Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1840-08-24
rs 1T pEMocRAcy-oR rs IT MON

then try the p0rty IN power ny the only true test,
their acis. Gbbon we take to be good authority;
he lived among monorchs aud wrote about them.
He says:
"The Obvious definition of monarchy seems to
be that of state, in ,Ohich single person, by
whatsoever name he may be distinguished, IS en-
trs ed Nth the crecuiion Of the tdtcS, The manage
nent Of The reuenuc and The command Of The army"
GiJJon.
Our fathers seemed to entertain n similar sem
li;ncnt and in framing the Constitution they took
particular care to restrict the Presidential power.
He was to be entrusted with the erecuiion Of the
laws, with check upon him by the Senate as TO
the appointment of executive officers and Con-
gress was to be exclusively the latc making power.
The management of the revenue was given ercht-
siueiy TO Congress; and the command OF the army
was placed in the President with The important
limitations, that Congress only can declare war
and raise funds to conduct it, What, then has
been the practice of the men in power? How
have they regarded the checks imposed by the
Constitution? We give facts let the people weigh
them.
In May, 1880, AN internal improvement BILL for
the Maysve rond, was passed by both Houses of
Congress; it was vetoed, and the will of one man
defeated the will! of the people.
BY the Constitution, " the President shall have
power to fill NIL vacancies that may happen during
the recess Of the Senate, Ivy granting commissions
which shall expire at the end OF their hext SEES
sion.' Oct 3, 1891, Samuel Gwynn was appoint
ed register Of Il land oflicea vacancy which Imp.
pened in the recess of the Senate, and he held the
Office until the next session. Dec &, 1881, the
President nominated him to the Senate for the
same office, and the nomination was rejected, %
10 49, July 81, 1882, after the recess, the Presi-
dent appointed Gwynn to the same office. This
was papabie violation of the Constitution as the
last vacancy did not happen in the recess,
In July, 1882, Congress chartered n National
| Bank; the President vetoed it, and thus a second
time set his will above that of the representatives
Of the People.
In March 1888, Mr.. Clay's land bill was passed
by more than two thirds of Congress; the Presi--
dent kept II i'll his possession and never returned
it; thus the will OF man again defeated the
will of the people, and that in case where by the
Constitution the veto would have been poweressl
This single act of Executive power robbed Ver-
mont Of more than ONE MILLION DOLLARS.
and has produced nothing but disaster to the whole
country. Had the bill become law, the expen.
dltures Of the government would have been re-
strained to economical standard-the immense
losses by deialcations would have been greatly les
sened the pet banks would not have been stimu-
lated to a vast expansion of the currency-the
shock given to the business and currency of the
country, by the sudden removal Of the deposites,
would have been avoided as the amount TO be re-
| moved would have been small compared with
what it was the TARIFF would have remained
on fair and solid basis in word we should
have escaped much, if not all of the tremendous
evils which the country has suffered and the State,
by n judicous Use of the proceeds of the lands,
would have been highly prosperous So much
was lost by the triU Of man
In Dec. 1882 the President suggested the reno
val of the Deposes In March 1889, the House
voted, l09 to 46, that the dcposites were safe
where they were. In defiance of Congress and
the law of the land, the President removed the de-
posites. and also removed democrat of the old
school (Duane) from the Office of Secretary of the
Treasury, and put bitter old federaliss in his
place, in order to accomplish HIS WILL in this
respect.
April %, 1886, Senator Benton introduced res.
olution in favor of receiving nothing but gold and
silver for the public lands. He alone voted for it.
Notwithstanding this all but unanimous decision
I OF the Senate, the President within six days
t ed the famous Treasury order to be issued. In
March 1887, Congress repealed it by vote OF Al
to in the Senate, and l43 to 50 in the House.
The President retained this act, and continued the
treasury order in force thus again defeating Con"
, gress in a case where the Veto would have been
; poweress! In 1895 Mr.. Gordon of Va. ian op.
r position memberl proposed the sub-treasury
scheme; but the House almost unanimously
jected it, The Globe denounced it, and so did the
Globes echoes, as adding to a fearful extent to
the power of the President, and rendering the
public money unafe. President Jackson denoun-
ced it, and said that to retain il money in the
: Treasury unemployed in any way is impractcable,
1t is besides, against the genius of our free inst
tutions to lock up in vaults the of the
ton. Secretary Woodbury. denounced it, and
i'll his report in 1884 said we can never hope to
escape all losses from banks fiscal agents, except
by the employment in their place of other and md.
riduat agents who will probabl, be found less re-.
Il sp0nSi6le, safe, cOnrenient and economical" Not
withs,andng the previous opposition both of Con-
n gross and of his own party, MIR. Van Buren, in
1887 recommended the sub-treasury. Congress
: and the people rejected it, Again he pressed il,
and again both Congress and the people rejected
S it. Still again he pressed it and by the arbitrary
n exercise of party power, the President defeated
= the will OF the people and carried the measure
lie and his friends now boast that it is REVO-
/. LUTlONARY MEASURE.
; Let us add two more facts:
!. The Florida tcar never was declared by Con-
? gress, Strange us it may seem, it is NOT more
. strange than true, that the Constitution imposes
upon Congress alone the right of declaring war
1t never did declare war against the Florida In
. diaus, nor even did it ever directly authorize it,
1t was an Executive measure; in il we have sunk
y from twenty TO thirty millions of dollars, and it is
= now on baud 10 call for much more.
At the present session of Congress- authority TO
call out 1900 men to the Florida war was asked,
= butnot granted. The Executive has nevertheless
ordered the men out!
j. And finally at The last session, the Secretary OF
d War proposed, and the President approved,a pro-
If lect for standing army of 2OO,OO0 miia-one
II half of them TO be under the command of the
n President IN direct violation Of the Constitution as
d il has ever been understood We close with an
c extract from Mr.. Van Buren's Inaugural address;
= 81 must 90 into the Presidential chair, THE
UNCOMPROMlSING OPPONENT OF EV-
II cry ATTEMPT ON THE PART OF CON-
II GRESS TO ABOLISH SLAVERY in THE
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, against the wishes
Ii iL, LLIL,.,cr with de