Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1841-03-10

from the banking Institutions. Ii is not the
divorce which is complained Of, but the IN
halowed union Of the Treasury with the Ex-
ecuiive Department which has created such
extensive alarm. To this danger 10 our re-
publican institutions, and that created by the
influence given TO the Executive through the
instrumentality Of the federal officers, pro-
pose TO apply all the remedies which may
be a: my command 1t was certalnlya great
error In. the trainers Of the Constitution, rot
10 have made the officer at the head of the
lreasury Department entirely independent
OF the Executive. He should al least have
been removable only upon the demand Of the
popular branch of the Legislature.
have determined never to remove Sec
retary OF the Treasury without communica-
ting all the circumstances attending such re-
moval to both Houses Of Congress. The in
fuence Of the Executive in con,roIlinc the
freedom of the elective franchise tbrouob the
medium of the public officers can be efFectu-
ally checked bylsrcnewing the prohibition
published by Mr. Jefferson, forbiddino their
interference in elections further than giyjno
their own votes; and their own independence
secured by an assurance Of perfect immuni
ty, in exercising This sacred privilege of free
men under the dictates ol their own unbiased
judgments, Never, with my consent. shall
an officer of the People, compensated for his
services out of their pockets, become the PHI
ant instrument OF Executive viii.
There is no part of the means placed
in the hands Of the Executive which might
be used with greater effect, for unhailow-
ed purposes, than the control of the pub
lie press. The maxim which our auces-
tors derived from the mother country, that
" The freedom Of the press is the greatest
bulwark of civil and religious liberty" IS
one of the most precious legacies which
they have left US. We have learned too,
from our own as well as the experience
of other countries, that golden shackles,
by whomsoever or by whatever pretence
imposed, are as fatal to it as the iron bonds
of Despotsm. The presses in the neces-
sary employment of the Government
should never be used "to clear the guilty
or to varnish Crimes" A decent and
manly examination of the acts Of Govern
ment should be not only tolerated but en-
couraged.
Upon another occasion | have given
my opinion, at some length, upon the i'm
propriety of Executive interference IN
The legislation of Congress. That the ar
ticle in the Constitution making it the d.
ty of the President to communicate infor-
nation, and authorizing him 10 recon-
mend measures, was not intended TO make
him the source of legislation, and, in par
lIar, that he should never be looked to for
schemes of finance. 1t would be very
strange, indeed, that the constitution
should have strictly forbidden one branchcf
he Legislature from interfering in the or
gnat;on Of such bills, and that it should
oe considered proper that al altogether
different department of the Government
should be permitted to do so. Some of
our best political maxims and opinions
nave been drawn from our parent Isle
There are others, however, which cannot
De introduced into our system without sim
,ular incongruity, aBd the production of
much mischief. And this | conceive to
,e one. No matter in which of the Hou-
es of Parliament bill may originate, nor
" whom introduced, minister, or mem
Ter Of the opposition, by the fiction of law
'r rather of Constitutional principle, the
Sovereign is supposed to have prepared it
greeebIy to his will, and then submitted
t to Parliament for their advice and con-
ent.
Now. the very reverse is the case here,
Iot only with regard to the principle, but
he forms prescribed by the Constitution.
rhe principle certainly assigns to the only
'ody constituted by the constitution (the
legislative body the power to make laws,
nd the forms even direct that the enact
nent should be ascribed to them. The
senate, in relation to Revenue bills, have
he right TO propose amendments; and so
las the Executive, by the power given
i'm to return them to the House Of Rep
esentatlves, with his objections. 1t is in
lis power, also, to propose amendments
n the existing revenue laws, suggested
y his observations upon their defective
II injurious operation. But the delicate
uty ofdevising schemes ofrevenue should
re left where the constitution has placed
4 L Al