Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1842-02-21


the Constitution as so worthy of preservation,
should be satisfied that no light and trivial amend
ment to 1t ever could be carried into effect but il
they were convinced that any amendment would
be Tor the good of the country, twas their duty to
put 1t forth and submit to the public will Asto
the second argument, he admitted, as he had said,
its full force. Ii was indeed extremely doubtful
whether any gentlemen here present would ever
live 10 see the Constitution amended but still II
was the duty Of every friend of his country to
use proper efforts 10 have it improved. One at
tempt only had succeeded since those alterations
were adopted which took place Immediately after
the adoption of the Constitution itself. But this
subject had been good deal considered in the
country, and if Mr.. G.. had been successful in any
degree in demonstrating its expediency, neither
class of DIRECTORS ought to persevero in opposing
It,
As another amendment which had reference to
the appointment Of the Secretary ofthe Treasury
and the Treasurer of the United States Mr.. G..
admiie that if his friend tom Virginia (hlr. Ar
chcr could succeed in establishing what Mr.. 6.
had attempted years ago to demonsrate-that
Congress did possess the constitutional power TO
define the tenure Of Office and TO defend it against
The power of dismission-there would to be sure,
bo less necessity for making special provision in
regard to these two officers But still, FOR greater
security, Mr. C. would prefer to have the appoint
ment OF the Treasurer aud the Secretary explic
! lily placed in the hands of Congress.
in relation to public affairs OH which the People
Of this country had made up their mind it was in
regard TO the necessity of limiting Executive
power Its present overgrown character had long
been viewed by them with apprehension. The
power not per5ona-it was mainly official.
You might tnke mechanic from the avenue and
make him President, and he would be instantly
surrounded with power and influence the power
and influence of his Office 1t was very true that
the personal popularity of an incumbent might
add much to his power, but the power itself was
official, not personal and its danger arose from its
| tendency and ability to accumulate. This was
demonstrated by all past history and was witness
ed by ali we saw around us. All these conside-
rations called upon Senators in the language of
patriotism deeply TO reflect on the consequences
which might ensue should not power SO great
in itself and prone to increase be subjected
to some salutary limitation
Let not gentlemen deceive themselves by names.
The unpretendng name President Of the United
States was no security against the extent or the a.
buse of power The power assigned to public
individual did not depend on the title he might
bear; the danger arose not from his name, but
| from the quantum of power at his command
Whether he called Emperor, Dictator, King,
Liberator, Protector, Sultan President of the
United States, was of no consequence at ALL
Look at his power that was what we had to guard
against. The most tremendous power known to
antiquity was the shortest in its duration. Ii was
not then in DURATION any more than in title, that
danger lay but in the magnitude of the power
This called for every safeguard. The Dictator
ship of Rome continued but for a brief period,
yet, while it lasted, the whole State WINS in his
hands He did whatever he pleased, whether
with life liberty or property. We had, then, 10
security against the power OF the President OF inc
United States in the shortness of the term for
which he was chosen.
We often found very pathetic reflections in the
writings of scholars on the sad condition OF kings
ION the isolation of their thrones-on the effect
of their station in removing them from the body
of society, where no voice could reach them but
The voice Of flaterers, and where they were per =
petually surrounded by the incense of adulation {;
aud The chief ground OF sympathy seemed to be
the impossibilty that truth should reach their ears
Ii might he SAID that this WINS true OF kings, but
did not apply on this side of the water but let
Mr.. C.. tell those who thought So that the actual
condition Of President Of the United States did
not very widely differ from that of the monarchs
of the old world. Here, too, the Chief Magistrate
occupied an isolated station, where the voice of
his country and the cries of lis distress could not
reach his ear. He, too, was surrounded by cor
don OF favoriles, hltterers and iawns. Isolated in
this District with no embarrassments himself the
echoes of the public distress, il they reached his
ear at all, reached it with faint and feeble sound
being obsiructed by those who surrounded his
person, and approached him only TO flateT. Facts
were boldly denied and al! complaints attributed
10 factous spirit Now, he would ask was Il
man thus separated and thus surrounded, more
likely to know the real sufferings wants, and
wishes o! his countrymen, than the two hundred
and ioriy-two men in the other House, who came
up there directly from their bosom? who shared
in all their suffering who felt their wants, par
ucipalcd in their wishes, and sympahsed with all
their SORROWS? That was the true question of the
veto power Now ho thought if these things were
duly consilered-and he spoke not of this or Of
II MOI nh nf he m of tla cir
stances of every one who filed tit must be ad
United by every candid mind that the re, ponsihil-
Iy WINS great of man who should undertake. on
his own private opinion, 10 resist aud suppress the
will of the nation consttutonally expressed. 1t
was power not merely 10 annul the national
will as lawfully uttered by its own chosen Rep
resentaliyes, but the power TO initiate legislation
itself. and substitute for the will of the nation an
alien will, neither of the nation nor of its Repre-
tatives
But he was physically unable to go further into
this subject. The question is whether we should
have, IN this country, power tyranlcal dcspOuc,
absoue the exercise Of which must, sooner or
later, produce an absolute despolism, free
Representative government with powers clearly
defined and carefully separated? That was the
true question TO be decided
there were other amendments accompanying
this on which he wished TO say few words
but was TO day unable 10 do so. Several offers
had been made by gentlemen near him to move
un adjournment, but he had persevered in decin-
ing them.
That IN relation to securing to Congress the APP
pointment of the Secretary and Treasurer, was
one of those reforms 10 which he considered the
Wing party solemnly pledged as one of the meas
ures proper 10 be pursued In the process OF llmi-
ting Executive power but he could not dwell IL
pom IT,
The other, relating to the appointment of mem
Ders OF Congress to office, only went, in effect, to
carry out the principle already sanctioned by thai
article of the Constitution which declares that no
member should be appointed to an Office which
had been created, or the emoulments of which
had been increased with his concurrence. Thi:
went one step further, and declared that no mem
Der should be appointed to an office that had been
created with or without his concurrence, before
or after he was member. Whenever man ac-
cnnlnl nllica xyhicl, La