Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-04-16

waving that wizard staff which you now pro-
pose to place in his hands.
Indeed if we are to credit the statements made
in the public journals, of certain oracular res
nonses recently given out from the executive
fripod. it would seem that We have already a
political Moses in our land:-not, to be sure, en-
lowed with the faculty of calling up successive
nlagues to desolate the land of Egypt, but who
has assembled Mount Sinai and there received
divine commission, to call down the consul
ming vengeance of Heaven upon the children
of Israel for bowling down to worship the Col
den Calf! 1t is recorded of Oliver Cromwell
that in the political frances and rhapsodes, with
which he frequently edited the Parliament ne
made his followers believe, and actually Deev-
ed himself, that the esprit OF God spokeln MN,
and by him. Is it incredible, therefore that the
President of the United States, IN his Old age,
when his passions have survived the vlgor OF
his Observation-Disclosures with those everlasting
draughts of flattery, which the cringlng syco-
plants around him are necessarily administer
ing, should imagine himself to be the CHOSEN IN
Strument of Heaven, to inf1ict its vengeance up
on the people Of the United States, tor daring TO-
uphold and sustain an institution which he deems
ii eXpedient to destroy!
have thus endeavored to expose this novel
and alarming theory of executive power, which
fear will be speedily consummated in con-
solidated despotism concentrated IN single
persons and now propose to examine briefly
what has been the practical exposition OF 1t 1uf-
nished by the present Executive. we olten
look without apprehension upon the most DAN
gerous pretensions and practices, when upon
closer scrutiny we perceive the latent principle
ofmischef which had before escaped u.s. make
this remark in reference to one OF the positions
assumed by the President, in the Manifesto he
addressed to the people Of the United States on
the occasion of the removal OF the deposltes.-
The position is, that the people OF the Unlted
States by the mere act OF rejoicing nm, nave
authortatively decided that 1t Is unconstltutlona
and inexpedient to recharter the Bank OF the
United States; and basing himself on this de-
cision. without delgning to consult the legisla-
ture the only power ulder the Constitution
which is competent to make such decision, he
forthwith proceeds, by his own authority, to eX-
ecute what he assumes to be the VIII OF the. peo-
pie constiutionally expressed, and OF conse-
quence the supreme law of the land. Simple as
this reasoning and assumption may at the nrst
glance appear, | venture the opinion that 1t Is
one of the most profound and artful contrivan-
ces ever invented by the genius OF usurpation to
disguise its design and cover its approaches
Examine it phosophically, resolve 1t INTO It's
elements, and what can you make OF II but
new and more direct highway to unlimited pow
er than any heretofore discovered, 6y su6Stlt1t-
ting The wiU OF the President for the wW Of the
people. This is truly an age of improvement
and in nothing is it more strikingly Illustrated
than in the improved process of stealing power
! from the people. This one is distinguished Tor
its directness and simplicity; whereas the usuf-
pers of other times have been compelled 10
make their approaches against the fortress OF
liberty, by the slow process OF opening trenches
and advancing under their cover. In other
countries the difficulty has been to obtain the
votes of the people to sanction the assumption
of the kingy Office Here, under our elective
system, it is easy to obtain the chief executive
Office but the difficulty is to make its power I'M
limited, by breaking loose from the inconvenl-
ent restraints of the Constitution and the laws
The present Chief Magistrate has most dexter
ously surmounted this difficulty; for if you will
admit his position, he will never be at loss to
make his sovereign will the paramount law, to
be executed as he understands it." What is
the argument it invoves2
That the people of the United States, by re-
electipg Andrew Jackson, have adopted and
ratified all his known political opinions as their
own thus enactng laws and regulating the
great question Of banking and currency, with
out the troublesome machinery of the legisla-
tive department. Yes, sir, these most difficult
and delicate of all the appropriate subjects OF
legislation, have, with the public treasure, been
seized upon by the President and are now no
torously regulated by his will! But this is not
the worst view of the matter. Admitting tor
moment the constitutional right ofthe President
thus to collect the sovereign will Of the people
on subject of legislation, the present is gross
misapplcation of his own doctrine He never
sent a message to Congress on the subject of the
bank in which he did not hold out the hope that
he would sign an act of recharter, with modifi-
cations. In every instance his objections were
to the bank has at present organized which
was saying by implication that he would sane
ton the institution, if differently organized
And in the MESA ge Immediately proceeding his
reelection he leaves I" the subject to the investi
cation of an enlightened people and their rep
resentaives.n And yet he is scarcely warm in
his seat when he turns round and gravely in
forms us, "now that the people have sustained
the President-it is too late, he confidently
thinks, to say that the question has not been de
cided. Whatever may be the opinion of others,
the President considers his reelection as de-
cision of the people against the bank He aoas
sustained by just people and he desires to epi'ce
has gratitude By carrying into effect their decis-
ION, as far as depends upon ham," As far as
depends upon him! a very useless qualification
under this new tangled executive theory and
practice But, sir was every power usurped
under mere frivolous and fraudulent pretences,
with humber words or holder hand? 1t is
almost in the very language of predeCent ia