Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1835-07-02
PDu.uTlC CAL.
From the National MteWsenoer.
THE PROSPECT BEFORE US.-No. V

OF power, there is but shade of distinction, if any
II the veto power Of the Constitution is so cxcrcs-
ed by =" the party as TO bar the ordinary action
oil Congress- in regard To any particular object or
class OF objects, the effect is the same as if prov-
sion were ntcrpoatrd by il in the Constitution to
annnl tho power of Congress TO perform that ac-
ton. Congress has, for example, heretofore cxcr-
''sed inc power TO make appropriations OF money
towards certain objects of internal improvements
the OILY objects, not ot military character, upon
which Congress employ the surplu, revenue
unesoep,ionably, and with advantage to the whole
country. The Presdcn, puts his veto upon mca-
surcs OF Internal Improvement, one after another
so that two-thirds OF both Houses of Congress arc
required TO the execution of tho will of the major
itv, which ought To be the law, in these particulars.
But such Is the Joint operation OF the Spoils prin-
cpe, and the appointment of the Members of Con-
grcss To office, that two-thirls of Congress never
have hecn and, it is much Ia be feared, never will
be found, Ia gansay the pleasure of him whose IA
vor IS the road to fortune, and whose frown is death
to the hopes Of every political aspirant.
This, however, is not, by far, tho largest stride
towards dcspotic power. which has met the appro-
baton of" the party" whose principles il is pro-
posed 10 pcrprtnae by the counterfeit prcscnta-
tons OF the Baltimore Convention.
The power of removal of public officers must be
conceded TO the President, because il has been
qn'esced IN Tor many years, though II was not sup
posed by the trainers of the Constitution 10 have
been conferred upon him by that instruments The
| concurrence OF the Senate in removals, when ne
ccssary, was found To be announcement in orae,,ca,
because the Senate is not at II times in session
and. ,Gs.c:! -, authorizing the President to sn,-
pend any officer from public employment until the
senate can remove or -,nStatc--bcng the pow
or correspondent to that Of the President to ap-
fl,, nE th. aud
the Senate can confirm rcjcct---thc President
has been suffered To exercise alone the power Of
removal. SO much confidence was rcposed in the
prudence and moderation of the great and good first
President, WASHINGTON, that the danger of this
admission was not then perceived; though, by
by the light OF history, It i. now obvious enough
by the present administration, with the unani-
nous aPProbat'o, OF the party now ruling the
try, the power of removal, thus acquired by, raih-
er than conferred upon, tho President, has been
made the source ofnew and unlcard-oi pretcnsons
on the part OF the Executive. Our modern DEM
ocrdh having discovered tina, simplicity is tho cx-
ccllcnce OF Government, every step which has
tended to simplify the Government has met their
cordial appropriations Among these advances to POI
lltical perfection, is the new theory of our
Government, invented by The present Adminstra-
ton, that, inasmuch rs the President as the rirh
| to remove individuals from Office he become, UNI
der the provision of the Constitution which makes
it his duty" to take that tho laws he faithful
" executed" the only " responsible officer of the
Government !" all other officers of the Govern
mcnt, except thank Heaven for that exception y
the Judiciary, are responsible to him, and subject
TO his will and pleasure The compcndiousnc,s
of this logic can hardly be sufficiently admired :
The President has all tho responsibility and, hav-
ing all the responsibility he has all the power.
| This Is simplifying the Government with :, ven
gcancc. BY the aid Of this doctrine, sustained by
that other hcrcsy, that the President is bound to en-
ccutc the Constitution and the laws only as he I'M
dcrsands thcm the President becomes solE LIZ
GIsLATon in regard to highly important concerns
OF Government. Under these constructions of
law, and claims Of power, he has actually cxcr-
cised Legislative authority, not only without the IN
ervcntion of Congress, but in defiance of Congress.
But the President has asserted and acted upon
even more arbitrary doctrines than this. lie has
claimed the exercise OF important power tthc Gus
tody of the public money in particularly because
tho custody of it has, in other gorcrnmenfs, been
cOnSdcred appropriate To the Executive Where
power could not be pretended to result to the TX
ccntlve by implication, has thus been claimed by
analogy. by this process, the Executive Office,
instead of the Constitution, becomes the foun-
tain of power. The right of renewal from Of
nee has indeed been claimed, in terms. by the Pre-
sidcnt, as " an original Executive power, ttf nm
oh'cked by the Constitution Here we have the
broad prccnsion to all power of an executive ma
tnrc not checked by the Constitution. The
Legislative authority is confined to what is cx-
prcssly granted or necessarily results from the OK
press grants OF power but Executive powers arc
claimed as original, inherent, and independent OF
the details of the Constitution.
These are recognized principles" ofthc par
ty; they are the very ground upon which the
party must stand or fall.
In addition to all this, the President has claimed
to be the direct Representative Of the American
People, when he is but the officer appointed To
oversee the execution of the laws which are or shall
be made by the constitutional representatives ofthc
States and of the People. Even in the British
Monarchy, no such doctrines as these tolerated
Z" The King" says Blackstone, " is the appointed
lature, or, in other words, the head Of the EAecu-
tive. As head of the Executive he is Minister OF
the Supreme power, and can neither dispense pHh
lars, nor refuse to obey hem." 1t was for main
tanning different doctrine, and claiming such
powers as are now claimed for our President that
the Stuarts were driven from the throne Of Eng
land a century and half ago. In his assumed
tapacy of direct representative of the American
people, however, the President has considered his
election to have determined the of the pco.
Pile on legislative qucs,ons,t and he has undcrta-
:" One OF the advantages to be expected from tn,
cooperation of the Senate the business ofappoint
men;s, is that il would contribute to the stability
of the Administration. The consent of that body