The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1838-01-06
wAsHiSoToS. Dec. %. 1897.
TO THE PEOPLE OF BOSTON.

and careless observer Of It's proceedings
Returning home AFTER the close Of that session. de-
hvered, yoa all know, speech public meeting
in Faneuil Hail. in which dwelt length aud earnest
certain proofs bad seen, during my late resi-
deuce at Washington, Of what regarded great
and alarming extent OF executive influence. In part-
calar made statement upon this subject respecting
the proceedings in the Committee OF Ways aud Means,
Of which had been member.
In making that statement, aetuated by feel
logs OF personal hostility towards any member OF that
committee Nothing mad transpired TO create any per-
sonai unk'ndness, aud felt none My attention was
arrested ny what thought violation Of the fundamen-
tai principles upon which our government rests saw
10 the interference Of the executive with the business Of
mat committee what appeared to me dangerous
eroachment. There Is no more necessary guarantee
Tor public liberty, than the entire separation and indie
pendcnce oil the different departments Of government
The UNION OF all power in the hands OF single de-
paTtment Is despotsm. Nor is il material whether
this union be sanctioned by law or be imperceptbly
brought about by usage and precedent II it in fact
exists, the result the same Liberty is DESTROYED
In government like ours. the danger is that while the
form still remains fair and attractive, the spirit may de-
parthat by gradual and npercepfibo decays tho life
of liberty may be exlnguished, and nothing be LEFT but
the dead letter Of disregsrded rights. Constant watch
fitness and care against these dangers Is the Pce OF
our freedom.
Entertaining these views, felt myself hound to
municate 10 my constituents, certain facts respecting
the proceedings in the Committee ofWays and Means
winch 10 me were alarming These lac were lmpor-
tant and proper 10 be made known; ard must and
shall at all times declare whatever truth seems to mo to
Affect the public veal No fear Of reproaeh shall keep
silent.
The speech was mine; with the preparation Of the
printed report, had nothing to do. did not revise 1t.
never line of till after appearance in print
After i Published read it, though without giving
It any critical examination Upon this reading, IL APP
pcared to substantially correct, and accordingly did
not hesitate to circulate copies Of it. Upon
scrutiny two inaccuracies It have since been
pointed out which had before observed, and which
now do not appear to to affect at all the material
points of the speech
Dprng The second week Of the present session, six
members OF the late Committee OF Ways and Means
published communication in the Washington papers
OF the 18th instant complaining Of the part OF my speech
which referred TO the proceedings IN that committee
II judged proper by my friends that should take
some notice OF this communication in the House, the
same morning that appeared. Since the delivery OF
that Speech my attention had never been particularly
called to the subject, till this communication was shown
to me- had no time to give the paragraphs quoted in
IT. from the printed report Of my speech, very accu-
rate examination The substance Of the statements
which had made very strongly impressed upon
my memory and by the substance Of those statements
was ready to abide. Bnt there necessity for,
and il seemed to me- there propriety in my I'M
dertakng TO be answerabe for the words oil re-
port which had not written, had not revised, had not
before its publication, and which my attention
after the speech delivered.
Under these circumstances, esteemed il due TO my
self and due TO the great question Of improper execu-
tive influence, which the only substantial matter at
issue between and the members Of the committee, to
dssembarrass myself OF The particular phraseoogy OF
report which | had not made nor revised, and TO re-
state the precise words which did USE for, at such
distance of time, that was utterly out OF my power
but the substance and the point Of my statements,
which ready then and at all times to maintain,
Nothing II
find that this disclaimer, which thought had distinct
~ limited TO the preparation and the original publication
OF the report should have been understood by many
extending to substance and its statement. Had
intended any such disclaimer that the strong feelings
which have been excited upon the occasion, would have
had good cause. But such disclaimer certainly ne
intended, and understood myself, certainly ne
made
In other observations which submitted to the House,
the morning OF the 18th instant, the following was
my statement of what ] had said in my speech touch
ing the business Of the Committee al Ways and Means.
" had stated in reference TO the manner OF conducting
the business Of the Committee of Ways and Means,
that the bills reported by that committee originated
with the executive, to the committee, from the
executive, drawn up IN form, and were executive mea-
had stated IN terms, however, that IN calling
them executive measures had not reference to the
President simply, but also TO the heads of Depart
ments."
Such was my statement in the House, and certainly
cannot reasonably DO understood dsclaiining, what
at the time distinctly avowed, and what then
maintained admitted in their article by the majority
OF the committee themselves.
Now compare this statements Of what had said in
my speech with the printed report, quoted by the
majority Of the committee, and if the allegations in
both are mol essentially and substantially the same.
The first paragraph OF that quotation is as follows:
During the session, the business projects upon
which the House called to act. almost en-
tirely from the Committee of Ways and Means. There
nine members Of that committee. only two OF whom
understood TO be opposed 10 the general policy OF The
Administration | suppose you would like TO know the
manner in which tho business was arranged for the
House will tell YOU the isays--the means you Will
all see in due time You, doubtless, suppose that this
Committee Of Ways and Means has some duty to do
some ways TO devise, means to find out, some
plans TO originate and mature for the action OF the
House. The committee, you imagine, look over the
Message, what is recommended TO be done Tor the
benefit Of the country, consult together as 10 inc pest
measures and lay the result of their deliberations before
the House Is this your idea, Mr.. President - TINS
what YOU think feov-citizens II is, am sorry to
inform YOU that you labor under very great mistake
once entertained the same ideas but soon found my
error No such thing, sr-no such thing. The char
man If The committee steps up 10 Inc WhHc H0pse, ana
there rcceipcs from The President The Secretary Of
The Treasury such bills They msh 10 hare passed by
HE House The chairman puts The bills INTO has pocket,
takes them 10 The committee rith0ht any cTanndfion,
The majority Of the committee approve hsSs the mpoII-
" can do nothing The bills arc presented TO the
House. aud received as the dolngs oil the committee
Now is not the whole substance and every material
allegation the above paragraph embraced IN the state
ment that the bills reported by the committee originated
,o The cIccuiipe, 10 The committee Jrom me frecu-
tipe d,apn up IN form, and eIeemitrc measures
No one, think, can deny H.
The second paragraph OF the printed report, quoted
in the article Of the majority Of the committee, is as fol-
lows
81 aver You that every important bill passed py inc
House came 10 the House ready drawn, from inc EA-
erutye The Reoresents tiyes are mere machines.