Lincoln telegraph. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1836-1846, 1839-02-14

ommend to Congress such measures as he
shall Judge proper aud expedent," 1t was
certainly never intended that the measures
he recommended should be prc@ pted in
shape suited to the immediate decision of
the Legislature. The sages who made the
constitution, too well knew the advantages
which the Grown of England derived from
this power, by its ministers, to have lnten-
ded i, TO be used by ctr chief magistrate or
the heads OF department nnder his control.
The hoasted principles Of the English con-
stnuton that the consent of the democratic
Branch OF the government was not only
necessary to receive money from the peo-
pie, but that it WAS It's inviolable preroga-
tive also to originate all the bills fer that
purpose, is true in theory, but rendered Ut
terly false and nugatory in effect, by the
participation of the ministers of the crown
in the details of the legislation. Indeed
the influence they derive from sitting as
members of the House of Commons, and
for welding the immense patronage OF the
crown constitutional or usurped,) gives
them power over that body, that renders
plausible at least the fiattery, or as 1t Is
more probable, the intended sarcasm oil
Sir Walter Raleigh, in an address to James
the LIST, that the demand of his sovereign
upon the Commons for pecunlary and, was
invented only 'that the tax might seem to
come from themselves"
! Having thus given you my opinion OF
some things which might be done, and 9TH
ers that should not be done, by President
coming into power by the support oil those
of the people who are opposed to the prIn-
ciples upon which the present administra-
lion is conducted, you will see that lave
omitted one, which is deemed by many of
as much Importance as any other. al
lude to the appointment of members, OF
Congress to office by the President. The
Constitution contains no prohibition OF
such appointments, no doubt because Its
authors could not believe in its necessity,
from the purity of character which was
manifested by those who possessed the
confidence ofthe people at that period. 1t
is, however, an opinion very generally ell
,ertained by the opposition party, that the
country would have escaped much Of the
evil under which it has suffered Tor some
years past, ifthe Constitution had contain
ed a provision of that kind. Having had
no opportunity of personal observation on
the conduct ofthe administration for the
| last ten years, am unable to decide upo n
the truth or error of this opinion. And l
should be very willing that the known sub
servency of the Legislature to the Execu-
tive, in several memorable instances, should
be accounted for in a way somewhat less
injurious to the character of the country
and Republicanism itself, than by the adj
mission that the Fathers of the land, the
trusted servants of virtuous people could
be seduced from the path Of duty and hon
or, by the paltry trappings and emoluments
of dependent offices. But if the evil re-
alIy exists, and if there be good reason to
believe that its source is to be found in the
compatibility Of the members of the Legis-
Iature, an effectual remedy cannot be too
soon applied. And II happens in this, that
there is choice of remedies. One ofthese
however,is in my opinion free from the OBJ
iections which might be offered to the 9TH
err. The one to which | object is, that
which the late President has been so loudly
called upon to adopt, in consequence of a
promise made at the commencement OF his
administration, viz that the Executive I'M
der no circumstances should appoint to Of
fec n member of either branch of the Ma
tonal LegisIature..-There are in my mind
several weighty reasons against the adop-
ton of this principle. l will dean you
with the mention of but two of them, be-
cause I believe that you will agree with
me, that the alternative | shall present,
while it will be equally effectual, contains
no feature to which reaso nable objection
can be made.
As The Constitution contains no provi-
sion to p event the appointment Of Mem
bers of Congress to office by the Executive,
f could TIE Executive with due regard to
delicacy and Justice, without usnrplng pow
f err from the people, declare disqualified
tion which they had not thought necessary
And where is the American citizen who
regards the honor ofhis country, the char
acter of its people, or who believes IN the
superiority of a republican form of Gov
eminent, who would be willing to proclaim
to the world, that the youthful nation which
has attracted so sauch of its attention, which
il has so much admired for its gigantic
strength, its undaunted courage, its high
attainmeats in literature and the arts, and
the external beauty of its institutions, was
within mass OF meanness and corruption
That even the chosen servants Of the peo-
ple. were ever ready for paltry consider
y alton, to abandon their alliance to their
lawful sovereign, and to become the SER
wants ola servant. The alternative to thi
.o,,rso n ha fund in denri