Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1836-02-05

7uauv eyes and cars and organs to cotnmu-
ncatc TO him whatsoever occurs IN fore'eh
paccs. and to keep him well advised OF
all which may cnncctn the interests uf the
United States. There j. an especial pro-
pricty therefore. that in this branch OF the
rubllc service, Congress should always be
able to avail itsclr Of the distinct opinions
and recommendations OF The President. 1hc
two Houses and especially the House oi
Representatives are tho La'ural guardians
of the peoples money, They are to Keep
1t sacred and 20 use It discreetly. Tbcy
are not at liberty 10 spend it where 1t Is
not needed. nor 10 Offer 1t for any pnrposc
all a reasonable occasion for the eXpendl'
lure be shown. Now IN ibis case, repeat
nrain, the President had sent us no RECON-
,ncndstlon for any such appropriation no
department had recommended It no estl'
mate bad contained il; in the whole history
Of the session, from the morning OF the
%irst day, down to 8 O'Clock in the evening
of the last day, not one syllable had been
said to us, not one hint suggested, showing
that the President deemed any such meas
urc either necessary or proper. sta'c TINS
STRONGLY. sir. but state It truly. ] state
rho matter as it is; and ] wish TO draw the
attention of the S, nate aad OF the country
strongly to this part OF the case. say
ocnin. therefore. that when this vote for
he three millions was proposed 10 the Sen
otc. there was nothing before us showing
,bal the President recommended any such
rnpropriation. You very well know, sir,
that this objection was Immediately stated
n, soon as the message from the house was
road We all well remember that 1t was
The very DO NJ put forth by the honorable
member from Tennessee, Mr.. White, as
heinz. if may so say, the butt end of his
argument in opposition to the vote. He
said very significantly and very iorciby,
.sit is not asked for BY those who best know
what the public service requires; how then
arc we to presume that it is n2eded p
This oues,ion, sir, was not answered then:
il never has been answered since; 1t never
can be answered satisfactorily.
Rnt let me here gain sir, rocur to the
mesa, Of the President, Speaking Of the
loss of II e bill he uses these words
This failure WINS more regretted, not
only because it necessarily interrupted and
DELAYED the irogress Of a system oil national
lcfence PROJECTED imned atcly after The
east war, and since steadily pursued, but
also because it contained a contingent
- ~ IL.
no views o. the executive in nd OF this
mpor,an, object, and other branches OF the
raijonal defence, some portions OF which
uirht have been most usctully applied
during the past season.
Taking these words OF the message. sir
and connecting them with the fact that the
President had made no r commentator to
congress ofany such appropriation, 1t strikes
IN, that they furnish matter for very grave
refcction. The President says that this
proposed appropriation was Sin accordance
with the views Of the executive; that II
was sin aid of an important object :" and
TINT some portions Of it might have been
most usclully applied during the past sea
son'"
And now sir, I ask, if this be SO, why
W not this appropriation recommended to
Congress BY the President? ask this
question in the name of the constitution OF
he United States; stand on ITS own clear
authority in asking it; and invite all thosr
who remember its injunctlons, and who
mean to respect them, to consider well how
The question is to be answered.
Sir. the constitution is not yet an entire
dead letter. There is yet some form o
observance to its requirements; and ever
while any degree of formal respect is pait
t,it. must be permitted to Continue The
question, why was not this appropriation
recommended? 1t was in accordance witt
the Presidents views; it was for an lmpor'
,ant object it might have bccn usc'ulll
cypendcd. The President being of opinion
therefore. that the appropriation was ne
ccssarv and proper. now is 1t that it wa
not recommended to Congress ? For. sir
we all know the plain and direct words ii
which the very first duty of the Presiden
is imposed by the constitution. Here they
are:
"He shall, from time TO time, give Il
the congress infIrmat on OF the state o
The Uuion, and recommcnl 10 their consit
Grafton such measures as he shall judy,
necessary and expedicnt."
After enumerating the pOicers Of thu
President. this is the first, the very frs
tuiy which The constitution gravely enjoin;
upon him. And now, sir, IN no languagC
of taunt or reproach, in no language o
pariy attack, in terms Of no aspcrly OF
rxaGperotion, but called up by the necessity
of defending my own vote upon the sub jecr
] now, as a public man. as member Of
Cong ess here in my place, and as citizen
who feels as warm an attachment to the
constitution of the country as any other
can. demand of any who may choose to
give it, an answer to this question: "WuY
WAS NOT THIS MEASURE WHICH THE PMS.
IDENT DECLARES THAT HE THOUGHT Ne
CEssARY AND EXPEDIENT, RECOMMENDED
TO CoNGREsS? ~ And why am | and why
are other members of Congress, whose path
Of duty the constitution snys shah be en-
hghtened by the PRESIDENTS opinions and
communications, be charged with want Of
patriotism and want Of fidelity to the couD
iry, because we refused an appropriation
which the President, though it was IN &C
cordance with his views, and though he
believed it important, would not, and did
not recommend TO us, When these qres-
tons are answered sir, to the satisfaction OF
Intelligent and impartial men, then and not
till then, let reproach, lei censure, let sus.
,,;o,o, IF onv Kind rpSt IN he Wpni