The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-05-17
From the Philadelphia Epening Journal.
THE DUTIES OF A PREsIDENT-THE OBJ
LEGATIONS OF THE PEOPLE

DO Of "A I'D
LEGATIONS OF THE PEOPLE.
The Constitution Of the United States has provided
that President and Vice President shall be chosen
every four years, and i has distinctly pointed out the
modes in which these high officers shall be elected
II also provides that in the event of the removal OF
the President from Office or Of his DEATH resignation
OF inability to discharge the powers and duties OF the
said office, the shall devove the Vice Presi-
dent. In addition TO his obligation under the oalh
which he takes that he will ito the best OF his abili-
preserve protect and defend the Constitution OF the
United States, the President II required TO take caro-
that the laws be faithfully executed ln the event
OF failing to discharge these duties me pfesmen' =
liable to be impeached by the House OF Representa-
lives and brought TO trial before the Senate.
These are the most prominent OF the duties en-
joined upon the President by the Constitution, and
whether he be elected by the people, by the lower
branch of Congress- whether the individual elect
ed to gil the office of Vice President shulI be eleva-
ted to that Of the Presidency through any Of the con.
ngencies named In any, and in all cases, he Is bound
to these duties to the fullest extent That he
may be enabled TO do SO, the Constitution has con-
ered upon the President the power of appointment to
office by and with the advice Of the Senate and OF re-
moval from office without the intervention OF, and
without consultation with any other power. All officers
under the Government, who hold their commissions
from the President, are subordinate TO him, and are
merely his agents TO aid in executing the laws, and for
whose acts he is responsible; under these circum-
stances, the power of removal would seem to have
been Justly delegated to him. For how can Presl-
dent perform the duties enjoned upon him, 1t he s
surrounded by undutiful and unfaithiul agents, with
out the power of displacing them and substituting
others in their stead In such the power OF
moval would be Ighieously exercised. The freedom
and purity of the elective franchise should be watch
fully guarded from the infaence of Office and the
crcachments of Executive power. Whenever either
exerted upon the people, they 10 be free and
the republic and its ins uons will stand in imminent
danger. Under the Constitution, freedom OF thought,
speech and action, guaranteed TO all citizens OF the
u mon. All men, holding Office under the Govern
ment have, therefore, the unquesonabe right to vote
at all elections as they please and for whomsoever
they choose. Surely it would be deprivng them of
one Of their most important immunes were they to
be denied these rights merely because they hold office
under the Government But while we justify the
exercise OF these rights there are other privileges
which we would withhold from persons holding office
under the Government that enjoyed by other ci-
They should not be permitted to become active,
noisy politicians, nor contribute money for the pur-
pose of influencing the result of elections. They
should confne themselves merely to depositing their
vote in the ballot box if they did more, should be
sufficient cause for removal from office. The only
question in relation to those in office, who abstain
from violation of these principles and whose de-
pertinent is in other respects correct well as those
who are candidates for office, should be- Is he capa
Die Is he honest We have thus endeavored to give
our view to the propriety of the exercise of the
power granted to President in making removals
from office, well to the inquiries that ought to
be made by him. and also the Senate when nominal
ting and confirming individuals for Office
Now what the obligations of the peoplei I'm
der republican form Of government, its very es-
sence consists in the minority yielding up to the will
of the majority in all things connected with the gov
eminent Of the nation Where President is faith
fully and periodically endeavoring to perform the
duties enjoined upon him under the Constitution and
in preserving our institutions free and uncontamina-
ted hold it to be the duty of all good citizens to
give him their jealous support. Whenever they fail
do So but the contrary, strive to embarrass and
cast mpedments IN the way of administering the af-
fairs Of the government the people and the country
both suffer in consequence. If President fails or
negects to execute the duties which are devolved
upon him, let him be impeached and tried, and if
found guilty, subjected to condgn punishment. Or,
let all such may be opposed to President polit-
ica grounds, resort to all fair and honorable MEANS
at the proper time, to hun out of Office but let
them abstain from interfering with him in the honest
discharge of his duties, in supporting the Constitution,
seeing that the laws faithfully executed and pre-
serving the purity of the elective franchise and the
freedom of our institutions.
Such being views in theory in regard to the
powers of President and the obligations of citizens,
shall in all cases, without regard to the man.
deavor to carry them out in practice far relates
to the officer, reserying, however, to ourselves the
right of judging in all cases, to the proprety of
measures that may be recommended or adopted