The Hawk-eye and Iowa patriot. (Burlington, Iowa) 1839-1843, 1841-03-25

w 4.
ARCH IS, 1871.
luse which it appears may be made Of the
appointing power, to bring under its con-
Itrol the whole revenues of the country.
The Constitution has declared it to be the
duty of the President to see that the laws
Iare executed, and it makes him the Com
mander In Chief of the armies and navy
lof the United States. If the opinion 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 to the
powers Of our Chief Magistrate, 10 stamp a
monarchical character on our Government,
but the control of the public finances.
And to me it appears strange, indeed, that
ANY one should doubt, that the entire con-
Itrol which the President possesses over
the officers who have the custody of the
public money, by the power of removal,
with or without cause, does, for all mis-
Ichieyous purposes at least, virtually sub
ject the treasure also to his disposal. The
first Roman Emperor, in his attempt to
lseize the sacred treasure, silenced the OPP
!. fposition of the officer to whose charge it
had been committed, by significant allu-
. sion to his sword. By selection Of
: political instruments for the care of the
public money, a reference to their COM
, missions by a President. would be quite
) as eiiectual an argument as that OF Caesar
to the Roman Knight am not insensi-
, BILE of the great difficulty that exists in
drawing proper plan for the afe-keep-
, ing and disbursement Of the public reven-
ues, and know the importance which has
, been attached by men Of grea: abilities
: and patriotism. to the divorce, as it is cali
, ee, of the Treasury from the banking in
2 stitutions. 1t is not the divorce which is
: complained of, but the unhallowed union
e of the Treasury with the executive De-
e partment, which has created such ex,en
sive alarm. To this danger to our Re-
o publican institutions, and that created by
! the influence given to the Executive
: through the ins,rumentality of the federal
Y officers, propose to apply all the RENE
d dies which may be at my command. i
d was certainly great error in the trainers
n lof the constitution, not to have made the
o officer at the head of the Treasury De
y parlment entirely independent of the Elk
!. ecutive. He should at least have been re
d movable only upon the demand of tn.
;, popular branch of the Legislature.
e have determined never to remove Sec
). rotary of the Treasury, without commu
If nicating all the circumstances attendin!
6 such removal, to both Houses of Con
II gress.
8 The influence of the Executive, in con
trolling the freedom of the elective fran
d chise, through the medium of the publ
If officers, can be effectually checked by re
It newing the prohibition published by NJ
A. Jefferson, forbidding their interference i
$ elections further than giving their ow
$ votes, and their own independence secul
, ed by an assurance Of perfect immunity
Re in exercising this sacred privilege of free
ID men under the dictates Of their own unb
'e assed judgments. Never, with my cor
he sent, shall an officer of the people, con
$, pensated for his services out of their pool
n cts, become the plant instrument of r,
rs utive will.
in There is no part of the means placed
I'd the hands Of the Executive which mig
lie be used with greater effect, for unh;,ilowe
he purposes, than the control of the publ
N press. The maxim which our ancestor
he derived from the mother country, tn
e. .'the freedom of the press is the great bu
b. wark of civil and religious liberty, us on
n Of the most precious legacies which the
h. have left us. We have learned, too, from o,
y, own, as well as the experience of 9TH
" countries, that golden shackles, by whom
re soever or by whatever pretence impose
he are as fatal to it as the iron bonds of de
lg potism. The presses in the necessa,
tn employment of the Government shou
of never be used ito clear the guilty, or
id varnish crime.'' A decent and mani
n examination of the acts Of the Cover
Mt ment should be not only tolerated but e
ed icouraged.
en- Upon another occasion I have given m
n opinion, at some length, upon the impr
IS. lpriety of Executive interference in the |
It's tgislation of Congress. That the artic
if in the Constitution making it the duty
en- The President to commonicate informato
o. and authorizing him to recommend mea
cir ures, was not intended to make him Il
It'll source in legislation, and, in par,iculs
ar. that he should never be looked to f
k, schemes of finance. 1t would be We
he strange. indeed, that the Constitute
raj should have strictly forbidden one bran'
i'll of the legislature from interfering in Il
by organization of such bills and that
u should be considered proper that an alt
rn- gether different department, Of the Go
rn- ernment should be permitted TO do so..
all Some of our best political maxims al