Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1841-03-17

much greater must be the danger at this
line, quadruo pied in amount, as it certain
" is, and more completely under the con-
troll of the Executive will, than theit con-
struction of their powers allowed. or TIE
characters OF all the early
Presidents permitted them to make2 But
il Is not by the extent of its patronage |
alone that the Executive Department has |
become dangerous, but by the use which |
it appears may be made Of the appointing
power, to bring under its control the whole
revenue of the country.
The ConstitutioR has declared it to be
the duty of the President to see that the
laws are executed, and il makes him the
Commander-in-chiefo of the Armies and
Navy ofthe United States If the opin.
ion Of the most approved writers upon that
species of mixed Government, which, in
modern Europe, is termed Monarchy, in
contradistinction to Despotism, is correct,
there was wanting no other addition 20 the
powers of our Chief Magistrate to stamn
a monarchical character on our Govern.
ment, but the control. of the public finan.
ces. And to ne it appears strange, in
deed that asy one should doubt that tho
entire Control which the President posses
ses over the officers who have the custody
of the public money, by the power of re-
inoyal with or without cause, for all mis-.
chievous purposes at least, virtually sub
9ject the treasure also to his disposal.
The first Roman Emperor, in his at
tempt to seize the sacred treasure, silenced
the opposition Ct the officer to whose
charge il had been committed, by sig.
ni6cant allusion to his sword. BY a Sc
lection of political instruments for the care
of the public money, reference to their
commissions by a President, would be
quite as efeciual an argument as that Of
Cesar to the Roman Knight.
| am not insensible Of the great Difficult.
ty that exists in devising proper plan fol-
the safe-keeping and disbursement of the
public revenues, and | know the impor-
lance which has been attached by men oil
great abilities and patriotism to the divorce
as it IS called of the Treasury from the
banking institutions. 1t is not the divorce
which il complained Of but the unhallc W
ed union of the Treasury with the Exec.
utive Department which has created such
defensive alarm. To this danger to our
Republican institutions, and that created by
the influence given to the Executive thro
the fundamentally of the federal officers,
| propose to apply all the remedies which
may be at my command. 1t was certain.
/ ly great error in the trainers of the Con
stitutlon, not to have made the officer Al
the head Of the Treasury Department en-.
tirely independent of the Executive. Eli
should at least have been removable only
upon the demand of the popular branch o
the Legislature.
I have determined never to remove Z
| Secretary Of the Treasury without com
municating all the circumstances attend
ling such removal to both Houses of Con
gress. The influence of the Executive ID
controlling the freedom Of the electiv,
franchise through the medium of the pub
| lie officers can be effectually checked b,
renewing the prohibition published by Mr.
Jefferson, forbid1ing their interference il
elections, further than giving their owl
votes and their own independence Sc
J cured by an assurance OF perfect immuni
:. lty, in exercising this sacred privilege o
lfreemen under the dictates of their owr
: unbiased judgments. Never with my
/ consent shall an officer CT the People
+ compensated for his services out of theil
f pockets, become the plant instrument o
: Executive will
There is no part Of the means placed II
, the hands of the Executive, which Nigh
be used with greater effect, for unhallow
ed purposes, than the control Of the pub
lie press. The maxim which our ances
, tors derived from the mother country, tina
e "the freedom of the press is the grea
e bulwark of civil and religious liberty j
d one Of the most precious legacies whc
s they have left US. We have learned, toe
!. from our own as well as the experience
! other countries. that golden shackles, b
b whomsoever or by whatever pretence iu
: posed, are as fatal TO il as the iron bond
h of despo.ism. The presses in the nece'
is sary employment of the governmet
IS should never be usel "to clear the guilt
Of or 10 vaInish crimes" A decent an
= manly examination of the acts of the go
= eminent should be not only tolerated b
y encouraged.
le Upon another occasion l have give
II my opinion at some length. upon the in
m propriety of executive interference in Il
n legislation of Congress. That the artlc
it in the constitution making It the duty
as the president to communicate informatit
ir and authorizing him to recommend mea
th ures, was not intended to make him d
= source of Legislation, and in particul
rk that he should not be looked to (
be schemes of finance. Il would be We
al strange indeed that the constitution shou
ly have strictly forbidden one branch Of o
W Legislature from interfering in the orr.
b. ratior, nf snch hills aud that Il should