Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1839-07-12

leu us one oil his confidential advisers To
bargain and corruption be siereotvped
ana placed at the head of every column o
every opposition newspaper for four vears
II was done The columns Of m,
United States Telegraph, and Of all the afil
aied journals ofthe put down. party nov
bear on their face evidence how failb(ull,
THIS purpose was executed; while the sentf
ments OF the whole country from North n
South, and from East to West, attest with
overwhelming unanimity, the utter false
hood OF the charge But ii had lis dav. and
wrought its intended effect
Pretended abuse o. gatronage bv Mr. Alams
Next came the charge of a prostituted
Executive patronage. and abuse of Execu.
i've power. IL is now matter of amazement
that there should have been found wicked.
ness orazen enough 10 make the charge, and
credulity weak enough to be duped by it
Yet such was the fact Mr. Adams made
TWO removals from Office during his entire
administration, neither OF which was for no.
iitical cause, and yet the land was. literally
hlled with clamor about the danger of an
abuse Of Executive power That clamor
was commenced in 1926, in the report of
committee Of The Senate on the subject of
Executive patronage, at the head of which
was THOMAS Ii. BENTON, and AMONG
whose members we've MARTIN VAN BunrS
ana RICHARD NJ. JOHNSON. That report
dwelt with much apparent alarm on the
degree and amount Of patronage now (fAenl
exercised by The President and came to the
conclusion, the same may, and ought 10 be
diminished by law For the protested pur.
pose OF affecting that diminution, the com.
mlttee reported six bills, one Of which. is
worthy of special remark, provided
THAT, in all nominations made bv the
President 10 the Senate TO FIJI vocsnc;a.
occas'oned by the exercise ofthe Presidents
power to remove from Office, The fact of the
removal shall be stated to the Senate at the
lime the nomination is made, aciM STATE.
menf Of The reasons for ichich such officer man
hare been remored."
WISH, Mr.. Chairman, that had time 10
20 iuIly INTO the report Of that committee f,
out must forbear. II labored TO magnifv
ne amount OF patronage f.en erereised by
he President; declared that .qhe mower
u patronage, unless checked by tie rigorous /
nferPossfion Of Congress, must 90 on in. I
i5f eleeiodissn IL c66apFeter morn.
,nce pTedominates in the elections of Scot
and and Ireland in rotten borough towns" Il
lrged the necessity of "laboringto multiply q
he guards and TO strengthen the barriers Q
against the possible abuse of power" and
spoke OF the disposition manifested, Hin oil
lges 10 flock 10 The standard ofPorer, where
soever aud BY whomsoever raised" II also
a glowing and truly prophetic des-
cription OF the effect of the exercise OF Exc
cutive power, which shall have occasion
more particularly to notice hereafter.
1t is useful to look back on this report
from the point where we now stand. There
was thrown around it an dir Of sincerity and
regard for the public good which rendered
il very imposing, and seemed to claim for
its authors the merit Of no common patriot
ism and discernment But, sir. we can now
see il in its true light 1t was hypocrilical
cant, used to effect the purposes OF unwor-
thy ambition. Sound doctrines indeed it
contained but their PRONUNCIATION was made
under circumstances and in manner clear
ly showing that il was intended, not to lay
foundation for carrying them out in practice,
but TO give countenance 10 The false clamor
against the then Administration. Nothing
had occurred TO justify alarm. No arbitra-
ry removals from office had been made sug
costing the necessity Of imposing ON the
president the duty of giving reasons for re-
movals. or furnishing an accusation for the
sudden and high-wrought solcitude mani-
tested for the exemption ofthe country from
the dangerous charm Of executive influence.
But, sir, the conspirators understood il; and
now we understand it, and the whole country
understands it, The connexion which that re-
port profusely scattered through the coun
iry-was made to have with the misrepre-
sensations which were 10 put down, s. which
did put down pure administration, and the
subsequent preparation by its authors and
their political friends, as soon as they came
into power, Of all The abuses they pretended 10
depreeate, reveal to the broad light Of day
the great purposes the report. That pur-
pose was the acquisition of power. 1t was
effected and effected only to enable those
who accomplished it to fulfil their own
worst predictions of the abuse OF power
| have said, Mr. Chairman, that none now
dare to charge Mr. Adams with an abuse OF
Executive power. recall the assertion,
and admit that there is one exception The
gentleman from Maryland (Mr Howard)
has said in this debate, that "Gen. Jackson
found the instrument Executive patronage)
bright, from recent use, in the magazine
stormed and taken on his coming into pow
err" BY this he intended to say that Exc
cutive patronage had been used by the pre-
ceding Administration for party purposes;
and that its notorious use for such purposes
by Gen Jackson and his successor has been
but following GU; ofthe policy Of the adj