Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1841-03-11

lhntrcHN III 'nf cOHsiNullOli, anu iH P"'t W
the nevc. failing tendency OF political power
IT, ,ncreasc ilself.
by m,king the President the sole dIs'r'bu'
tpr OF ali The patronage ul the Go'eri'nenl'
the tramrf+ ut the cOnsiliullon do not appear
10 have anticipated n, how short period II
would become ,ormId ,ble insirunI"nt TO
control the free operations q! the State
G"vcrnnrut. Oi trIhng importance Mt iirst,
il had rehy ~ Mr.. Jclirrs0u's administration,
bccmnc 20 powerful as 10 create great alarm
IN ile uind OF that patriot from the potent
influence Il might exert IN controlling the
\ freedom of The elective ir1nchisc. II such
could have been the effects OF It's influence,
how much greater must be the danger ai
| This time, quadrupled in amount, rs il certainly
is, and more completely under the control of
the Executive Will, that their construction
Of their powers allowed, or the forbearing
characters OF all the early Presidents per.
united them to make? But it Is not by the
extent of lIs patronage alone that the EXccu-
I'VE Department has become dangerous, but
by the use which IT appears may be made OF
the appointing power, Ia bring under lis
control the whole revenues oi the country.
\ The Constitution has declared it 10 be the
duty Of the President 10 see that the laws are
executed, and It makes him the commander.
IN. chief Of the Armies and Navy of the Uni
ted States. II the opinion of tho most APP
proved writer's upon tha. species OF mixed
Government, which, IN modern Europe is
termed Monarchy, IN conradisllnctlon to
DcSpullSm, IL correct there was wanting no
other addition 10 the powers of our Chief
Magistrate to stamp n monarchca' 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 control which the President possesses
over The officers who have the custody OF the
public money, by the power of removal with
or without cause, d"cs, for all mlschlevous
purposes al least, virtually subject the treas
nre also To his disposal. The first Roman
Emperor, IN his attempt To seize the sacred
treasure, scnced the opposition of the off
Ger to whose charge ii had been committed
by significant alluslon 10 his sword. BY q
selection of political instruments for the care
of the public money, reference 10 their
commissions by n President would be quite
as effectual an argument as that Of Caesar to
the Roman knight.
| am not insenSible Of the great difficulty
that exists ia dcvlSlng a plan for tho safe
keeping nnd disbursement Of the public reve-
nues, and know the importance which has
been attacked by men OF great abilities and
patriotism 10 the divorce, MS II Is called, 81
The Treasury from the banking institutions.
IL is not The divorce which Is complained of.
but the unhalowed union of the Treasury
with the Executive Department which has
created such extensive alarm. To this dan.
ger to our republican Institutions, and that
created by The Influence given to the Execu.
tive through the instrlIncntuliy Of the fede-
raj officers, propose To apply all the rene
dies which may bo at my command. 1t was
certainly great ersor IN the trainers OF the
Constitution, not to have made the officer at
the head of the Treasury Department cn.
tircy independent of the Executive. lie
should at least hive been removable only
upon the demand of the popular branch of
tho Legislature. | have determined never
to remove "A Secretary of the Treasury with
out communicating all the circumstances at.
tending such removal to both Houses Of Con-
gross.
The influence Of the Executive in control
ling the freedom Of the elective franchise
through the medium Of the public officers can
be Ctiectually checked by renewing the pro.
hlbuion published by Mr.. Jcfcfson, forbid.
ding their interference in elections farther
than giving their own votes and their own
independence secured by an assurance of
perfect immunity, in exercising this sacred
privilege of frecmen under the dictates Of
their own unbinssed judgments. Never, with
my consent, shal an officer Of The People,
compensated for his services out Of their
pockets, become the plant instrument of
Executive will.
There is no part Of the means placed nI
the hands Of the Executive which might be
used with greater effect. tor unhallowed pur-
poses, than The control of the public press.-l
The maxim which our ancestors derived from
the mother country, that "lhe freedom of the
press is the great bulwark of civil and re-
Iiglous liberty" is one of the most precious
legaces which they have left us. We have
learned too, from our own us well as the ex.
nCrlencc OF other countries, that golden
rhacklcs. by wh0msocvr or by whatever pre-
tencc imposed, are "a fatal to it as the iron
bonds of dcspotism. The presses IN the
necessary employment Of Government should
nc yer be used "to clear the guilty or TO var.
hlsh crimes" a decent and manly cXaln.
nation Of the acts of the Cove rnment should
be not only tolerated but encouraged.
Upon another occasion have given
my opinion, at some length, upon the i'm.
propriely of Executive Interference in
the legislation Of Congress. That the
article III the constitution making ii the
duty of the President to communicate in
formation, aud antho,ising him 10 recon-.
mend measures, was uct intended TO
make him The source Of Legislation, and,
IN particular, that he shcull never Lo
looked TO for schemes OF france: Ii
would tic very strange, indeed, that the
constitution should have strictly forbidden
one branch Of the Legislature from III.
terleri g III the origiaaion Of such bills,
and TINT it should be considered proper
lha, an altogether different department Of
the government should be permitted to
do 50. Some of our best political maxims
and opinions have been drawn from our
pircut Isle. There are others, however,
which canEo; be introduced in our system
without singular incongruity, and the
production Of much mischief. And this
conceive to be one. No matter in
which Of the Houses of Parliament bill
may originate, nor by whom introduced,
a minister, or u member OF tho opposition,
by the fiction of law, or rather Of c"n.
sriIutional principle, the Sovereign is sup