Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1834-03-20

lied DIV the COLSlltuliOu " PiSSCilot
the tenure, terms, and conditions of all
offices, established by law, where the
Constitution itself has not affixed the
tenure. The third instructed the Com.
the expediency of providing, by law
that removal from office shall not, il
future, be made without the concur
renee of the Senate; and, when tina
body is not in session, the power shall
oaly be exercised Professionally, sub
iect to the consideration of the Senate
when 1t convenes. And the fourth d.
reefs an inquiry by the Committee on
tho Post Office and Post Roads, INTO
the propriety of making provision, by
law, for requiring the concurrence OF
the Senate in the appointment OF all
deputy post.masters, under certain re-
stTictions.
These resolutions comprchendgraye
questions of tho highest importance,
and which he (Mr. G. } verify believ-
cd involved the just equilibrium be-
tween the several branches of the Go.
vernmcnt, and the purity, if not the
actual continuance, Of the Govern
ment. The three first proceeded upor
the assumption that the President is
not clothed, by the Constitution, with
the power ofremoyal from Office. That
power, he was fully aware, by vote
of "a to 30 in the House of Repre-
sentatives, and by the casting vote of
the Vice President, had, in the first
Congress, been conceded to the Chief
Magistrate. Except in an incidental
debate which arose in the Senate about
four years ago, the propriety of that
concession has never, he believed,
been directly and deliberately corsi-
dered. He had examined the Consti.
tuition with the utmost care and atten-
ton, of which he was capable, and he
felt firmly convinced that it did not
grant any such power to the President.
It was sustained in the first Congress
as an implied or constructive power.
And he felt himself authorized to pro-
nounce that there was not another in
stance, among all the constructive pow
ers which had been controversial, OF
one which has so little foundation to
rest upon as this power of removal at
the pleasure of the President. The
concession Of it had been improvident-
ly, in his opinion, made by the first
Congress. 1t was made probably, a.
mong other considerations, in conse-
quence of the unbounded confidence
reposed in the prudence, moderation,
and wisdom of the Father of his Coun-
try, then President of the United States.
And il is remarkable that it was made
with qualifications, which have been
totally disregarded by the present Chief
Magistrate.
The doctrines Of the present Admins
sration. and the principles asserted by ITS
supporters, during the progress Of the
debate on the deposite question. maintain
that all persons employed in the Execu
live Department Of the Government.
throughout all its ramifcations, are bound
10 conform to the will Of the President. no
matter how contrary to their own judg
ment that viii may be- The total number
Of persons, in all the various branches of
The public service, attached to the Execu-
tive Department Of the Government, has
been estimated at not less than forty thou
sand; and he presumed, from the size OF
the Blue Book, that the estimate was
rather below than above the mark. There
are upwards of ten thousand deputy post
masters; and number Of persons en-
pleyed in that single department. includ
ing postmasters, contractors, clerks, stage
drivers, and other carriers Of the mail, is
not probably short Of thirty thousand
If this immense mass is to be actuated
by one spirit, to obey ope impulse, and to
conform TO the will Of one man, il is not
difficult TO anticipate the arrival of the day
when all the guarantees which we have
supposed ourselves to possess for our lib
critics, will be utterly vain and unavailing
1t has been a settled axiom in all free
governments. and among all friends of
civil liberty. that standing army. in time
Of peace, is dangerous to the existence of
freedom. A standing army. is separate
and distinct from the mass OF society; dis
persed and divided into differen. and, per
haps distant corps; stationed in their bar
racks or quarters. The amount of the
danger arising from il can be seen, est
N}dtCu, anu eudtdSu nrohSt DoN hbdt
precautions can the community employ
against the operations and influence of
standing army Of forty thousand official
incumbcnts' They are every where; in
the cities aud villages. at the taverns, at
the cross roads. and at every public place
mixing in the mass of society; and, if
they have orders from head quarters, they
will. without doubt, attempt TO direct all
she political movements OF the country.
In the possession of all the channels OF
Intelligence, the mails and the post-o offices,
how is it possible to resist their combined
influence? Such a tremendous official
corps, If corrective be not applied, will
sooner or later, acquire the power to con
troll and dispose of the succession of the
Presidential office. as certainly as the less
formidable Pretorlan band of Rome, dis
posed. at will, OF The Imperial crown.
The object of the resolutions which he
was about TO present, was TO invite a DELHI
crate review OF the Constitutional powers
Of the President and Of Congress-; and TO
ascertain If the wisdom of our fathers had
really rendered subservient TO the will of