The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-02-22
MIR. DAVIS'S REPORT.

We do not purpose to undertake the laborous
| task of minute examination and review OF the
reasoning elaborated TO immoderate length by
Mr.. Davis against the Exchequer plan submit
| ted by the Secretary of the Treasury To trace
him through all his tortuosities of augmentation
| is duty, the performance of which is at this
time rendered unnecessary by two causes
| That plan, whatever may be its merits or de-
| fects, has been modified in many parts by the
committeeman the bill reported by the commit
| tee is the one which is to be considered by the
House, and whose fate must be decided by the
vote of its members. Moreover, exposltions
have been given already of the principal fea-
lures of the Secretary's plan, accompanied by
arguments drawn both from reason and autho-
rty in support of their constituionality and ex-
pedency. For these reasons we shall not again
venture on the task of the review
But to quote his own language, sour atten-
ton was stron ely arrested" by the first para
graph Of his critique, in which he denounces
the method proposed for appointing the commits
sioners. This is passage which we deem the
most worthy of note in the whole report. 1t
furnishes the country with the opinions held by
the honorable gentleman in relation TO the gene
raj tendency and character of that essential in
gredient in a free and representative govern
ment,-the conflicts Of political parties. We
will not do the precious moroccan the injustice
of merely giving its substance; we extract it at
full length. After summary of the provisions
in the bill for appointing the Exchequer Board
and its agencies, he thus proceeds
In this country, where all have equal and per-
feet right to take part in public affairs, the of
the People always have been, and will continue to
be, separated into antagonist political parties. The
President for the tme is generally the head OF one
Of them and if, from accident or inadvertence, a
man who does not occupy such position should be
elevated to the Presidency, he will desecrate his sta
ton by besowing office and emoument with view
to build up party for himself. In the one case Exc
cutive appointments would be made to enlarge and
secure the continuance of personal power in the
other that of party In both qualifications honesty
and fidelity to the country, are subordinate conside-
rations which would be generally overlooked for
partisan efficiency, and unrefecting, blind obedi-
to the mandates Of party. 1t is reasonably GER
tam that, in filling this commission, the President
would choose men, not for their experience and skill
in the management of great fiscal and monetary con-
Germs, not for unbending integrity or devotion to the
public veal, not for any peculiar fitness for the
place, but would be governed by, to him, the more
important considerations of personal and party adhe-
sion of disposition to justify Unfortunately the
of his administration and of ability to contr
butte to the augmentation Of his clique and power
Adventures, ever ready to prefer place and emolu-
ment to principle and the public veal, would be
clothed with The most extensive and complicated
powers yet created by statutory authority and for
the proper ulilment of which, they would stand dis
qualified by all their previous studies, pursuits habits
and associations. When was professed politician
ever given the immediate control and management of
large and intricate money concerns, that bunders,
loss or defalcaion did not ensue? All the inferior
officers are to be made by the creatures of the Presi
dent who hold their official existence but by the
breath of his nosrils, and of approved feay to him.
He and his confidential advisers would overlook and
direct these appointments; and they would be made
upon the unsafe, the mschievous principles of party
tactics The subordinate agents would affiliate well
with the commissioners of the GO EXchequer Board y
but less intelligence and greater prohigacy would in
dictate that they were in the descending scale OF trust
and authority 1t is true that, in this scheme, there
is show of clothing the commissioners and inferor
officers with seeming independence by an emu
meration of the causes for which they may be re-
moved but slight examination will demonstrate
that this promise is altogether illusory.
We have known men, in the heat Of argu-
ment attempt the vndication of principles
which, in the moment of dispassionate reflection,
they would not dare to justify. We have known
men who, in the pride of talent, would exhibit
their ingenuity in the defence of the most sin
gular paradoxes. The history of party strife in
our own country furnishes us with the number
less examples of the injustice which uiolent po-
litical p::rtisans will commit towards their OPP
ponents by attrbuting to them opinions and acts
of which they are guiltless: but the wise, mode
,rb+ NJ
warfare.
But, the language employed by Mr.. Davis,
and which we have quoted above, is not suscep-
tible of any palliation. 1t is taken from-a state
paper, apparently with great caution, and may,
therefore, be supposed to contain such opinions
as have been carefully and deliberately formed.
In its composition it is TO be presumed that he
was agi,ated by none of the emotions which are
excited by verbal discussion. We cannot sup
pose that he intended an insult to the Represen-
tatives of the people, by amusing them on such
an occasion, by advancing doctrines which he
deemed unsound, for the mere purpose of prov
ing his superior logical acuteness He does not
assail, in the language of partisan acrmony,
those who stand in the opposite ranks but he
deliberately denounces all parties, and breaches
boldly the moral imposslbiliy of purity in the
administration of an elective government. The
worst pander of'despotc power, the most impla-
cable foe to Republican institutions, could not
have concocted expressions more definite to
convey his ideas of the corruptions and evils of
republicanism, than we here read in report
presented to the Representatives Of free peo-
pie and solemnly publishing the deliberate con-
victions of one of those Representatives. Let
it be carefully examned--not that the charge