Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1840-04-04

is tnere at This moment, lnsurreCtlOn, Invasion,
resistance 10 the laws Of the Union, which would
justify calling forth the militia into actual service,
or if there were, would it justify embodyng them
as recruits, for eight years term OF service? No
such constitutional exigency exists or is alleged;
and can view the Secretary's plan in no other
light than as proposition for raising a large
standing army, without encounterng the well.
founded republican jealousies which its name ex.
cites; or otherwise, as most ingenious device for
extending the influence Of the Federal Executive,
by setting apart from the mass OF the people, two
hundred thousand Uoting, not fighting men, re-
ceiving pay from the United States as miluia "il
actual service and looking up to the President
as 'their Commander in Chief, as the Constitu-
ton, in that case, provides and directs. | know
oil but one precedent for so profound a contri.
vance; and that was in the days Of the "English
Commonwealth" so called, when that willy states
man Oliver Cromwell, divided the kingdom into
twelve military Jurisdictions" just as the Secre-
tary now proposes to divide the United States in
10 "eight military districts" and under cover Of
organizing the militia, caused them to be "enlist
ed or recruited, under proper officers, and "regu-
lar pay TO be distributed among them;" which
the historian says the Lord Protector found to be
most efectual resource" for REFRESHING his po-
tcal enemies, but which all reasonable men con.
sidercd as throwing aside the mask of liberty"
and "parceling ont the people into so many sub.
divisions Of slavery" have no disposition to
question the originality Of the Secretary, by in.
sinuating that he may have derived the hint Of his
plan from so celebrated an authority.
But to return to the interesting question Of the
financial condition and prospects Of the country,
we have just had a most impressive admonition
Of the precarous and uncertain character Of Elk.
ecutive professions and assurances on this subject
You doubtless recoect that in his message at the
| commencement Of the session Of Congress, the
President exhibited highly fattering picture Of
the condition Of the Treasury, and Of the very
successful manner in which its operations had
been conducted. He told the Representatives Of
the people, "therc is every reason to believe, il
Congress shall keep the appropriations within tie
estimates furnished by the Executive, that the out
sanding Treasury notes will be redeemed, and
the public expenses be betrayed" by the existing
and current means Of the Treasury, 'without i'm
posing upon the people any additional burthen
either Of loans or increased taxes" and then pro
ceeded to descant on the "great evils Of publ {
debt in time of peace" This message was de
vered on the twenty. fourth Of December, 1889
But
Nescia mems hOminuln fati sortiSque future,
E. servare modum, rebus sublata secundis-
On the 4th day Of February following, in les
than six weeks after these hattering assurances
and before any appropriation had been made b.
Congress, except for their own pay, another mes
sage is sent, communicating an apprehended "de
Potency in the revenue, and urgently calling o.
congress TO "nake early provision Of certain an
adequate" additional "means to guard the publ
credit and to meet promptly and faithfully any de
.fCiencieS in the revenue, from whatever cause the
may arise --or, IN other words by another ssu
Of Treasury notes, or loan in some other form
to incur ''that very creation Of public debt,
with the denunciation Of which he had embeIish
ed his discourse at the opening Of the session 0
Congress.
Let US look little farther into tn. President
late annua! message to Congress, to see If it fur
nishGs to the Conservatives any ground to expec
4 change either OF policy or doctrine on any Of tn
questions on which they have differed with him
Does he renOunce any Of those dangerous and anti
republican, claims Of ereru.ire yopsr, which w
have seen have been heretofore advanced BY hin
and his friends )! So far from it, he has, in tn
ominous declaration he makes in his messag,
" thGt the executive forms component part Of tn
legislative Polcsr," put forth q and by far tn,
boldest and most unconstitutional pretensionS II
behalf Of executive power, that ever vas avOwed Of
couatenauced by any statesman in this country
Where can the Presiden! find any thing to give
color to SO dangerous a dogma! The rery frs
line of the constitution Of the L. States deciSvely
repudiate' it by expressly declaring that "a. legis
iatiUe pOlCerS herein granted shall be vested il
the Congress Of the United States, which shall con-
sist of Senate and House Of Representatives.
Will the President eRdeayour to find some sane
ton to this bold pretension in that provision o.
the Constitution which directs that when "a bill
has passed the two Houses Of Congress- it shall be
presented to the President for his signature and il
he refuses to sign it, he may return it with his OBJ
ectiOnS to the House in which it originated =
! But this very same provision expressly declare,
that though he has refused to sign it, yet the Bill
''ShaR b:com: law" witto4t his signature, if I'VE
thirds of both Houses over-rule his objections
| The same provision also declares that il "a Bill
be not returned by the President within ten days
after it shall have been presented to him, the sgm
shall be llW in like manner as If he had signed it,
This very provision Of the Constitution. then
i showing that Bill may "becOme Jaw" withou
the concurrence of the President, gives not The
slightest support to the sweeping claim now brough
forward by him, that the executive forms a com
ponent part OF the Legislative power" while tina
claim. as already remarked, is most emphaicalll
repudia'ed and condemned by the first line Of tn,
Constitution which declares that sal bgiSiq!iu
powers herein granted are vested in the tw,
Houses of Congress.
If this extraordinary declaration Of the Presden
were mere barren theory, revolving as it is to th
understanding, it might be permitted to pass with
out the expression of any other sentiment than tina
) Of especial wonder" that a statesman who Ia
passed through a succession of public trusts Il
the very highest known to the Constitution, shou
so strangely have mistaken both the text and Tn
spirit of the "great charter" by which he holds hi
office, aud which in limiting and defining the pow
ers and duties Of public functionaries, intended t
give the highest practical security TO the public lo
critics Bui il is emotv SDarulatiOu on the M RI n