Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-04-20

department, and courts of law" &C. that "no power
whatever IN relation TO them, except the power 10 I'M
peach tor corrupt and illegal appointments is vested in
the House OF Representatives,; that, believing il TO be
one Of the duties of his station regard the consu
onal limitations Of power, and that compliance with
the request Of the committee "woud be precedent tend.
ing TO subvert them, he declined furnishing the papers,
And thus, the House Of Representatives, which
admitted had at least the right 10 mpeach for corrupt
appointments, were refused access to the pub.
nc o'cai papers letters and recommendations, as 10 an
oi"cer removed and one appointed although they fur
"ea 'he only probable means of asceraInIng whether
or Illegal"
- n'r' " oodoory being unte. examination before The
Hon''ee, vas asked 10 all he knew in relation to
.Ie e'oVa Of certain Custom house officer, and the
reasons Tor such removal The question was objected
TO- not w Dir Woodbury. bat by member of the Commit
tee ana decided that the question shonid not be pro-
pounded This oSicer removed not by Mr. Wood.
bury, but by collector ct Newpou Afterwards Mr.
oodoury haVing stated that he had already communal
Gated the circumstances attending the removal in re-
port TO the Senate together with such documents con-
nected with 1t as cere not confidential their character
he was then asked, 1t "t4e papers kieh he did
municne 10 The Senae because Msyuerc CONFIDENTIAL ceIs
on The files Of the Treasury Department" This question
was objected to- and decided By majority Of the Com.
mee. that tie question sbon!d not be prOpounded-
Now, understand from all this that il ~ the opinion
oil some high in official authority here, and sanctioned
by at least members Of Committees Of the II OF Re
Prcsenta,iyes that the President and Heads Of Depart
men's may remove al officers whether "honest, capable
and faithful or not the ground Of difference OF po
htIcal opinon-that the Executive and his suoord-
mates are responsible by Impeachment for corrupt
and illegal conduct they not bound TO answer but
that il is their constitutional duty, resist all enquiries
as 10 The manner in which they have discharged their
duties because they not bound to crimnate or fur
nsh evidence against themse,es-that the letters, pa
pers evidences and documents on file in the public de-
partnenis connected with the exercise Of the power OF
removal, may be withheld from be House of Repesen-
tnves, because they might furnish evidence OF corrupt
and illegal conduct against the President the heads Of
departments, and that is wholly incompetent TO Con-
gress or even the House Of Representatives, with view
10 prevent by legislation abase corruption in the e1.
ec'se OF the power Of removal to enquire into the ma
tnre OF the abuses the of The corruption le
gality. Against all these doctrines felt il to be 'my
sacred duty soemny to protest. and 10 endeavor 10 pro-
cure The judgment Of the House Of Representatives IL
regard to them For that purpose, presented TO the
House series of resolutions, dlsutrnlng them all
These resolutions still pending, and hope will he
acted on. deem their passage by the House OF Repre-
senaIives demanded for the Hindcaon OF the just au-
hor,y Of the House, for the preservation Of the purity
and integrity Of the Executive administration, and for
putting The seal of disaPprobaon by the grand inquest
OF the nation, upon principles and practices tyrannicar
corrupng subversve of all ssntary restraints upon
The Executive department OF the Government lhese
not new opinions with me- In 1884, in the speech
made in defence of the power Of removal said-"No
" one conlends-l surely do not-that this power OF
" eviction from Office, may be exercised wantonly and
capricously; but bona tide and honestly, for promoting
i" the prompt and correct execution OF the law Anc
again in the same speech: awhile maintain the power
and right OF remoVal-that if officer pertnacously
neglect TO execute m;sconsrue the law, so as, IN
the judgment OF the President, TO dsappoin the in.
tenlion of the law-it is his constitutional right and
official duty to dspace him, deny that he has
right TO do so without cause am utterly opposed 10
VIVA, has been called The proscripve systematic re.
