Iowa news. [volume] (Dubuque, Upper Mississippi Lead Mines, Wisconsin Territory) 1837-1841, 1838-04-07
NO. A..

met OF the fact should suffice.
:, These two were the only direct grants of
hSecuiive patronage which the bill proposed
10 make; but it seems to be supposed that the
power and influence of the Executive were to
ne Immensely and dangerously increased over
an me officers charged with the keeping of a.
ny portion of the public money; and this idea
formed one of the most weirh,y objections =.
gainst the system. How, he would ask, is
ms Inference derived! Not one cent of addi.
|'iona compensation is proposed to be given 10
any one of the existing executive officers, in
consequence of the additional duties imposed
upon them by This bill. They were all now
Subject to removal from office by the President.
at his pleasure. Whence, then, was he to de-
rive this increased power from them! Could
he command the money in their hands! No:
unless he was ready to commit drec, infrac.
ton of the Constitution, and the officer to sub.
lect himself to proraced imprisonment and in
famous punishment. The bill provides tina. all
money, in the hands of every depository, shall
be held as there to the credit o! the Treasury.
or. in other words, as in the Treasury; and the
Constitution declares that no money shall be
taken from the Treasury but in conformity to
appropriations made by law. The bill make,
any unlawful use of the money, by the officer
in whose charge it is. punishable by i.nprison-
ment for term not less than two wears. To
let the President have the money would be az
criminal. under the law, as TO let any other ci-
tIzen of the country have it., and detection
would he as certain in the one case as the 9th.
er. The only difference would be that the Pre-
sdent, il he were to make himself the know.
ing recipient, would subject himself to im-
parchment for the violation of the Constitution
and the fraud upon the Treasury; whereas the
citizen would incur no criminal liability what.
soever. Where, then, is the dangerous in.
crease of power given 10 the Prcsden,!---Sup.
pose he remove the officer: the money is still,
III a legal sense, in the Treasury. He gains
no access to i, by the removal, and if he did,
he could make no use of it without violation
of the Constitution. 1t was easy to see that
This system would impose great additional re.
sponsibility upon Tic President, as he must se-
ect all the persons who are TO be entrusted
with public money, and it is his duty 10 see
that they all obey, observe, and execute the
Ilaw. lie would venture tic assertion that no
honest man who was to hold the Office of Pre-
sidcnt consulting merely his personal inter-
cs,s and responsibilities, separate from his
sense of the public good, would desire the pas
sage Of this law. He could see nothing desi-
rable TO that officer personally 10 grow out Of
lii, while he could see fearful load of person.
al responsibility in every feature Of the sys-
lem.
But the officers who were to keep the pub
lic money, were also executive officers, aud
perhaps it was here, and not with the President.
, that this great increase Of Executive power
was apprehended. The same inquiries were
alike applicable to this suggestion..- How could
: the possession of money by the officer, which
+ he could only use in pursuance of appropria-
tons made by law, without subjecting him
self TO the severest punishment, increase the
md NJ hat oG; 81
low citizens! Suppose he should become cor
rupt and violate the aw.---Would not every
respectable man whom lie should approach,
: shun and avoid him, and could the certainty of
, detection give him time to establish an influ-
ence, based upon the power OF the money em-,
: bezzled which would be dangerous to public
liberty? Most ceronly not. In this, as in
the case ofhe President, the responsibility, not
s the power and influence, Of the officer would
be increased.
| Such was the view he was compelled TO take
] of the charge Of Executive patronage made a.
: gainst the financial system proposed by the
: bill, in its present form: but the imaginations
I Of some had carried them beyond the present
propositions, and induced them to fear that this
i was the mere commencement, the entering
Il wedge, TO a multiplication OF Executive Off
GERS, until they should cover the whole land,
] like the locnsts Of Egypt, and eat out the sub
!, stance Of the people. Where was the founda.
|, ton for this apprehension? With whom rest.
/, ed the power Of increasing officers Of any char
: acleH Not, certainly, with the Executive.-.-
He Can act in selecting men for Office, when
the Offices created by Congress, and, with
certain exceptions, he can remove men from
Office at his rleasuie; but he can create no Of
fee. nor can he multiply the number Of officers.
Of any grade or character.---Irhis, then, is not
| an objection against the Executive, but against
the legislative power Of the Government; it 10
! an objection which implies distrust, not ofthe
I President, but of ourselves. And are We a.
fraid to trust ourselves in this matter, or do
we stand in so much fear Of those who may
succeed Us in these seats, that we would rath.
or commit the finances Of the country TO ncoYs
, porated banks, than to the present or future
representatives Of the people and the States!
, Blu. how stands the objO.ion Of Executive
: patronage, asapplied to The State bank depo-
. site systeml The first stepin this system is
: the election of some twenty. thirty, or more
banks, TO do which the direct interest Of all
their officers. directors and stockholders, must
: be addressed, and. when selected. the same
] intexes; is enlisted il whsry@F contract may
i be made. Here is al once 80 .ssiay OF new
: persons brought within ne rcach ct Exeen-
d live power. not, like the salary officer, upon
Q stimulated co.npcnsaiioUs, but whose Interests
v are wholly dependent upon the extent If the
il patronage bestowed.-upon Tic amount Of mons
V ey entrusted to their charge. then come up
0 die competitions and appliances to obtain se-
lection, and the inducement 10 a vicioussEx-
q ecu,iye 10 excite hopes and create expectations,
!, throughout the whole lae of banking inS,isu-
n lions in all the States. But the selections ere
Y made, the money deposited and passed u the
9 citizens, among the other accommodates of
4 The cs,,a>.> LJo u ciUcK, r. III. ~ - -
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