Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1834-03-14

grssshe is The sentinel Of congressthe agent congress
the representative Of congress According this doc
trrc the president hrs control whatsoever the
treasury department. When the secretary hos been
once nominated 90 and appointed by and with the ad-
vice OF the senate, me then becomes perfectly mdepen-
dent OF the Executive; may perform the duties OF his
office IN any manner he plcasos and the president has
no right TO say aUght against il.
Now let us examine the power and influence that be-
long TO this department Look your statute book and
how many laws annually passed in reference to
the finances and the treasury. According Mr.. Clay
the secretary OF the treasury is that these laws
faithfully executed. What multitude of officers col
lectors, and reiaers belong to the treasury depart
mcnt and IN times OF direct taxation, what innu-
merable host of taxgathcrcrs spread throughout
the country to oppress defaud and harass the people
The policy OF our government renders us liable to d
rect taXation in all cases of emergency. Now Mr..
Clay, according to his doctrine, would confer all this
immense power and patronage the secretary of the
treasury, subject only the supervision and control
of congress. The bank and its dependents,
knowledged TO be intimately connected with the trea-
suryis IN fact, the treasury says Mr. Clay. The post
office is also connected with it weekly return of all
the receipts and disbursements has to be made the
secretary of the treasury. No skilfl politician or
able hnancier could fail to make these powerful mst-
tutions, dependent him, entirely subservent to
his purposes Without going further into detail we
venture to affirm that than half the laws annu-
ally enacted by congress, are executed by officers i'll
the treasury department than two-thrds of the
patronage and power, including the bank and post
Office belong TO that department; and, according
the laws faithfully executed and is to exercise the
immense patronage of his department independent of
the supervision and control of the president. He in
fact, creates office equal to the Executive and a
rival to in the dispensaon of favors Was this state
of things contemplated by the constitution Is d-
vided executive, with equal power and patronage re-
cognzed by that Instrument What is its language?
The Executive porer shall be rested in president of the
United States. He may require The opinion in ,orng of
the principal officer in each Of the erecure departments
upon any subject relating 10 e duties q .se respective
Offices. He SHALL iron, hne 10 fne giUe 10 The congress
Information Of the state Of The Uo and recommend 10
their consideration such he shall Judge neces
sary and erpedentGndh he shall that The ics are faith
July erecued" These are the only passages of gene
raj nature and is there any thing here felow-ctzens
which sanctions the idea of an executive department
independent of the president of the United States
Does it not on the contrary, clearly manifest dispo-
son the part of the trainers of that instrument to
have single and undivided Executive? Docs it not
manifest determination to lodge the whole admins
traton of the government, far the execution of
the laws concerned la responsible head who shall
see that the laws faithfully executed.
If the ministerial officers appointed for this purpose
do not discharge their duties honestly and faithfully
the constitution looks to the president and to none
other--he cannot screen himself behind an executive
council, and say the advisers you gave me- have led me
asray-he cannot protect himself by declaring that the
other executive unctionaries you created share the
duties OF my Office, have done this thing he stand
alone before the people on his responsibity--to
them he must to the consequences of his conduct
and before them he must stand OF fall.
ment, which dictated this plan of an executive The
history and the experience of all show us and the
proioundest observers of mankind have told that the
executive power is most safely confded to one the
security arising from responsibility greater; the at
tenton of the people is directed single object and
the power is more easily confined But it is now at
tempted TO destroy this single and responsible elecuf0e
by establishing independent treasury department
with more than half the patronage and influence of
the government. Let us follow out Mr.. Cay's idea
and make the treasury an independent branch of CO.
venment, having its relations directly and soIe to con-
gress; and in less than ten years venture to affirm
that your congress hall will be filled with mercenary
herd of treasury dependents who will carry every mea-
sure IN conformity To the wishes of the head of that de-
partment--in less than ten years your congress will
annually asSembenot to reflect the will of the people
but to enroll the edicts of the first lord of the treasury
his has been the condition of your country; and
Jf you adopt MIR. Clay's principles it will be so again
his the condition of England at the present time
Who at the head of that nations and rules absolute
iy the first tori Of the treasury. He who commands
the exchequcr overawes the deliberations of para-
ment; and directs with his golden wand the affairs of
an empirc-the who holds the keys the treasury
draws at his heel hungry pack that yep bis bid
ding and crouch at his command. Ii is now artflllv
attempted to bring into this condition-to make us
once more we have been, dependent for our liberties
and our property ON irresponsible secretary of the
treasury, whose relations directly and solely to con-
gressa body more easily than all others seduced and
brought upder treasury influence.
We venture TO say that, if Mr. Hamilton himself or
even Mr. Pitt, were to go among the plain farmers of
the cOury-coillhune with them on the court yard
by the domestic freside, they could make no impress
SION ON their pure minds-could not decoy them from
their honest principles But your halls of egisla
ton free from corruptionl Are they so pure and
mcontlminated that gold cannot dofc them7 Are
they not filed with who have voluntarily thrown
themselves into the way of temptation? Men, who
in search either of honor office or emoument and
are most easily seduced from the path of DUTY when
che the other of these ends is to be attained
Then let us not deceive ourselves with the vain hope
That the fingers of our representatives so clean
Their lips so chaste, that they will touch not taste not
handle not, the vncean thing Look at the venal and
mercenary herd of cobbers andspcculators, GER
tfcate traders bank-makers and office hunters which
has infested your government from the beginning down
10 the present moment. Look at the caravan of Arab
plunderers that crowd both hall and howell that band Of
robbers which has polluted the temple OF freedom