The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-08-14

; RieAaoad Enquirer


policy of the present administration there are embraced
1--WE propositions TO which MIR. Rses Is opposed and
10 which II mistake not, you are opposed-l The
Independent Treasury 2. The Bankrupt Law over
State corporations; y The investment Of sl Surplus
over S4,000000 IN State stocks: a. The Executive
power TO employ banks not. at ils discretion. II
your own opinions heretofore expressed and those Of
most OF the leading and distinguished members Of the
I" Repahiieaa pary"--I the old itepublicanpar-
", mol the new tangled Democratic Republican State
Rights party compounded Of SHb- Treasuryisna NuL
hfea,ionsni aud Sink Stoimismsre to be regarded
sound. esch Of these would, of ITSELF i'm
part 10 the Executive very dangerous pswer aud a
great enlargement Of its already ovcrgtown patronage
How formidable, then, and how dangerous. would be
the macs Of power and patronage which the adoption Of
all hesc schemes would confer. hazard the asser-
ton, that under their combined operation the Execu-
tive Department Of the Federal Government would, in
twenty years. smass oil the rights and powers Of the
States, oyerturn the Independence OF Congress- and
PROSTATE the liberties Of the people. Our institutions
could not withstand The combined force Of their open
assaults and nsdnus sappng and mining for any length
OF time They would tumble into ruins Have YOU
ever known in the history Of any free government such
OF power and patronage conferred by the pc ople
their Executive, ihs, they had not become so gno-
and corrupt to be prepared for slavery and
who not onslased think sir, that history is re-
plete with many, very many. such melancholy exam
pies. ard we should be warned by their fate. II is
against this OF pocer AID patronage being invested
in the Executive that Mr.. Rves and his friends who
have become SO obnoxious 10 your wrath, warning.
and for which, because they will not vow uneomproms-
ing allegiance to him who proposes and presses them,
that you denounce and prescribe them. although you
profess to agree with them to the fullest extent Of all
their objections Happy had il been for the country
fortunate for its prosperity, that in the beginning you
had oreny taken sides with the friends Of the Sub
Treasury policy. As it's open and undisguised advo
cate you could have served il half so successfully
hapa do ,nla he I,ra ssal
You have palsed the Of resistance until il has al
most become ncrveess and ineffective. While you
profess to defend The bulwarks of the Constitution and
OF Liberty against the approaches Of enemy
side, you permit an enemy equally formidable and dan
gerous, TO spprosch il on the other not only without
resistance but you FIRE upon and destroy that part OF
the garrison which is making most vigorous and
spirited, and but for you would make most success
fu defence. How, sir, with your good and dis.
eliminating Judgment, you can reconcile 10 yourself tho
inconsistency and absnrdty Of this position, marvel
ous in the extreme But, sir, do not propose test
the proprety of your course by any arguments Of my
own shall try you by yourself--Out OF your own
columns will produce your condemnation.
|. The Sub. Treasury Srteme. This ia the usual
cognomen of that Recommendation of the President
which proposes TO commit to the keeping and dsburse
meui Of individual agents Of the Treasury, the public
money and to prohibit the receipt Of any other medium
than gold and silver in the payment OF the public dues
OF this scheme when il first broached by Mr. Leigh
Chen Senator Of the United Ststes) letter addressed
tweny-six friends who had invited him 10 public
dinner you said" As to the letter of Mr.. Leigh, it
may satisfy his 20 friends but it certainly does not
satisfy The letter which they have called forth,
should call forth in its turn, another letter explain
the true meaning Of that passage which speaks Of d.
FORCING all connection Nth banks, State Federal
Do you mean Chey might say,) that the public money
is be left in the hands Of Custom House officers
sponsbie to the President and removable by hint If
NJ zf.k cd
objections urged by The Giobc-and to increase, IN
ALARMING a DEGREE, the patronage, The po,rer and
influence Of the Erecuiisc I"
What is that irresistible argument Of the Globe to
which you REFER Here it s-and well does it deserve
the and deliberate consideration Of every
genuine Republican, and every lover Of the liberties Of
his country: I'LL
"This is the notable plan by which Senator Leigh
would drminish the power Of the Executive. over the
repositories OF public money Instead Of suffering the
President to appoint Treasurer, he does now,
he would have him appoint many should be'con-
venient. Or. il the appointments were taken out Of
the hands OF the President with the Of the
Senator's must be vested in the head of the Treasury
Department, to be made without their concurrence
And when appointed these officers necessarily be,
as oil other Executive officers now are, subject to re-
mova at the will OF the President Mr. Leigh attacks
the Constitution itself when he these posi-
tions as shall hereafter show. And these Treasu-
rers, all appointed by the President and removable at
will, with all The public money in their actual posses
son--in their pockets, desks trunks and pauts-are,
in the opinion Of Mr. Leigh the constitutional deposit
tories Of the public moneys in preference to the State
Banks, which guard the public treasure as they do
their own, tchich the President has control and
to one Treasurer who, instead of having the money in
his actual possesson cannot possibly get dollar of
into his hands, for any other purpose than TO pay
his salary and ordinary office expenses 1t is for
tunate for Gen. Jackson that he does not entertain Mr.
Leigh's opinions If he had suggested system, phat
peals of patriotic Indignation could hare burst Of
eloquent Senator'S, against the usurper and tyrant
The veryAands of his partisans and parasites"
"The public moneys, from the time Of their receipt
to the time OF their disbursement, amounting they
often do to ten or twelve millions Of dollars must
main in the hands of individuals, appointed by The Pre-
sdenf, and removable his ,cA! They ought not to
be kept in their pockets, chests, rdns, where they
approach every day and it. without the checks
Of warrants drawn, countersgned, registered and
corded, and passing through many hands, without which
Chat is, their warrants) dollar now be touch
ed by any public officer, not even the President him
SELL This is the irresistible argument Of the Globe
which you have endorsed and which you must abide
but which in practice, irresistible it is you dis
regarding.
Again-In the Enquirer Of the 9Th Of September,
1887, You say -" We have desire to see such
accumulation Of power in the hands Of the Executive
wish to put the money directly in the palms Of his
friends and partizans. We mish The po,oer and
patronage of he Erceut,rc increased tic possi-
Uethe po,rcrs of The Federal Government moi enarg-
ed-e purse and the stoord not strongly united,
than they in the hands Of the President; as few
Of CORRUPTION possible TRUSTED in his pos
session"-yet in practice, you are doing this very
thing.
Again--On the goth Of October following, you say
/" IL ,ciH enlarge Erccufioe pooer already GREAT
for A RErusLlc." What, sir, the Executive power
already great for Republic, and you seek to de-
stroy the man who struggling to reduce IT, and sink
swim" with HIM who proposes still further to enlarge
NIL! Creduty tsefis almost ready TO discredit it
but it is and poserty will pronounce upon 1t
its scvercst Judgment
Again--In the same paper in speaking Of the special
dcsposito scheme, which you had so pertnaciousy
urged and which you proposed ground OF compro
koI,a mart