The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1841-03-17

lue curiosity Oh speculative statesmen, IL
its precise nature could be ascertained, a
fair exhibit made of the operations of
each OF its Departments, of the powers
which they respectively claim and exer-
else, of the collisions which have occurred
between them, or between the whole Go
!, vernment and those of the States, or either
of them. We could then comparel our
actual condition, after fifty years trial of
our system, with what it was in the COM
mencement of its operations, and ascer-
tain whether the predictions of the pa
triots who opposed its adoption, or the
confident hopes of its advocates, have
been best realized. The great dread Of
the former seems to have been, that the
reserved powers Of the States would be
absorbed by those of the Federal Covert
ment, and consolidated power estab-
lished, leaving to the States the shadow,
only, Of that Independent action for which,
they had so zealously contended, and eon
the preservation of which they relied as.
the last hope of liberty, Without; deny,
ing that the result to which they looked
with so much apprehension is III the, way
of being realized, it is obvious that they
did not clearly see the mode of its accom-
plshment. The General Government has
seized upon none of the reserved rights Of
the States.d As far as any open warfare
may have gone, the State authofitiesdiave'
imply maintained their rights. dToa ca
sual observer, our system presents no apl
pearance of discord between the different
members which compose it. Even the
addition of many new ones has produced!
no jarring. They move. in their respect
tive orbits ii perfect harmony with the
central head, and with each other But
there is still an under current at work, BY,
which, if not seasonably, checked, the
worst apprehensions of OUR anti Federal
patriots will be realized. And not only,
will the State authorities beovershadoFed!
by the. great increase of power in the Ex-,
ecutive Department of the General Co.,
vernment, but the character of that Co..
vernment, if not in its designation, be es-r
sentially and radically chaHged.o Tbs
state Of things has been in part efected
| by causes inherent in the Constitution, and
| in part by the never-failing tendency Of
political power to increase itself. By
making the President the sole distributor
of all the patronage of the Gover1nIent2
the trainers of the Constitution dotn6t iaps
pear to have anticipated at how short ai
period it would become a Formidable M,
strument to control the free operations Of
the State Governments. Of tFiflng i'm
portance at first, it had, early in .Mr. JEFF:
ferson's administration; become sopower.
full as to create great alarm in the mind Of
that patriot, from the potent influence, it
might exert in controlling the freedom of
the elective franchise. If such could have
then been the effects of its influence, how
much greater must be the danger atlthisl
time, quadruplsd in amount, as it: certain
" is, and more completely under the con-
troll of the Executive will, than their con-
struction of their powers allowed, or the
forbearing characters Of all the early
Presidents permitted them TO nTakel But
It is not by the extent Of IT'S patronage
alone that the Executive Department has
become dangerous, but by the use which
it appears may be made Of the appoint
ing power, to bring under its control the
whole revenue of the country. The Con.
stitution has declared it to be the duty Of
the President to see that the laws are ex-
ecuted, and it makes him the Commander
in. Chief of the armies and navy of the
United States. If the opinion Of the
most approved writers upon that species
of mixed Government, Which, in modern
Europe, is termed naonareHH in Contracts.
tinction to despotism, IS correct, there was
wanting no other addition TO the powers
of our Chief Magistrate to stamp u mo-
narchical character on our Government
but the control of the public finances
And to melt appears strange, indeed, that
any one should doubt that the entire con-
troll 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-
chievous purposes at least, virtually sub
iect the treasure also to his disposal. The
first Roman Emperor, in his attempt, to
seize the sacred treasure, siIenced the oP-
position of the officer to whose, charge i
had been committed, by a significant allu-
sion to- his sword By selection of po,