The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-02-23
FOR THE MADIsoNIAN.
CLAMOR ABOUT PRESCRIPTION AN
SEVERED


CLAMOR ABOUT PRESCRIPTION AN
SEVERED.
THE REFORM OF THE SPOILERS NOT PRESCRIPTION.
The APPOINTMENT OF EFFICIENT MEN TO FILL THEIR
VACANCIES, IS NOT DESTRUCTION OF sPoLs.
The right Of remoral Of inferior officers is incident
10 the supreme Erec,itpe office, and not confined 10
he impeaching poioer Of the Legislature.
The continuance efinferior officers, holding their
places at the nil Of the President should be considered
epidence Of he continuance Of his appreciation.
The continuance Of such officers, should therefore,
Be considered equivalent TO re-appontment:
So Lket,ise should the rant Of such continued APP
probation, be attended nth remorai Of such officers.
Mn ALGrn nearby concur in the sentiments
expressed in editorial article in your paper Of the
lllh instant under the head of CLAMOR
ABOUT PRESCRIPTION" in which you re-
mind the camoers Of the sayings and doings of their
humbug -eformers, when they falsiied their promises
by enailng the present distresses upon the country
through the NAL administration of the Government
have therefore, concluded that il may be acceptable,
to show how the application Of your "reminiscences
may be extended by discussing the coreatve subjects
placed at the head Of this communication. To give
that discussion the greatest possible bresity while 1t
at the time touches all material points, have
thrown it into the form of interrogations, consecu-
lively, and hope, logically arranged There can
certainly be no objection to the contribution Of minor
lights, on these matters at the present interesting
crisis, let what may be the of action that will
be adopted by tie new Administration.
J. Did the discussion and vote at the first session of
~ s., Concr.,s an tha Ri for establishing he
Executive Department Of foreign affairs and confer
ring on the President the power Of removing such Of
ficer at discretion affirm the OF Congress
that such power of removal of inferior officers at the
will of the President was not inherent in The supreme
Executive office; and that such power, not being
granted By the Constitution to any other but to the
impcaching tribunals, could only be constitu,ionally
or legally exercised under the express authority Of
Congress; or, such grant Of power by the first
Congress mere of supererogation in comforting
in this single case that which already incident
TO the office of President in every case2
q Is the practice Of every Administration since that
time in making such removals at the will of the Presi-
dent notwithstanding the proceedings of the first Con-
gress and without formal negation Of it by any sub
sequent Congress, deemed sufficient to that
decision if one, to declare the grant Of power
in that individual case mere act Of supererogation
and to confirm Mr. Malison's idea urged in that de
bate that there exists an inherent right in the
preme Executive Office to make removal of all nier
or officers at the will Of the President he being
counable for observing therein due regard 10 bis Of
| fetal oath
g. But If such practice and precedent under the &C.
quescence Of Congress, be mol sufficient to establish
that power as a right incident TO the Executive OF
fee is the present fit occasion reform this Execu
tive practice by its voluntary forbearance, unn
ved by legislative suggestion, and to restore to thu
impeachng power the exclusive accountability Of in
ferior officers when official delnquencies have become
so multiplied by the late Executive abuses in the
else OF that power, 10 render impossible to
them by the slow process Of impeachment or by an,
other than that summary power of removal sal
utariy erercsed for the public good. Or, wer'
il practicable ultimately make such corrections by
stimulating the power of impeachment to quicker nc
tion is it eSpedient-can il b. safely attempted L
make the corrections in that mode now while the abu
in the public service that have grown out Of tn,
ricos of that power by the retiring dynasty
arc fostering in every department Of the body polite
and that too, at crisis when lhcre is strong hop,
of correcting them by the prompt exercise Of the sans
power in the hands of patriotic administration, es