the repeal Of the obnoxious ac,
which | have already quoted: until tht
detesiible principles ofthat law have been
re asserted by the President in his assump
lion Of a power. in no wise belonging "a
his office, Of preserving the purity Of ths
press.
Such. sir. are the powers on which tn.
President relies to Justify his seizure oil
the Treasury OF the United States. l have
examined III. m one by one-and they al
fail. utterly fail TO bear out the act. We
are irresisiibly brought TO the conclusion
that the removal Of the public money from
the Bank Of the United States Has beer
effected Ivy the displacement from tn,
head Of the Treasury Department Of ont
who would not remove them. and put'ins
~ his stead another person who wcult
and, secondly, that the President has nc
color Of authority in the Constitution OF
the Laws for the act which he has under
taken To perform.
Let rs now. said Mr. c.. for a few 70,
men's examine the consequences which
may ensue from the exercise OF this enur
nous power lf the President has auihori
~, in a case in which the law has assign
cd specific duty exclusively to a desig
mated officer. 10 control the exercise of hi.
discretion by that officer. he has right t.
interfere IN every other case, and remove
very one from off - who hesitates TO do
MS bidding, agsins, his Judgment of b..
own duty. This. surely, is a logical de
,iuction not 10 be resisted. w. n. then
how stands the matter? Recapitulating the
provisions of The law prescribing how mo
n-y should be drawn from the Treasury
aud the deduction above stated, what ask
ell Mr. Clay, is TO prevent The President
from going 10 the Comptroller, and. If he
will not conniersgn a warrant which he
has found an accommodating Secretary to
sign, turning hIm out for another; then
going 10 the Register. and dong the same;
and then 10 the Treasurer, and command
ing him to pay over the money expressed
IN The warrent, or subject himself 10 ex
pulsiunl
Where is the security against such cor
duct on the part of the President? Where
theBoundiry 10 this Tremendous althori
~ which he has undertaken TO exerciceso
Sir, every barrier around the Treasury is
broken down. From the moment that
the President said, ii make this measure
my own. | take upon myself the respon-
slhiIty. from that moment the public
Treasury might as we'll have been at the
Hermitage, as at this place. Sir, the
| measure adonfed hv the %, s.,da,t ;s ,.,,,I