The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-08-14
THE EXECUTIVE--THEI NTELLIGEN.
GER.

THE EXECUTIvE--THE INTELLIGEN-
GER.
We find ourselves most Unexpectedly assailed
by the National Intelligencer and accused Of
" odious pretensions." For what2 For pro-
pounding certain truisms on the constitutional
distribution of powers in our Government! We
openly avow ourselves the defenders of the in
dependence of each of the respective branches
OF the Government acting within their legitimate
spheres Is not Congress Independent in its
sphere OF action? Is not the Judiciary equally
so ? and permit us to inquire, in all seriousness,
if the Intelligencer is prepared to say that the
Executive is nothing but cipher2 Suppose
Congress were delivered up to spirit of faction
and broken into dozen inveterately inimica
parties, to which of these, we would ask the In
telligencer, would it have the Executive authority
delivered as plastic instrument of factous VIC
lence? Are we assailed because we avow the
abstract doctrine that the cabinet should be
aohote-a unit? If it be not, what becomes of
the unity and efficiency of your Executive
How can there be any general system of admi.
nistration without that united and harmonious
action which we have advanced as the true rule
according 10 which its members should walk ?
Would the Intelligencer have the Executive d.
vided into six or seven opposite wills pulling in
different directions, and striving for variant OBJ
ects2 Is this the reading the Intelligencer gives
the constitution of the Executive2 What have
we sad but to suppose any material discrepan-
cy of opinion on fundamental principles incom-
patible with an independent and efficient dis
charge of Executive duties? When we see
an obvious disposition in more quarters than one
to throw the Executive out of its proper sphere
of legal action, we have thought it right that the
public, and all concerned, should be reminded OF
the true theory of the Government as to the d.
vision of powers 1t was precisely TO resist any
pretensions to supremacy" of any one depart
ment over another, that we invited public atten-
ton to governmental truisms, and common
sense principles. There will be time, room and
disposition enough to defend the independence
of the Legislative and Judiciary departments,
whenever dangerous encroachments upon them
are made or threatened.
We therefore re-assert the propositions laid
down in our last paper, as being not only true
and proper in themselves, but founded in and de-
irving their existence from the Constitution and
the laws.
In the Convention which framed the Consti-
tuition, the question arose whether the Execu-
tive should be of single or a plural character
1t was decided, as is very well known, in favor
OF the former, and the express words of the
Constitution are, "the Executive power shall
be vested in President of the United States
of America" The Departments were alluded
to, but the Cabinet was not created by the Con-
stitution; the Departments they represent
were instituted by the law, and appointed as
aids to the Executive, with heads selected by
him and removable at his will However ma
ny different Executive Departments and bu-
reaux therefore may exist, they form constitu-
tionally and properly but one single homogene-
Gus power This is no "odious Jacksonian
pretension upon which the people set their seal
of condemnation at the Presidential election"
it is the true theory, and the necessary practice of
the Government, which must Flourish in the
atmosphere of this free Republic" as long as
the Constitution endures. If it be "odious" to
the people, we do not doubt, they would have
long since amended tine charter which gave 1t
being.
We would further fortfy our position, while
we refresh the memory of the Intelligencer, by
reference to the laws of 1889, creating the
State, the War, and the Navy Departments 1t
is there prescribed that each Of the heads of
those Departments, "shall perform and execute
such duties as shall, from time to time, be en-
joined on or entrusted to him by the President
Of the United States"
If the Intelligencer will go with us, also, to
the fountain head, and take lesson from the
Father Of the Republic, it will discover that our
doctrines were neither "strange" nor "aston.
ishing' at period when the political "atmos-
phere" was quite as free and pure as now.