The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1836-04-15


suppose il will hardly Be consended il |
could not. II II could. have We not The |
power 70 declare the lllegalily. BY reso-
luton. IN The hope that il will induce the |
Chief Magistrate % reconsider his act |
and restore the deposiiesl II requires !
sharper optics Than mine. Mr.. President. |
70 see the difference.
We need not stop here. sir. Let Us
follow this matter in the exercise Of that
executive power which the Constitution
has conferred on Us. Individuals while
holding high Offices are sometimes noun.
mated 10 the Senate for others. The man
ner in which they have discharged their
duties in the place filed BY them 10 ollen
and Of necessity a'malter Of rigid and Sc
we're inquiry. Acts have 70 be sifled and
examined, and judgment formed on
them, 10 enable Us 10 decide whether il
i proper 10 give our consent 10 the no
mlnee occupying high station The
investigation must therefore be often car
RED 10 actions which. il committed with
. bad motive, might subject she officer 10
impeachment. Such case, sir, has oc
Cured, and our authority and bounden
duty TO 60 into such inquiries have never,
as ! know, been questioned. although il
10 manifest the same matters. in relation
70 the same person. may come before Us
in Judicial capacity.
Sir. this limitation. which now for the
first time in our history 10 attempted 10
be placed on the legislative power Of the
Senate. is a pregnant sign Of The prevail
ing notions Of The day. The duties which
this body has To perform. in the capacity
in which II passed this resolution. are
just as important and sacred as those be
longing Ia /, in its judicial or executive
character. With the opinions entertain.
ed by us members they could moi. with
out sacrificing their consclences at the
shrines ri ease and expediency, have re.
Trained from the declaration they made
in relation IN the conduct of the Execu.
tive in removing the deposites. That
measure filled them with profound and
! will add, just alarm. In their view
Of the matter, they saw great assump-
zion Of power on The part uf the chief
Magistrate, and they could not be blind
to the fact. that the tendency of pubic
opinion was, and am sorry to say sill
is, 10 surrender all authority into The
hands Of the Executive; 10 lonk to him,
aud IN him only, as an index which is Ia
point To what is useful and what is ho.
norable in policy and in legislation. Had
they consultaf their own convenience,
their coufsr as plain; II was to bow 10
the - rn. and trust that. when less po.
pular mau was al the head of the govern.
ment. the healthy action of all its several
departments would be restored. But they
took lessons from purer source. and
trust. a higher wisdom. Experience had
taught them that in free governments
dangerous precedents are slways set by
popular men; because il is they and
they only who can create a deluslon
which will permit them to be sea. They
knew with wha, fatal effect this example
would he cited in after times as ius,ifi>
cation Of still greater SKETCHES of au,ho-
rity: and they determined, Al all hazards.
to resist it TO the utmost Of their ability.
For one, sir, | rejoice that they did so;
the gratitude oftheir country awaits them;
and posierI,y will do tina, justice TO their
acts and their motives which party spirit
now refuses to award them. Far too
humble myself to connect history with
nv name. fondIy indulge the hope that
the position | occupied at that moment
will attach me in some degree 10 it. as
one Of those who stood manfully in the
breach in the unequal battle which was
fought for the Constitution. desire no
higher praise, and would ask no prouder
| epltaph to be engraven on my tomb.
| We have been required, sir, in this de-
bate, to toe the mark; and the hope has
been expressed that. after having de.
snounced the President during the session
of 1894, s,igma,ized his conduct, and
misrepresen,ed his actions, we will not
now take shelter under The defence that
we did not mean to impute bad motives
to his acts, and merely intended to ex'
press an abstract opinion on the lawful
ness of his acts. This hope, Mr.. Presi.
dent, so far as am concerned, am fully
prepared to crafty. I am ready TO come
up to the line advanced 10 then, and de-.
feud il. And say, sir. that, during the
whole of that debate, | do not recollect
any charge of corruption or intentional
violation OF the Constitution charged on
the President of the United States. His
acts, removing the deposites and displa-
cling the Secretary of the Treasury, were
denounced it is true, and in strong terms;
the unlawful assumption Of authority was
exposed in every point of view in which
it was susceptible, and the pernicious
tendency of the preceden, set was paint.
J ed in vivid colors. This is my recol.
lection of the debate, sir. / do not pre-,
tend TO say that, in the heat of IL, ex.