The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-07-18
WHOLE NO. 81.

have so greatly ail cted the People Confidence will
Immediately revive credit he restored, active business
will return prices products will rise and the People
will feel and know that instead Of their servants being
occupied in deyisng for their rum and de-
struction, they will be arduously employed IN promo
ting their welfare and prosperity
But grave and serious measures will, unqueston-
ably, early and anxiousy command the earnest atten-
t ton Of the new Administration. have no authority
to announce, and do not pretend TO announce, the
purposes of the new President have no knowledge
Of them other than that which accessible every c
zen. In what shall say to the course OF a
Administration, therefore, mean to express my own
sentiments, To speak for myself without compromising
any other person Upon such an interesting occasion
this the midst OF the companions my youth
or their descendants have felt that il is due 10 them
and 10 myself explicitly 10 declare my sentiments with
out reserve and TO show that have been and as /
sincerely believe, the friends with whom have acted
have been animated by the dsinteested desire TO al
the best interests of the country and to preserve
its free institutions.
The first, and, in my opinion, the most important
object, which should engage the attention Of the new
Administration is that Of crcumscrbing the Execu-
tive power and throwing around il such limitations
and safeguards will render il no longer dangerous
TO the public liberties.
| What is the work Of man necessarily partakes Of
his imperfections and it not 10 be expected that
with all the acknowledged wisdom and virtues Of the
i trainers of Constitution, they could have sent
forth plan of Government, free from all defect
and 40 full Of guarantees, that it should not, in the
/ be perverted and misnterpretcd Misconceptions
erroneous constructions of the powers granted in the
Constitution would probably have occurred after the
lapse OF many years, IN seasons of entire calm, and
with regular and temperate administration OF the
i Government; but dmng the last twelve wears with
frighfu mpctuosity has been greatly Jared and JOLT
ed, and it needs careful examination and thorough
i repair.
racter Of the Government itself and especially of the
| Executive branch, il TO that either by
| amendments of the Constitution, when they
cessary, by remedial legislation, when the object
falls within the scope OF the powers of Congress there
| should be-
LIST. A provision to render person ineligible to the
Office of President of the United States after service
| OF one term.
tsfied me that too much of the time the thoughts and
| the cxertions of the incumbent are occupied during
his first term, in securing his election The public
business consequently, suffers; and measures pro
posed executed with less regard the general pros
perity than to their influence upon the approaching
election If the limitation to term existed, the
President would be exclusively devoted to the dis
charge of his public duties; and he would cndeayor
to sanaze his administration by the beneiicence and
wisdom of its measures.
ID, That the veto power should be more precisely
defined, and be hjccted to further limitations and
qualifications. Although large perhaps the largest,
proportion of all the acts of Congress passed at the
short session of Congress- since the of
| the Government, were passed within the three last
days of the session, and when Of course the President
| for the time being had not the ten days for consi-
deration allowed by the Constitution, President Jack
son. availng himself Of that allowance has failed
return important bills. When not returned BY the
President within the ten days il is questionable
whether they are laws not II is very certain that
the next Congress cannot act upon them by deciding
whether or not they shall become laws, the Presidents
objections notwithstanding All this ought to be pro-
vided for
! AT present, a bill returned by the President can
nv q 40
the members of each House. | think if Congress
passes bill after discussion and consideration and
after weighing the objections of the President still
believes it ought to pass it should become law pro-
| yided "a majority Of all the members of each House
concur in its passage. IL the weight of this argu-
ment and the weight of his influence conformity
not prevail on majority, against their previous con-
sictions in my opinion the bill ought not to be
ed Such is the provision of the Constitutions of Sc
yeral of the States and that of Kentucky among
| them.
! Sd. That the power of dismssion from office should
be restricted and the exercise of it be rendered re
| sponsibe.
The constitutional concurrence Of the Senate is
necessary to the confirmation Of all important appoint
ments; but, without consulting the Senate without
any other motive than resentment caprice the Pre-
sden may dismiss at his sole pleasure, any officer
created by the Joint action of himself and the Senate
The practical effect is to nuiy the agency Of the Sc
nate There may be, occasionally, cases IN which the
public interest requires immediate dismisson with
waiting for the assembling of the Senate hut in
all such cases the President should be bound to
mnncate fully the grounds and motives of the disnis
sion, The power would be thus rendered responsible
! Without it, the exercise of the power is utterly re-
pugnant to free institutions the basis of which per
feet responsibility and dangerous the public liberty
as has been already shown
4th. That the control over the Treasury Of the
! Y. ). should he confided and confined exclusively
to Congress and all authority of the President over
it by of Diminishing the Secretary of the Trca
sury or other persons in the immediate charge of il
| be vigorously precuded.
| You have heard much, fellow citizens, Of this di-
| vorce of banks and government After Gripping them
and mpairing their utility, the Executive and its par
tisans have systematically denounced them. The
Executive and the country were warned again and
again of the fatal course that has been pursued but
the Executive nevertheless perscvercd, commencing
by praising and ending by dccryng the State hanks
Under Of the smoke which has been raised, the
real object all along has bcen and yet is to obtain the
| possession of the money power of the Union That
accomplished and sanctioned by the pcople-the union
of the sword and the purse in the hands Of the Pres
dent efectually secured-and farewell to American
liberty The Subtrcasury the scheme for cilccting
that union, and told that Of all the days in the
year. that which gave birth our National existence
and freedom is the selected day to be dsgraccd by
ushering into existence a measure imminently peril
GUS to the liberty which, on that anniversary, we
commemorate in Joyous festivals. Thus, in the spirit
of destruction which animates rulers, would they
convert day of gladness and of glory into day of
sadness and mourning Fcow-citizens, there is one
divorce urgently demanded by the safety and the high
est interests of the counrya divorce of the President
! from the Treasury the United States.
| And 9Th. That the appointment of members Of
Congress to any Office, any but few specified
Offices during their continuance in office, and for one
year thereafter, be prohibited.
This is hackneyed theme but it is not less descrv
ing serious consideration, The Constitution in
tcrdicts the appointment of member of Congress to
any Office created, or tie cmoluments of which had
been increased whilst he in Office. In the purer
daYs Of the rcqubc. that restriction mghl have been