moval of officers for opinion sake. The principle OF
furnishing enemies and rewurding friends throug the
instrumeniaiy Of the removing power, regard os
gross and fragrant abuse Ard whenever am called
on 10 in any of the Sort will go further
I" than will in condemning il. ! hate and deest Inc
principle, and will justify who avows anc prac.
tees H. II poiSons the fountains OF public purify ana
GerraGes our political contests into miserable scrani-
biz for power and PLUMBER in which. the honors and
Offices the country converted into mere spoiIs
Of the vanquished, be divided among the rictors
simple enough TO suppose, that no one DID seri-
ously contend for such detesahc principles had eve.
~ ght suppose that Gen Jackson and his party DID
NOT for they most ably and eloqucnty denounced IN
the celebrated report Executive patronage OF the
committee Of the Senate in 1926, of which Mr. Benton
was Chairman-and Mr.. Van Buren,, Richard NJ John.
son and Judge W hite members. They are direct
" in conflict with the pl. dye OF General Jackson in his
inaugural Address, 10 reform chose abuses which had
brought the patronage Of the Executive IN conflict win
The freedom of elections and they are expressly repu-
dated by Mr. Madison, the great champion OF the pow
er Of Executive removal from Office he was tho great
exempar of all that pure and patriotic ard virtuous
as statesman In his speech in 1859, Mr. Madison SAID!
that the great argument agnlns, conccdng The power OF
removal the danger and mischief OF an abuse oil Inc
power-but he replied 10 this that if the President re-
inored faithful md mtritort0us ocer he noud be babs
10 impairment anil remorat HIMSELF and, moreover, ne
could not eonceiec possible that enOrnoas an abuse Of
po,ecr ,couid be perpctrated by any PreNatnt
Fellow. Citizens, fear this enormous n5use Of power
has been practised and to greater extent than had
any suspicion Of until very recently Certain 49, that
every attempt investigate alleged suspected abuses
CT this kind have been obstruCed, evaded and folled,
with an obstinacy and upon Prete1ts which are wholly
unustabe, and the resort 10 which IS well calculated
to engcnder the suspicion that the investigation would
expose cases numerous and hagran as 10 arouse
public indignation and demand signal punishment But
however thI, may be, public purity, the principles OF the
Constitution just jealousy of the danger OF Executive
power and patronage all require that the country should
know what the principles os all parties on this sub
iect and if those principles arc in conflict with the ge
MUS of our institutions, whether they can De restrained
by legislation or punishment The resolutions oFered
by self and pending, present these questions for
the judgment Of the House OF Representatives and OF the
country.
In The conflicts of opinion and struggles Of party
which have grown of, and been connected with the
Currency question, small division of the Adminis,ra
ton party have been placed in opposition 10 the great
body of that party, at least among the politicians They
have thrown of the shackes Of party in those conflicts
and struggles in despite Of the terrors OF denunciaon.
Although dimnuliye in point Of numbers, they have
proved themselves gallant in spirit and efficient in action
Ridiculed as a mere "corporas guard" they have had
strength to turn the tide Of bae-and having, be-
eve sarcd the country from ruin in the present crs,
they well merit pliment the cogncmen of"Con.
servatives them originally by way ofreproach.
Agreeing with them in their general and OPT
Mons, and sympa,hsng with them most cordially in the
noble and heroic stand they have taken, it is my pride
10 avow that, far have any psry associations and
aifines, am with them They are indeed Spartan
band of whom i, may be said in the language of Henry
the Fifth. on the eve of the battle Of Agiucourt:
If they marked to d'o, thoy are enough
To do our country loss; and If TO live,
The fewer mon, the greater share OF sonor."
regret, fellow citizens, that have not had time TO
condense this address into q smaller composs. wished
10 exhibit in one view my whole course Of action and
opinion upon all the great subjects Of political excite
men, and Importance which have arisen while was your
Representative. may possibly havo omitted to notice
some which may be thought worthy Of notice by come