Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1834-05-01
(From the Boston Patriot.
TIE PROTEST.,

n From the Boston Patriot.
Il TIE PROTEST..
1t is somewhat difficult to make any
comments upon state-papers, the whole
complexion and character of which may
be changed in the course of the discus
sion. The Senate have now two docu-
ments before them, communicated by the
Executive, the last of which is stated to
be in explanation Of the other. The
first states, that the Constitution gives
the custody Of the public money exclu-
svely to the Executive Department; the
second declares, By cay Of explanation,
that the Legislative Department have
an undoubted right to provide by law for
the custody Of the public money. The
first declares, that Congress can appoint
no officer to take charge of the public
money, whose appointment would not at
once devolve upon the President, and
who would not thus become responsible
to the President alone; the second ayers,
that the President does not claim the
right to interfere with the person intrust-
ed with the public money, unless he be
an officer, whose appointment devoIves
upon the President, or on the President
in concurrence with the Senate. The
two first propositions are hatly contra
dictory. The last, either admits the
right Of Congress to appoint officers, in
dependently Of the Executive, to take
charge of the public money, in which
case it directly contradicts the third; or
it is intended as a declaration, that the
President only claims the right of con-
troll over those officers, who are appoint
ed by himself, or by himself toge ether
with the Senate, to take charge of the
public money: it being understood that
no officers can be appointed for that pur-
pose in any other way. 1t is some What
singular, that solemn Protest should
demand solemn contradiction in four
days after it is issued. In the first in
stance, the President seems to have spo-
ken out Of the abundance ofhis heart; in
the second, he appears to have inten-
ded to disavow his former odious and
unpopular doctrine, applying to his disa-
vowal the very gentle name Of explana-
ton.
Another curious circumstance. con-
nected with this strange pair Of Mes
sages, is this. We learn from the of.
fetal paper, that the Private Secretary
Of the President, on the day after the
presentation Of the first Message, and of
course after the subject had been deba-
ted in the Senate by Messrs. Pondexter,
Sprague, and others, called on the Se-
cretary Of that body, and desired to make
some corrections Of "verbal errors. %
which he said existed in the Message
This officer replied that he had no au-
thorlty to permit any alterations to be
made. lie however made pencil marks !,
Of the DIRECTIONS, which were suggest /,
ed, above the words Of the manuscript
to be struck out. On readinu
The Speech Of MIR. Sprague on the sub,
ect Of this Message, we were some
what surprised to observe the following
oassage:--"ln what language did he ,,
the Presidency speak of the Secretary
'i the Treasury? His Secretary; one
'f HIS Secretaries" We recolIccted no ,,
such language in the Protest, as origin. .
lily published in the Washington Globe
md copied from that paper into the our, Q
lals of this city. Now we learn from Z
he lntellgencer, that the copy of the .
'rotest as it appeared in the Globe. was q
for publication from off,
,al sources, and was not taken from the u
VI 'lessage, as it was transmitted to the u
senate. 1t is stated by the Washing u
on correspondents Of two of the New 8
ork papers, that the object of the Pri- u
ate Secretary was to alter the copy be- a
're the Senate, so that the form of ex- it
ressIon, commented on by Mi. Sprapue. u
Mould be changed, wherever it occur,
"a, from my Secretary to He Secretary. n
ON my Secretaries to his Secretaries: Il
nd that the solemn protest, after being ol
'lcmnly communicated TO the Senate 81
lould be purged Of some offensive ex. p'
ressions, and be brought into copCorm;- bI
with the copy circulated by the Globe b'
would seem, therefore, not 10 have hi
cen sufficient for the President. aGo, bi
'ving sent his solemn protest to the So. in
lie, soIemnly TO contradict il by apo,b- OF
Message. IL became cxpcdicnt also j
send messenger to the Secretary Of ~
ut body, to ask his leave to alter il, ie
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