Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1836-11-03

our preceding observations, perhaps the
strongest afforded by history is that o
/" PRESIDENT Of the UNITED STATES
Weegive this title to our first Magis
trate we give it to the chief officer o.
a bank, and moi unfrequently, bestou
il, with a little influence, e the chair,
man of a town or county meeting, soft,
ching it into The Presiding Officer
Under these apparently modest titles,
we thus confound men upon whom we
have bestowed more than legal autho.
rity, with others who, with the title,
have no authority whatever, and thus
lose all the benefit which ought to be
gained 10 the understanding by the use
of a precise term.
Many may deem this wide use Of a
title or name as unimportant; Tut such
persons cannot have reflected on the
power oflanguage, or the influence OF
names on the human mind. We have
long since recorded our deliberate OPT
Mon, that if our chief magistrate had
been called " KING" and every other
principle ofour government left just ms
it has been and continues to be, that
magistrate could never have exerted
a power with any approach TO that ex-
erted by the incumbent President.
Another consideration ought to be
exercised by us on this subject, and
that is, that our misnomers may con.
ceal, but cannot change the real nature
Of things. Again, in the case of dele
gated power, as for instance that ofthe
President of the United States: the
more it is rendered obscure, the more
securely and surely it will be called
forth-and called forth, not to fulfil the
purposes for which it was bestowed,
but to suit the selfish views of the De.
pository. In the choice of President,
the nation is now, and always was,
since the Office was created, and al
ways must be while it exists, divided
into parties !; ofcourse the Officer. when
elected and inaugurated, is in a great
er or less degree the head of a party.
This party, like all others, will expect
to enjoy the exclusive favors Of their
chief, and in the nature Of fittings, must
supply exclusively, the subordinate
agents. Such must be the position of
the incumbent ofthe presidential office
whatever may be the talents, firmness.
honesty, or patriotism of the man. As
if the weight of the office itself was not
enough to be confded to any single
f~unctioDary, we, in our determination
to give him every chance to exercise
his will, clothed him with an absolute
veto upon every act Of the legislature.
We boldly pronounce the veto powers
absolute, and regard the restrictions as
worse than mockery. Giving the Pre-.
sident the veto, and demanding as a
check, the opposing voice of two thirds
Of both branches of the general legis.
~lnturc, is another, and most fragrant
influence, ola specious veil thrown Q
absolute power. Whatever was the
cause or causes, it has eventuated, that
this officer possesses an excessive au-
,hority,~ concealed under the vagueness
of names ana cobweb restrictions,
which a breath of bis nostrils a sweep
TO the winds.
When we are compelled to accede
to the foregoing statement OF facts,
then how great ought our sollcitude TO
be when we are called upon to vote for
the man who is to fill this all important
Officer Any person who has paid even
a moderate share of attention to our
governments, general and special, must
yield all hope ofany immediate. or we
might say, remote change in the forms,
especially of the former. The Presi-
Dental office, we consequently regard
fixed irrecoverably, with all its pow
ers, prerogativcs, and open and yelled
influence. To obtain therefore, as
many benefits, and guard against its
many dangers, we are left to the choice
of men.-When, to seek the man of
our choice, we 60 to the palace and
receive him from the retiring incum-
bent, We not only confirm the opinion
of MI. Randolph, that our government
was"A Monarchy" but we fulfil a
prediction of the same Statesman, that
t" The President uould appoint has sue.
$500.