The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1837-05-26


illile iown &c Boston.
! d. not intend. gentlemen, % commit
50 unreasonable lrespass on your pa
iience as % discuss all those eases in |
which ! think Executive power has been |
unrrasOnsbiy extended. ] shall only al
Jude 10 some Of them, and, as being EAR
hest in The order Of lime, and hardly se-
cand 10 any other in importance, ! mem
lion the practice Of removal from all Off
css. high and low. for opinions sake.
and on the ayowed ground OF giving pat
ronsge 10 The President; that i 10 say. ol
giving him The power Of Influencing mems
political opinions and political conduct
by hopes and BY fears. addressed direct
~ TO their pecunisry interests. The
great battle on this point was fought and
was los, in the Senate Of the United
States in the las. session Of Congress un-
der Mr.. Adams's administration. After
General Jackson was known 10 be elect
ed. and before his term Of Office began,
many important Offices became vacant by
the usual causes Of death aud resignation.
Me- Adams. of course, nominated persons
20 Gil these vacant Offices. But major
ny Of The Senate was composed Of The
friends of General Jackson. and, instead
of acting on these nominations. and 6Il-
ing the vacant Offices with ordinary
prompuiude. the nominations we're post
poned 10 day beyond the 4th Of March,
for the purpose. openly avowed, Of Civ
ing the patronage Of the appointments TO
the President who was then coming into
office. Aud when the new President en-
tered into his office. he Withdrew these
nominations, and sent in nominations Of
his own friends in their places.
l was Of the opinion then. and am Of
the opinion now, that the decision Of the
Senate went far 10 unfx the proper bs
! lance If the Government. Il conferred
on the President the power Of rewards
f1r party purposes or personal purposes,
without limit or control. /, sanctioned,
manifestly and plainly. that exercise OF
power which Mr.. Madison had said
would deserve impeachment; and il COM
pletely defeated one great object which
we are told the trainers Of the ConsiiIu-
ton contemplated in The manner Of form
ing the Senate; that is, that the Senate
might be a body not changing with the
election Of President. and. therefore,
likelv TO be able to hold over him some
check or restraint in regard TO Bringing
his own friends aud parlIssns into power
with him. aud thus rewsrting their SER
wees tn him al the public expense.
The debates in the Senate on these
questions were long continued and ear
nest. They were, of course, in secret
session. but the opinions OF those men,
bers who opposed this course have all
proved true by the result. The contest
was severe and ardent. as much so as any
that have ever partsken in; and have
seen some service IN that sort Of warfare.
lIEentlemen, when look back TO that
eventul moment, when | remember who
those were who upheld this claim for
Executive power with so much zeal and
devotion. as we'll as with such great and
splendid abilities, and when look round
now and inquire what has become ol
these gentlemen, where they have found
themselves al last under the power which
they thus helped TO establish; what has
become now of all their respect. trust,
confidence, and attachment; how many
of them, indeed, have not escaped from
being broken and crushed under the
weight Of the wheels Of the engine which
they themselves set in motion, feel that
an edifying lesson may be read by those
who, in the freshness and fitness Of par
" zeal, are ready to confer the most dan
gerous powers, in the hope that they and
their friends NAV bask in its sunshine
while enemies only shall be wilhered BY
its frown.
Nwill not 60 into the mention Of names
| viii give no enumeration sof persons
but ask You to turn your minds bach
and recollect who the distinguished mer
were who supported in The Senate Gene
raj Jackson's administration for the two
first wears: and will ask you what you
suppose they think now of that po~eI
and that discretion which they so freely
confided to Executive hands! What d.
they think of the whole career of tina
Administration. the commencement o
which. and, indeed, the existence o
which, owed so much to their own grea
exertions! a a s...@f -@
In addition to the establishment of thi
power Of unlimited and causeless removal
another doctrine has been put forth, NOR
vague, il is true. but altogether unconstl
,ullonal. and tending to like dangsrou
, results. In some loose. indefinite, an
. unknown sense. the President has bee
: called the representative Of the ,choI
: american People. He has called hin
} self so repeatedly, and been so demon
= mated by his friends thousand time
: Acts, for which no specific authority h;
L. =