Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1840-08-25

, duct. The weakness Of human nature, the
love and emolumen,s of office, perhaps the
bread necessary 10 the support Of their Janis
lies, would make this result, absolutely certain.
| The late President of the United States adj
vanced certain new and alarming preiensions
for the Executive Department Of the Govern
meni, the ctfec, Of which, il established ami
recognized by the People, must inevitably con-
vert il into monarchy The first OF these
and it was favorite principle with him, was,
that the Executive Department should be re-
/ garded as a unit BY that principle OF unity,
/ he meant and intended that the Executive OIL
| ficers of Government should be bound TO obey
| the commands and execute the orders oil the
President of the United States, and that they
should be amenabe TO him, and he be respon-
sible for ,hem.-Prior to this adminisi ration,
it had been considered that they were bound
10 observe and obey the Constitution and laws,
subject only TO the general SUPERINTENDENT,
Of the President, and responsible by impeach-
ment, and TO the tribunals of justice for inju-
ries inflicted on private citizens.
The development of this new character to
the power of dismission would have fallen
short of the aims in view without the exercise
il it were held to be a preiogaiive for which
the President was TO be wholly responsible.
II he were compelled TO expose the grounds
and reasons upon which he acted, IN dismiss
ais from Office; the apprehension of public
censure would temper the arbitrary nature of
| the power and throw some protection around
the subordinate officer. Hence the new and
monstrous pretension has been advanced, that
although the concurrence Of the Senate is ne
cessary by the Constitution 10 the conhrma-
ton of an appointment, the President may
subsequently dismiss the person appointed
not only without communicating the grounds
~, L., ,l,. h,,s
out any such communication to the People
themselves, for whose benefit all offices are
created! And SO bold and daring has the Ex'
ecutive branch of the Government become
that one of its Cabinet Ministers, himself
subordinate officer, has contemporary refused
to members of the House of Representatives
to disclose the grounds on which he has I'M
dertaken to dismiss from Office persons acting
as deputy posimas,ers in his Department
As to the graiui,ous assumption, by Presi-
dent Jackson Of RESPONSE iility for all the SUBJ
ordinate Executive officers, it is the merest
mockery that was ever put forth. They will
escape punishment by pleading his orders, and
he by alleging the hardship OF being punished,
not for his own acts, but for theirs. We have
practical exposition of this principle in the
case of the 200 600 militia. The Secretary
of War comes out TO screen the President, 10y
testifying that he never what he strongly
recommended and the President reciproc ates
that favor by retaining the Secretary in place
Notwithstanding he has proposed a plan for
organizing the militia which is acknowledged
to be unconstitutional 1.-THE President is not
TO be held responsible for cabinet minister,
in daily intercourse with him, how is he to be
rendered so far receiver in Wisconsin or
Iowal TO concentrate all responsibility in the
President, is to annihatc all responsibility.
,i. l.,,
President Of the United States will be i'm
peached; or ifimpeached, when he cannot COM
mand more than one third ofthe Senate to de-
feat the impeachment!
But to construct the scheme of practical
despotism whilst al the forms of free govern
mcnt remained. it was necessary TO take one
farther step. BY the Constitution the Presi-
dent is enjoined to take care that the laws be
executed. This injunction was merely intend
ed to impose on him the duty of general su-
perintendence; TO see that offices were filled,
officers at their respective posts in the dis
charge of their official functions, and all OBJ
structions TO the enforcement of the laws were
removed, and, when necessary for that pur-
pose, to call out the militia. No one ever
imagined, prior to the administration of Presi-
dent Jackson, that President of the United
States was TO occupy himself with supervising
and attending to the execution Of all the mi
mute details ofevery one Of the host Of offices
in the United States.
Under the constitutional Injunction Just men,
toned the late President put forward that
most extraordinary pretension that the Consti-
tuition and the laws of the United States were
to be executed as he understood them and this
pretension was attempted 10 be sustained by
an argument equally extraordinary, that the
President, being a sworn officer, must carry
them into effect according to his sense of their
meaning. The Constitution and laws were
TO be executed not according TO their import,
as handed down to us by our ancestors, as in
terpreted by contemporaneous expositions, as
expounded by concurrent judicial decisions, as
fixed by an uninterrupted course of Congress O..
iOnal legislation, but in that sense which a
President OF the United States happened TO
TO understand them.
To complete this Executive usurpaion, one
farther object remained BY the Constitution,
the command of the army and navy is coufer-
led on the President. If he could unite the
purse and the sword. nothing would be left 10
crafty the Unsuitable thirs, for power. In 1888
the President seized the Treasury OF the Uni
ted States, ard from that day to this it has
continued substantially under his control
The seizure was effected by the removal OF
one Secretary Of the Treasury, understood 10
be opposed 20 the measure, and by the dismiss
al OF another who refused 10 violate the law Of
the land upon the orders OF the President.
II is, indeed, said that not dollar in the
| Treasury can be touched without a previous
appropriation by law, nor drawn out Of the
| Treasury without the concurrence and signi-
lures Of the Secretary, the treasurer the Reg