Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1839-10-03


travagan and wasteiu expenditure no had ina
gned the possibility Of; and by the corrupt and corrupt
ing influence OF that patronage, find the executive
exalted above the Legislature; all the powers Of govern
ment effect, concentrated in the president and the lust
power of Congressof the representatives of the people
and especially Of the of the States reduced
10 lnsignihcance and contempt. We have the
utive veto, designed by the Constitution only as check
upon hasty and unadviscd Legislation Congress- exerc
sed on SO many occasions, in many FORMS would
have shaken British Monarch from his throne; so exerc
sed, that has ceased tob passive, and has become
active legislative power; exercised that it has become
vast, and overwhelming branch Of perogaivc; so
exercised that the president by continually defeating the
will of Congress, has, effect constituted himself the SUI
preme lawgver of the land. We have the president
proposing for regulating the whole financial sys
tenn OF the government; such measure, it belongs
peculiar manner to Congress TO devise and provide and
which the president at the most has only right
commend; perssng, for years. in pressing the adoption
Of those upon the Legislature spite the dis
appreciation and resistance Of majority of the representa-
tlves Of the people, and ority of the people them
Selves and still depending upon the power and influence
OF the executive to overcome that resistance at last
We see design on foot, and, fear in the pro-
gress OF accomplishment suggested and recommended bv
the executive, to abandon and (under colour of graua
ton of prices of refuse public lands which is only the
gnning) to throw away the public domain that be-
longs to the whole naon deprive of all partcipationin
the benefit of that domain, the old States of the Unon
with whose treasure part of purchased and the
residue vested in the federal government BY their free
grant, and large portion of by the cesson of Virginia
upon the express trust that it shoud be considered as
States as had become should become members of the
confederation or federal alliance of the said States Virgil
MA inclusive, according to their usual respective proper
lions In the general charge and expenditures and should
be faithfully md bona fdc disposed for that purpose
and for no other use or purpose Whatsoever And if it
De the object OF this scheme apparently is and we
peeve TO be- to concliac the favor of the new States
for the election Of the present president to Office and
tor aspuans to the successon and if the old States shall
stand patiently by and let but the first step of the opera
ton be achieved then shall see ACCOMPLISHED the most
scheme o. no &c
TO be found in the history of mankind
we have seen a claim asserted by the president to
constitutional right to the custody of all public treasure and
Puohc property independent of and imprescripble by
law inferred from pretended constitutional right asser-
tea oy him, not only to appoint but to his will
ana pleasure, every officer to whose any public treas
re or property may be confded and we see this mon
strous preension now through the prevalence of the ex-
ecutIve power, regarded settled doctrine.
we have seen the principle asserted by the president
That the executive administration unit and this pract-
cal consequence euced from that odd and novel DOGMA
that all executive officers the or agents of
me PRESIDENT responsible to him only, and he alone res
Ponslbe to the nation for their conuc doctrine which
IT admitted and carried out in practice will DESTROY all re-
sponslbiy, and abrogate the power of impeachment of
ohcers OF government for their official misconduct or
CRIMES since to mpeach the president the leae and head
OF the dominant party for the time being is in every prac-
teal view, impossible.
we have seen the president openly and darinry inter-
posing to defeat Investigations of committee of Con-
ress into public abuses and to shield his officers from in
curry unless speclc charges should be first preferred a.
S"ot IL
W as he determined 20 prevent manfesy impossi-
bic to frame and prefer: and thus the Junction the House
or representatives, as the grand inquest of the nation
mas heen tor the time, and the dominant party shall con-
hue IN power, will be permanently & forever annhilaed
we have seen the share of the power of appointment to
olce conlded by the constitution the Senate render
ed wholly nugaory by the practice OF the President when
ever the Senate has declined confirm his nomination of
an ocer, to cave the office vacant, and the public duties
belonging to 1t unexecued, ill the Senate has conformed
to his will.
we have seen efforts made by the Executive and its
'IienoS, and persisted in to divide the people into two
distinct and hostile classes and array the poor AGAINST
me rich, and to represent all individual wealth as Just
oo!ect OF jealousy to the great body of the community as
1t there really any such distinct classes known in on
county, or under our laws, capable ofbeing created and
esaoshed as If, according the exerons of honest in
dustry and enterprise succeed fall the poor were not
daily growing rich, and the rich sinking into poverty as
II individual wealth not the inevitable result Of the
security OF private property, and the security honest ac
quson blessing to the poor we'll as the rch and as
II natonal wealth were any thing than the aggregate
OF individual wealth, the present president of the g. States
has IN solemn message to Congress- denounced he dan
gerouS influences that arise in periods of excessive pros
perly and the anrepublican tendencies of associated