Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1834-04-17

I $500
produced on the public mind by the arbitrary
transfer Of the public money, tina. minor acts Of
usurpation have passed with little or no COM
ment The whole history Of General Jackson
government" displays progressive course Of
usurpation. His second election has been as.
sumed as a sanction by the people Of all that he
had previously done in defiance of the spirit o.
our republican institutions. Nor have we any
hope that these Executive aggressions are tc
cease. The decision of the House of Represen.
tatives will be received as a token of approba.
tion by the people, of the Presidents assumption
of power over the revenues of the country, and
we know not where the bolts of Executive ven
geance may fall next. Mr. Preston says
1t has been said, that an earthquake
rolled unheededly away, in the eager.
ness of an ancient battle--and thus
the deep and absorbing interest of the
present contest may be estimated, by
the entire Indifference or neglect of
executive proceedings, which in the
ordinary state Of the public mind, would
excite to inquiry, and demand repro
baton. Let us subdue our feelings
for moment and pause to look around
upon the events i'll the midst of which,
we are.
Mr.. PRESIDENT, Congress assembled,
! with the anunciation of the fact, that
the Post Office Department was bank.
| rupt; that it had been bankrupt for
years; and that the nation had been
! deladed, time after time, with n false
account of its prosperity--that a half
a million of dollars, had, without war;
rant Of law or knowledge of the Iegis-
lature, been borrowed Ito feed its prodi-
gality,) upon the faith of the Govern.
ment. Money is raised without law.
Money Is appropriated without law.
have been presented TO the legislature,
and so announced in the Presidents
message. Has any one looked into
these accountsl Have your commit
tees examined into and reported upon
these matters. Has the President in
stituted an investigation or punished
the delinquent officers, or has this most
fragrant violation of all law reused the
Indignation of the country. Sir, the
times in which we live, leave no leisure
for such small affairs.
Mr.. PRESTON proceeded. How
is it sir, with the other great depart
ments of the Government; what is the
situation of that very department,
whose master misdcmeanor, has thrown
every thing else into the back ground!
Was the act performed by the Secre-
tary Of the Treasury-no sir, by the
Presidents Secretary. The Secreta-
| ry of the Treasury, Mr.. Mclean was
! removed to make way for man who
would perform this daring act-he was
tried, and refused-a third answered
the purpose, and he is not yet a consti-
tutional Secretary. He is yet, in the
midst of all the fiscal difficulties in
which we are involvcd-he is yet the
Presidents Secretary, having been
neither confirmed or offered for cor
frmation by the Senate. Congress
has been in session four months, and
there is no Secretary of State, no Sc
cretary Of the Treasury, no Attorney
Generally and "with the advice and
consent of the Senate" These three
great departments are filled and exer-
cised by those, whose titles have not
received the constitutional sanctlon.-
A power which was conferred upon
the President to supply accidental va
cancies during the recess, is seized
upon to supercede the constitutional
| functions of the Senate. By his own
act. he makes the vacancy, fills it with
his own choice, and keeps his own
officer Independent of the Senate. Ne
yer in the history of our Government,
have the departments exhibited SO ex-
traordinary a spectacle-and yet so
deeply agitated has been the public
mind, that even the newspaper press,
has scarcely alluded to it.
| Look, sir, to the state of our re-
presentation at foreign courts. Russia
is kept open, for what purpose the prof
| FER to Mr.. Duane may explain. We
have no minister in England, although
il is now two years since the President
declared that there was a delicate and
important negotiation pending there
and coupled with this, there is rumor,
a general understanding, that the sta
ton is promised to a gentleman now
performing the functions OF a Repre-
sentative on the floor of Congress.
Whether this rumor be true or false,
Mr.. PRESTON said he did not pretend
to give an opinion. What he meant
to state was, that neither the protract-
ed vacancy, or the idea that a repre-
sentative was holding his seat under a
promise of an executive office, had pro-
duced any sensation upon the public
, mind, and proves how deeply that pub
! lie mind is occupied when such things
do not affect it.
Five years ago, still more, ten years
apo.--if the President had ordered
company Of infantry, OF half a comPa
nv Of artillery from one part OF tn