Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1836-06-03

he essential quality in the character Of the q
Chief Magistrate Of a Republic was The !
To assume responsibility, aud the .
operations of the Executive Government
were but a succe ssion Of coup de main, d.
rected against the real or imaginary evils
which it may be thought necessary to crush
Whatever may be the p%retexts tor these
movements, or however great their tempo
rary advantages, they ore in direct oppos'-
ton to tho fundamental principles OF our
Government and, if persisted in, must Ell.
feet its entire subversion.
In arbitrary governments it is a matter
of little moment by whom. or in what man.
ner, a desirable end may be accomplished.
But IN Republics the attainment Of no o0
jcc,, however important, will justify o de-
parlure from legal prescriptions. and more
| particularly the substitution Of one agent
Cor another. The principal safeguard OF
liberty in our systems of government is TO
be found in the distribution Of their powers;
and it was the great object of their trainers
to preserve that distribution by a classltica-
ton of the SCENTS who were TO compose
the Governments, and by the establishment
of well defined boundaries to the powers oil
the several departments. In theory, as
well as in its practical operations, our Gen.
eral Government presented, for many years
after it came from the hands Of it's trainers.
the appearance OF a stately, well trimmed
vessel; its proportions in perfect symmetry
and its ballast well adjusted. How pros
2%erously It has sailed along the tide oftime,
and how strong have been the hopes that
il was to continue for sges, thus prosper
ously to pursue its course. the pride Of its
happy owners, and the wonder and example
Of an admiring world, need not now be
told. But how different the spectacle she
now presents. Her ballast, loosened and
shifted and accumulated in a single point,
has destroyed her equilibrium, aud threat.
ens her destruction. Such is our Govern.
ment. at this moment. IF it is a practical
Republic. what. it may be asked, consti
tutes a Monarchy A distinguished his
torlan of the last century says-"rhe obvi'
'ous definition of a monarchy seems TO be
that Of a state in which a single person, by
whatever name he may be distinguished, Us
, entrusted with the execution Of the Laws,
the management of the Revenue. and the
) command of the Army. But unless public
liberty is protected ny intrepid and v'sl'ant
, guardians, the authority of so formidable
"a Magistrate will soon degenerate into
'despoIisn.'* Which of the three powers
here laid down as constituting Monarchy,in
the opinion Of Mr.. Gibbon, is not to oe
found among those now exercised by the
Presidcn, of the United States! The first
and third are obviously his, by the giant Of
tho Cons,i,uti lion The second is practical
~ hla. by the possession and c%ontroul which
he nov exercises in regard to the entire
revenue Of the country. Tho power OF
! using it at his pleasure. coupled with the
cJr;n,s,rotin of Tho T.aw md tho pnm
mand Of The Army, constitutes q mass OF
power evidently not contemplated IN the
, Constitution, and highly dangerous to the
/, liberties of the country. The wise and pa
triotic men who framed the Constitution
never intended that the character OF the
Government should depend upon the incli-
nations Of it's Chief Magistrate that il
should be Republican or Monarchical q,
his pleasure. II Mr. Gibbons definition il
correct, aud if it were not tho intention 81
' tho trainers Of the Constitution TO create
Monarchy in Disguise, after comforting OF
Z the Presidency thu first and third Of the
7 powers enumerated by that author, il mus
. have been their intention to preserve The
2 Republican character Of the Government
. by placing the second 1.-THE management o
the r%evenue) entirely in other hands. Blu
T. the expedicnt would be useless, if the Pres
iden, in virtue Of a preroga,ive supposed
to attach to him as the Chief Executive
Magistrate, or under the power expressl.
: given to see that the laws are executed
could exercise entire control over the off
10 GERS TO whom The custody and disburse
i, ment Of the revenue were given by law
In this indirect way his power over tn
III public purse would be as complete as if
lie were committed to him by the express term
,e Of the Constitution and he would be thu
constituted. as much as in the former mode
that formidable mdgistrate," whom, in tn
g opinion of Mr. Glbbon, it would require tn
greatest intrepidity and vigilance, en- tn
part Of The friends of liberty to proven
Ia from becoming a despot.
ir 1t is not a little remarkable that the pow
er claimed for the President over the civ
" officers of the Government ia greater tina
the military laws allow him over tho off
GERS Of the army. The Article OF Wa
prescribing the measure of obedience
s%ubordmates to supcriors limits it to sue
-, orders as are legal whereas The pretensio
w. set up for the Presidential power, is unlln
:" tied obedience.
-, If the Objectionable assumptions of pow
~, or by the Executive are sought to be ju
~ tilted upon the ground that they are nece
20 sary 10 remedy existing evils, or secu
~ great public benefits, the appropriate a
' swer is to be found in the sentiments
" Gen. Washington, quoted in the Resol,
u, lions of your Convention. The habits
" thinking in a free country" says the pr
., eminent patriot and statesman, "should i
, spire caution in those entrusted with
w. administration, to %confine themselves wit
~" in their respective constitutional sphere