The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-03-02

apprehension Is IN the way oil being realized, Is OBJ
yiuus that they did not clearly the mode Of its ac-
complishment The General Government has seized
upon none Of the reserved rights of the States As
far as any open warfare may have gone the State au
thorities have amply maintained their rights To a
casual observer, our system presents appearance OF
dlscord between the different members which compose
IT, Even the addition OF many ones has produced
no iarrinq They move in their respective orbits in
perfect harmony with the central head and with each
other But there Is still under current at work by
which, if seasonaby checked the worst apprehen-
sons of our federal patriots will be realized and
not only will the State authorities be overshadowed
BY the great increase OF power in the Executive De-
partment of the General Government but the charac
Ter Of that Government IL not its designation be
sentiay and radically changed. This state of things
has been in part effected by inherent in the
Constitution, andin part by the failing tendency
of political power oncrease itself BY making the Pre-
sdent the sole distributor Of all the patronage ofthe Go
vernmen the famas ofthe Constitution do not appear
TO have anticipated at how short period would become
formidable instrument 10 control the free operations Of
the State Governments. or trifling Importance at
first il had early in Mr.. Jeferson's administration
become so powerful as to create great alarm in the
mind OF that patriot from the potent influence it might
exert in controlling the freedom of the elective fran
chse Ii such could have then been the effects of its
influence, how much greater must be the danger at
this time quadrupled IN amount as II certainly is, and
more completely under the control of the Executive
will than their construction of their powers allowed
or the orbearng characters of all the early Presidents
permted them TO make. But it is not by the extent
Of its patronage alone that the Executive Department
has become dangerous, but by the which appears
may be made Of the appointing power to bring under
lis control the whole revenues of the country The
Constitution has declared to be the duty of the Pre-
sident to see that the laws executed and il makes
him the Commander in Chief of the Armies and Navy
of the w. States If the opinion ofthe most approved
writers upon that species Of mixed Government, which
in modern Europe, is termed Monarchy in contrads-
tnction to Despotism, is correct there was wanting
other addition 10 the powers of our Chief Magistrate
to stamp monarchcal character on our Government,
but the control Of the public finances. And to me
appears strange, indeed, that any one should doubt
that the entire control which the President possesses
over the officers who have the custody of the public
money! BY the power Of removal, with without
cause does for all mischevous purposes at least vir
tually subject the treasure also TO his disposal
The first Roman Emperor, in his attempt to seize the
sacred treasure enced the opposition of the officer to
whose charge il had been committed by significant
alusion to his sword By selection Of political in
struments for the of the public money, reference
to their commissions by President, would be quite
as eiectual an argument that of Cesar to the Ro-
man Knight am not insensble Of the great diff
Guilty that exists in drawing proper plan for the safe
keeping and disbursement OF the public revenues, and
know the importance which has been attached by
men of great abilities and patriotism to the divorce
=
tuons 1t is not the divorce which is complained of
but the unhallowed union of the Treasury with the
Executive Department, which has created such extern
sive alarm To this danger to our Republican insti
tutons and that created by the influence given to the
Executive through the fundamentally of the federal
officers propose to apply all the remedies which may
be at my command. 1t certainly great error IN
the trainers of the constitution, not to have made the
officer at the head of the Treasury Department entire
" Independent of the Executive. He should at least
have been removable only upon the demand of the
popular branch Of the Legislature have determined
never 10 remove Secretary of the Treasury, without
communicating all the circumstances attending such
removal to both Houses of Congress.
The influence of the Executive, in controlling the
freedom Of the elective franchise through the medium
Of the public officers, can be e1ectually checked by
renewing the prohibition published by Mr.. Jefferson,
for bidding their interference in elections further than
giving their own votes, and their own independence
secured by an assurance of perfect immunity, in ex-
ercsng this sacred privilege of freemen under the die
tates OF their utbisssea Judgments. Never, with
nv consent shall officer OF the people, compensated
for his services out of their pockets become the plant
instrument of Executive will
There is no part of the means placed in the hands OF
the Executive which might be used with greater effect
for unhaowed purposes than the control Of the public
press The maxim which our ancestors derived from
the mother county that 'the freedom of the press is
the great bulwark of civil and religious liberty is one
Of the most precious egacies which they have lett US
We have learned too, from our own, as well as the
experience of other countries, that golden shackes,
by whomsoever or by whatever preteDce imposed are
as fatal to it as the iron bonds Of desposm. The
presses in the necessary employment OF the Govern
ment should never he used "to clear the guilty, or TO
yarnish crime A decent and manly examination of
the acts Of the Government should be only tocrat
ed but encouraged.
Upon another occasion have given my opinion, at
some length upon the improperly of Elk cutiye inter
in tha ofC IL nrtI-
Gle in the Constitution making it the duty of the Pre-
sdent to communicate information and authorizing him
to recommend measures, was not intended to make
him the in legislation, and in particular, that he
should be looked to for schemes Of finance. 1t
would he very strange indeed that the Constitution
should have strictly forbidden branch of the lcgs
lature from interfering in the orgnation of such bills
and that it should be considered proper that an alto
geher different department of the Government should
he permitted to do Some OF our best political
mnxims and opinions have been drawn from parent
Isle. There others, however, which cannot be
introduced in system without singular incongruity
and the production of much mischief And this
conceive to be No matter in which of the houses
Of Parliament bill may originate, nor by whom in
troduced minister member Of the opposition by
the fiction of law, or rather of constitutional principle
the Sovereign is supposed to have prepared it agree
ably to his will and then submitted it to Parliament
for their advice and consent. Now the very reverse
is the case here only with regard to the principle
but the forms prescribed by the Constitution. The
principle certainly assigns to the only body constituted
by the Constitution (the Legislative body the power
to make laws, and the forms direct that the
enactment should be ascribed to them. The Senate
in relation bills have the right to propose
amendments; and has the Executive, by the
power given him TO return them to the House OF
Representatives with his objections. 1t is in his
power also, TO propose amendments in the existing
revenue laws, suggested by his observations upon
their defective injurious operation. But the de-
licate duty Of deysing schemes of revenue should
be left where the Constitution has placed it--with
the immediate representatives of the people. For
similar reasons the mode of keeping the public
treasure should be prescribed by them, and the far
thcr removed it may be from the control OF the
Executive, the more wholesome the auangeme mt
and the in accordance with republican prin.
cple
Connected with this subject is the character of the