Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1841-03-11
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server, our system presents no appearance OF
discord between the different members which
compose it. Even the addition of many new
ones has produced no jarring. They move
In their respective orbits in perfect harmony
with the central head, and with each other.
But there Is still an under current at work,
oy which, 1t not seasonably checked, the
worst appIehensions Of our an,i-federal Dat.
riots will be realized. And not only will the
State authorities be overshadowed by the
great increase OF power in the Executive De-
Partment OF the General Government, but the
character OF that Government, if not its de.
signation, be essentially and radically chan
geo. Inns state OF things has been in par,
ZION, and In part by the never-failinu tenden.
cy Of political power to increase itself. Bv
making the President the sole distributor OF
all the patronage Of the Government. the fra.
mers OF tho Constitution do not appear to
nave anticipated at how short a period i,
would become a formidable instrument to con.
troll The Tree operations Of the State govern
ments. W trlfilng importance at first, it had,
carry In Mr. Jefferson's administration, be-
came so powerful as to create great alarm in
the mind Of that patriot, from the potent in
nuence 1t might exert in controlling the Free
dom OF the elective franchise. If such then
could have been the effects of its influence,
now much greater must be the danger at this
time, quadrupled in amount, as it certainly is,
and inore completely under the control Of the
Executive will, than their construction of
their powers allowed, or the forbearing char
acters of all the early Presidents permitted
them to make! But it is not by the extent
oil Its patronage alone that the Executive De-
Partment has become dangerous, but by the
use which it appears may b. made of the APP
pointing power, to bring under its control the
whole revenues of the country. The Con-
stitution has declared it to be tile duty of the
PRESIDENT to see that the laws are executed,
and it makes him the Commander-in-chief of
the Armies and Navy of the United States.
Ii the opinion of the most approved writers
upon that species of mixed Government,
which, IN modern Europe, is termed Monar.
chg, III contradistinction to Dcspo!ism, is cor.
rect, there was wanting no other addition to
the powers of our Chief Magistrate to stamp
a monarchial character on our Government,
out The control of the public finances. And
10 me IT appears strange, indeed, that any one
should doubt that the entire control which the
PRESIDENT possesses over the officers who
nave the custody Of the public money, by the
power OF removal with or without cause, does,
ior all mlschevious purposes at least, virtu-
ally subject the treasure also TO his disposal.
The first Roman Emperor, in his attempt to
seize the sacred treasure, silenced the oppo-
sition of the officer to whose charge it had
been committed, by significant allusicn to
his sword. BY selection of political instru-
ments for the care of the public money, a
reference to their commissions by President,
would be quite as efiectual an argument as
that of Cesar TO the Roman Knight. | am
not lnsensible of the great difficulty that en-
lists IN devising proper plan for the safe
keeping and disbursement of the public rev.
enues, and ! know the importance which has
been attached by men of great abilities and
patriotism to the divorce, as it is called, of
me treasury from the banking institutions.
It's not the divorce which is complained Of,
butthe unhallowed union of the Treasury with
The Executive Department which has created
such extensive alarm. To this danger to our
republican institutions, and that created by
the Influence given to the Executive through
the fundamentally Of the federal officers,
propose to apply all the remedies which may
be at my command. 1t was certainly a great
error In the trainers of the Constitution, not
TO have made the officer at the head of the
treasury department entirely independent of
the Executive. He should atleast have been
removable onl, ipon the demand of the pop
ular branch OF Legislature. / have deter
mined never to remove Secretary Of the
treasury without communicating all the cir
cumstances attending such removal to both
Houses OF Congress. The influence of the
Executive in controlling the freedom of the
elective franchise through the medium of the
public officers can be effectually checked by
renewing the prohibition published by Mr..
Jefferson, forbidding their interference in cleo
tons further than giving their own votes !;
and their Own independence secured by an
assurance of perfect immunity, in exercising
this sacred privilege of freedom under the die
iates OF their own unbiased judgments.
Never, with my consent, shall an officer of
the People, compensated for his services out
OF their pockets, become the plant instru-
ment of Executive will.
There is no part of the means placed in the
Executive which might be used with greater
effect, for unhallowed purposes, than the con-
troll of the public press. The maxim which
our ancestors derived frum the mother coun-
try, that 'the freedom of the press is the
great 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 tho experience of
other countries, that golden shackles, by
whomsoever or by whatever pretence impos-
ed, are as fatal 10 it as the iron bonds of Des-
potism. The presses in the necessary en-
ployment Of the Government should never be
used so clear the guilty, or to vsrnish crime.
A decent and manly examination of the acts
OF the Government should be not only tolera-
ted but encouraged.
Upon another occasion have given my O..
plnion, at some length, upon the impropriety
Of Executive interference in the legislation Of
Congress. That the article in the Consti,u.
ton making it the duty of the President to
communicate information, and authorizing
him to recommend measures, was not intend
ed to make him the source Of legislation, and,
In particular, that he should never be looked
to tor schemes of finance II would be- ,,o-.,