The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-09-18
The following sensible article is from an IN
press--the Philadelphia Psbtsc'

Il Abrams Ar WAsHINcTos.--pbe farce Of
4 !. Turn Our is again play ed at Washington
4 Irs last exhibition upon that most iafcleai ol
all theatres previous 10 the one OF SATURDAY
last, was under The stage mahas - e
/ raj Jackson, when the whole stock company oi
| the cabinet took parts, and played u IN man
| ner which set the nation IN a roar. The mana
ger wanted unit behind the scenes, and he
| found nothing but collection Of cyphers. So
he got up this farce; and never did great men
| al Washington make more fun. Mr.. Van Blu
| rem. Mr. Ingham, Mr.. Branch, MIR. Eaton, Mr..
Berrien, Mr.. Barry, played their parts 10 ad-
| miration and the sturdy old manager, salts
fed that they would not play SO well again on
1 those boards wished them 10 live upon the re-
putation earned by that effort, and would have
nothing more to do with them there. The farce
has lately been revived under Mr.. Manager
Tyler, with Mr. Clay for prompter; and we
must confess that nothing could be more su-
premely ridiculous than the exhibitions OF Mr.
Ewing, Mr. Badger, (not Bella, Mr.. Crittenden
and Mr.. Bell
Seriously, this whole affair is not only ridicu-
lous, but disgraceful 10 the country, and we
earnestly hope that the people, the real people,
the industrious classes, the cultivators, mocha
mics, merchants and professional men, not the
spectators, stock jobbers and bank plunderers,
will stamp an ndelible mark of reprobation
upon all the partisan hacks and dlctators con-
cerned III the movement. ~ - uotniHg tHufc VI
less than the outpouring OF rage by disappointed
political traders, attempting TO reach power by
COZ ring disappointed spectators and stock
jobbers, mingled with an attempt TO embanass
the legitimate action of the government, 10 pro-
mote their own selfish purposes. few poht-
cal aspirants who are continually canting about
their integrity and patriotism, have under
taken TO mould the present Executive TO their
own purposes. They began with dctaton, but
e A tAata hasr lpA
persuasion, but found that he was not TO be Sc
duced They resorted TO artifce, but found he
was not to be deceived. And now, in a moment
of The rage excited by disappointment they
have resorted 10 open opposition. But they VIII
find that, like all their former expedients, II will
fail. The Executive viii faithfully discharge
his duty according TO his consciencej and u the
people are not satisfied with his views Of duty,
they viii exercise their own constitutional pre-
rogative at the next election, and conhde ms
trust to somebody else
These designations of cabinets for the purpose
Of embarrassing executives, is practice which
the people ought not to tolerate. II destroys the
character OF our political system as II came from
the hands of the wise men who devised and the
wise generation which adopted IT, and assiml-
lates it TO the complicated aristocracy OF Britain.
The trainers of the Constitution devised res
ponsible executive in single person, who should
mits, and be responsible for his acts. But mo-
dern politicians would substitute ministry
a body of men who may control the executive
without being responsible in themselves, and
impose all the responsibilities OF their own mis-
conduct on him. This assimilatesour executive
to the British by surrounding II with dictate
| rial ministry but il renders II much worse than
that system, by rendering this ministry IRE
sponsible. Under the British system, the crown
| ,palav bpcauSp
sible 1t can do no prong in political sense,
or, in other words, cannot be called TO account.
| But the ministry are lis advisers, and held re-
| sponsible for all its proceedings. Thus the no
minal executive is irres ponsble, but the real ex-
| ecutive responsible The system which some
Of our politicians would establish at Washing
| ton, surrounds the President with ministry TO
control his acts, but makes him responsible and
saves them harmless Thus they would esta-
blish an executive with responsibility, but with
out power, and an executive with power, but
without responsibility. They would give US all
the vices, and none of the virtues OF the British
system. Now we insist that upon the true theo-
! nv of our Constitution the heads of departments
and Attorney General are merely the servants
| Of the executive, with no other duties than the
superintendent of their respective departments,
| With Congress they have no concern, except
ing to obey its constitutional and legal requisi-
tons upon them. But with any difference of
| opinion between the President and Congress,
upon the constitutionality or expectancy OF any
| public measure, they have no more concern than
with the edicts OF the Emperor of China 10
Commits Lin or Hong Honqua. The Sc
! nate and House pass bill 10 establish a stock
| obbing bank. and the President, believing it
will be public curse, exercises his constitution
al right, and refuses to sign it, Has this any
connection with the receipts OF the Treasury
from the various modes Of taxation, or the ex-
penditure Of the Treasury upon the various APP
preparations by Congress? No.
! Has il anv connection with the repairs Of for
tfcations, the location, clothing, or subsistence
| of the army, or the arming and discipline OF the
militia? No Has it any concern with the
building, fitting and manning Of ships, the pur-
chase Of timber or stores, the discipline of the
navy, or the payment of its officers and men?
! No. Has it any concern with our foreign rea-
! tons, our negotiations, the correspondence OF
the Secretary of State with foreign ministers at
/ Washington, or with our own ministers and
consus in foreign countries, or with the issue OF
patents2 No. Has ii any concern with the es-
adjustment and discontinuance OF post roads
the transportation of the mall or the receipts
and expenditures Of the post office, or the APP
pointment of deputy postmasters? NO. Has
it any concern with legal questions arising under
the laws of the United States, and presented to
the Attorney General for his professional opin-
ion, or with the prosecution OF offences against
these laws2 No. II has no concern with any
Of these things, and all the details Of these de-
partments can be superintendent by their respec
tive heads, as well under the agreement as the
disagreement between the President and Con-
gress upon the consttutlonality or expediency
Of bill. And yet because the President and
Congress differ thus, the heads of departments
say that they cannot proceed in harmony with
him, and must therefore resign! We can see
nothing but presumption, insolence, in this at
tempt of subordinate officers 10 control the Ex-