, 1841-03-20

his disposal. The first Roman Emperor, in
his attempt to seize the sacred treasure, ST.
fenced opposition of the officer to whose
charge it had been committed, by a signlfi-
cant allusion to his sword. By a selection
Of political instruments for the care Of the
public money, a reference to their commits
sions by a President, would be quite as et-
%fectual an argument as that of Caesar to the
Roman Knight. l am not insensible Of the
great difficulty that exists in drawing a prop
er plan for the safekeeping and disbursement
of the public revenues, and | know the i'm
portance which has been attached by men
of great abilities and patriotism TO the d.
vorce, as it is called, of the Treaury from
the banking institutions. 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 Republic
can institutions, and that created by influence
given to the Executive, through the instru-
mentality of the Federal officers, | propose
10 apply all the remedies which may be at
my command. 1t was certainly 4 great er-
ror in the trainers of the constitution, not
to have made the officer at the head of the
Treasury Drpartnent entirely 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 to remove Il Secretary of
the Treasury, without communicating all the
circumstances attending such removal to
both Houses of Congress.
The influence of the Executive, in con-
trolling the freedom ofthc elective franchise
through the medium of the public officers,
can be c~ilectnally checked by renewing the
prohibition published by Mr.. Jefferson. for
bidding their interference in elections further
than ewing their own votes. and their indie
prndcnce secured 10y an assurance of per
feet immunity. in exercising this privilege OF
irccnIcn under the dictates of their own
unbiased judgments. Never, with INV
consent. shall an officer of the people. com
pcnSatcd for his services out of their peck
cts. become the plant instrument OF Exc
cutivc will.
There is no part of the means placed in
the hands of the Executive which might be
used with greater effect. Tor unhallowcd pur-
poses. rhTn the control of the public press.
The maxim which our ancestors derived
From the mother country, that " the freedom
oi tho press Is the great bulwark of civil
and religious lihcrtv.' is one of the most
precious ~icg;scics which they have lett u.s.
e nave learned. too, from our own. as well
Is the experience of other countries. that
-"!lcn S!a.ch.cS. by whon>ocvcr or by what
cyc' p~rctruSc imposed. are Is fatal to 1t rs
TIE IRON bonds oil dc>I'"tiSrn. Tic prcSSc.
IN Tie necessary employment "f the Gov
eminent should never b" used ~, clear the
unity a.. vIrnISh crime" ! decent and
-."u.r examination o. the acts of fc Gov
~crnnIrnt should be not only tolerated bu,
encouraged.
tp'n ano;. cr occasion | have gwen nv
opinion. IL ; mc length. upon the ~inpIupric
= al Executive interference ia the lcliSla-
ton al Congress. That the article m the
Constitution making it the duty of the Pest
cHitpc"".nUnlcatc] information and author
ilInG Inn Ia recommend measures. Was not
intended I" make him the source IN tie leg-
IS,atlon. and. in particular, that he should
never be looked 10 for schemes of finance.
1t would he very strluge. indeed. that the
Constitution should have strictly forbiddcnI
one branch OF the legislature from i~nrerier-I
III the urILinatIon of such bills and that
II sh"u!C he considered proper that IN al.
%r""ctII"r different department OF the Govern.
mcnt should be permitted To do so. Some
oil our best political maxIrnS and opinions
hav" been drawn from our parent IsIe.-l
There aIc others. however, whlcE! caunor be
introduced IN our system without singular
Inc"ngruty and the production OF much
miSrhici. And this ] conceive Ia Ice ONE
matter IN which of the houses of Plrlia
a bill may originate, nor by whom in.
trnduced, Il minister or Il member of the op-
position, before by the fiction of law or rath-
er of constitutional principle. the Sovereign
Is supposed 10 have prepared it agreeably 10
his will, and then submitted it TO Parliament
Ior their advice and consent. Now, the
very reverse is the case here, NOT only with
regard to the principle, but the forms prescri-
bed by the Constitution. The principle GER
assigns to the only body constituted
" the Constitution (the legislative body) the
'ower TO make laws, and the forms even di.
ect that the enactment should be ascri, ed to
hem. The Senate in relation to revenue
'iIIs, have the right TO propose amendments;
nd SO has the Executive, by the power Civ
n hun 10 return them To the House of Rep
eSeniativeS with his objections, IL is IN his