The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-10-06
Lespd from his throne, les. Neptunes arm should

LeaP u rom ms throne, lest NeHunes arm snouiu
His dark dominions open to the day;
And pour in light on Puto's drear abodes,
Adhered by men, and dreadful cen to gods"
Yes, Mr.. Chairman, whilst the conflict is
great and exciting, the Executive must be des-
ponding when the Post Master General resigns
his Office TO become a miserable scribbler for a
miserable paper. His former place gave him
power; but without the patronage Of office he
is as powerless as dead serpent. He cannot
add TO his party numbers, and the majority is
already against him. All that he can do will be
10 animate his opponents, by trying TO cheer his
Responding friends He has lost his tact as
well as his power; for he has been long enough
scullion in the Executive kitchen 10 have known
that when he stirred one side of the pot, the
other side would stir itself As, upon the same
principle, Sir Hudibras never rode with but one
spur-if one side of the horse would get along,
the other would be sure to keep company. Whilst
Amos is squirting up the oiice-h holders and OPP
pressors OF the people to go to the polls he will
find the same reasons will urge the people TO go
also, and "do their own voting"
But, Mr.. Chairman, what new cause has
arisen for the recommendation of the Sub-trea-
sury scheme7 Have robberes of the public
money been less under its partial existence
Have defalcafions decreased What new ext
gency has arisen? What fresh argument is now
uTSeu i nave Eedu EAtCutiVt HtSSdBe
with great care, and find but one new reason
which he has found, and that propose to ex-
anime; for do not intend to discuss the ques-
ton in all its bearings and relations, as il was
elaborated by me when first urged by the Presi-
dent upon this House; and find in the speech
es which made then, nothing to alter, and but
little to add. Nor will answer the arguments
of the friends Of the measure on this floor, be-
cause they are all stereotyped excepting two,
i al,,Io fh3.
ton of the measure upon wages, TO its influence
on the revenue, and its proclivity TO direct tax
alton. My business is chiefly with the Execu-
tive communications and the Executive reasons.
Ii is his measure, and he is higher and more
responsible individual therefore, prefer to give
consideration to his reasons passing in silence
the arguments of those who are his feeble echo.
repeat, there is but one additional argument
attempted TO be given by the President for the
establishment of this measure. In his message
of the oath December, 1889, page l3, find it
written in these words:
" From the results Of inquiries made by the Secre-
tary Of the Treasury in regard the practice among
| them, foreign Governments | am enabled to state
that twenty-five out Of twenty foreign Govern
ments, from which undoubted information has been
obtained the public moneys are kept in charge ofpub-
lie officers This concurrence of opinion in favor OF
that system, is, perhaps, great exists any
question ofinternal administration"
What, Mr.. Chairman, can you think Of a
| President who boasts of republicanism-repu
| licanism which am sure he does not feel-yei
who continually proclaims it in the streets, like
the hypocrtical Pharasee, and urges the peoples
representatives to yield to his keeping the reve
nue. OF the nation, upon the ground that the des-
potisms of Europe and Asia furnish numerous
examples Is not the concurrence of opinion
in favor Of the chief Executive officer wearing
diadem and welding an absolute sceptre as
great, and will not the justification be as strong
| in favor OF the one being placed on Mr.. Van
| Buren's brow, and the other in his hand 2 Is
| not such an argument an attack upon our free
institutions, and an insult offered to the people?
Our ancestors fed in disgust from kingly domi-
nation, and established this republican govern
ment as model, as it is the ornament of the
| world, which is being initiated wherever the
people have the intelligence, the virtue, and the
fortitude, to establish constitutional liberty with
defined powers-to all who are entrusted with
| either the making or the enforcing of the laws.
But Mr. Van Buren, will have us retrograde
| from our most advanced position, and fall back
upon the usages Of the corrupt and debasing
monarchies Of the old world that the people
| must be troubled as little as possible with the
Administration of Government only pay
| tribute and fill the Executive Golfers, and the
Executive head will rid them of all further trou-
Bile or concern that it is the Executives bust
ness alone, and il is impertnent in the people to
| inquire wha. the President does with the public
revenue.
Was it necessary for the President to have
caused the Secretary Of the Treasury TO have
written to the existing monarchies, TO know II
| Executive officers have not always desired and
almost always succeeded in Selling upon the
| revenues of the nation? Was he ignorant of
| all history which proves not only that the Exc
| cutive head has controlled the public purse, but
| ruled also the people 2
Does not all history prove that only when a
| people are brave and enlightened, vrtuous, and
| resolved to govern their Executive, they have
escaped from Executive Nominations And is
not the Sub-treasury system, with its vaults and
its safes; its keyes and its receivers-general,
part Of the history, as it is part of the definition
of every tyranny But pass this bill, and there
1 BY legaze the power which the Executive has
| assumed--make the surrender OF the public
purse to his hands, and you may still call him a
President, but he will be as absolute as the En-
peror of Austria. Pass this bill, and you may
still call this a republic, but il will, in every
1 practical sense, be monarchy. What is a
monarchy2 Gibbon very justly says that "the
obvious definition Of monarchy seems to be
| tnat of State in which single person, by
whatever name he may be designated, is IN
trusted with the execution of the laws, the ma
nagement of the revenue, and the command OF
the armyn The constitution gives the Presi-
dent command Of the army and the execution OF
the laws: you now intend to complete the des-
potism by giving him absolute control over the
revenue, and power to take it into his immediate
custody.
Was Cromwell less tyrant because he call
ed himself by the plausible name of Protector
Was the first Emperor Of Rome less absolute
because he was called Emperor Of the Repub-
lie is not Mr.. Van Buren, as despotic tyrant
now as any being within the influence OF his
power2 Who Of the thousands of officers whom
he has app ointed dare speak above whisper