Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-02-22

eiousiy insisted upon is OF itself suicieat reaso,
for placing the appointment in other hands. In th
hands Of the judiciary, liberty has nothing to fea
from IL. The marshal is only formidable whei
backed by the people; without his "posse," he j
| powerless. As the chosen instrument, the Presi
| dent would have the army ut his back. The pro
posed amendment is borrowed from our State Con
sutution. The Sheriff, of the counties are selecte,
by the county courts The plan has been subject
cd TO the severes OF all tests experience IL works
well. Aher trial OF half a century, the Conven
ton oil 1929 retained il without dissenting voice
Inc remaining amendments propose 10 take tho
nomination OF the Treasurer and Post Master Gle
neral, from the President ard transfer the appoint
ment OF those officers to the two houses OF Con-
sress, and TO give TO tho heads OF these depart
ments. coneurrenily with the Senate, the appoint
nient and renewal Of their subordinates. They
certainly vim heavy blow at Executive patronage.
u II be conceded that the patronage Of the Pces-
dent Is too great, much too great, have only TO
inquire how much may be taken away without I'M L.
pairing the independent action OF that department
within ITS proper sphere, and where may II be safe
iy deposited aud conveniently exercised.
IL we auentvcly examine the powers given TO
the President by the constitution which are strictly
executive IN their nature, we shall find that this
amendment neither diminishes them nor intcrforcs
with their free exercise, except far as the with.
drowal OF power dimnishes tho mass Of power en-.
trusted 10 him.
lie Is the proper representative Of the nation in
It's intercourse with foreign States. He exercises
IS commander In chief OF the army and navy-his
functions, in these respects, remain unm paired,
untouched. His independent action, within his APP
propriate sphere, " in no degree trenched upon
His power TO protect himself from the encroaoh-
ments of the Legislature, 10y the "veto," is also un.
touched The symmetry, then, OF our system mains
un'mpaircd. Is his power too much diminishcdl-
For what purpose do VIC require a splendid and
powerful Executivel Is such an necessary in
time OF peaccl Does the business OF commerce or
rhn., Il
railon OF JUSTICE require III Cannot the States be
held together but by the strong arm OF Executive
poweri Shall We say with Ms Morris that we wan,
an Executive Magistrate 10 protect the people from
Legislative tyranny" or with Mr. Mercer that man
Kind can only be governed by fraud or force, and
mat IN some way or other, tits necessary 10 provide
an equivalent for a standing army or can the re-
spect oil Foreign nations only hc secured by an Ex.
ecutive that may become the most formidable enc
my oil our liberties II be not necessary in time
OF peace, is IT IN time Of war; So far as secrecy
and vsor are TO be attained by sinseness of coun.
sell and unity OF action his capacity is not imnarcd
lie Is at the head OF the national forccs-selecis
all military and naval officers assigns them their
uuues and stations, and exercises all the other inl-
portant functions OF COMMANDMENT. chief In all
this ne KNOWS no superior-whai more do we re
qnire| Men and money, the sne~s OF watl-lt
belongs 10 Congress 10 provide and maintain navy
tase and support armies, and lay and collect
taxes Tor the common defence. Will the repre.
sentativcs OF the people require the ,,imuions
OF the Executive TO make them perform tbese
important duties Let il be remembered that
we went through the Revolutionary War with.
OUT any Executive head, and that the disasters
"hich we suffered are not traceable 10 tha, defect
IN the confederation, but TO the want OF ADEQUATE
legislative powers IN Congress; a want which is
now a6undantly supplied. Iii, be said, that we
are indebted to the superior genius of Washins,o-.
Tor our success, answer that the amendments
under consideration will not deprive us Of the
services OF second Washington, If the country
should ever chance 10 be blessed with such a
treasure IL was said by George Mason. in the
ederai Convention, that "we all feel too strongly
the remains OF ancient prejudices All view thjnS
too much through a British medi.,.- we are "a,
much led 10 compare our system with that of the
parent country. There are many points of resom-
oiance, which none would desire to change: popu.
lar representation, an independent judiciary. The
haoeas corpus, and trial by jury-bu, there is no
reason TOT an approximation regards the cxecu.
i've department. That our President is chosen nv
the pcople-thai he Is borne into Office on the shoud
ers OF majoiiIy-ihai his friends compose a m,
Iosiiy OF the popular branch OF the Legislature And
most commonly OF the Senate also If not eousI ~
all that hereditary right, backed by the p,tron,s.
OF the crown, can bestow, confer power enough 10
10 good. Experience has shown that, backed by
patronage II has enabled President TO do Win in
punlty, what would have cost British Monarch
his throne. No British Monarch, since the reisn Of
the fudors, could. in opposition the declared wi
Of Parliament, and The opinion Of a mojorty of his
Cabinet, have adopted upon his sole responsibilitv
and vigorously enforced measures so disastrous as
the removal OF the Gcposes and the specie circular
measures, the consequences OF which IL was ms,
ly said, went everywhere, touched every BODY
| and affected every person in the eommuniIy.p snd
Drought rum upon many-!oss 10 all.
NO BRUSH Minister could have given them his
sanction and preserved his head. In es;inn.tine
the power Of our Chief Magistrate this innnor,an,
element should not he forgotten IL seems en,irel,
70 nave escaped the famers oil the Constitution.
what do the proposed amendments leave himl He
IS Commander IN Chief OF the Army and Navy
selects all Naval and Military Ohicers-commands
the Militia OF the States-shlres the Legislative
power with Congress-recommon such laws ~ he
desires 10 have passed, and prevents the passage Of
such as lie dIsspproves OF, unless overruled by two
thirds of both Houses-represents the sovereignty
OF the nation in all It's foreign Commensurate is -
tuih, the arblter OF peace and war-nominates fo.
reign Ministers and Consus-allthe Judses-alit IN.
Ohcers oil Departments OF State o. War of the
Navy, and the head Of the Treasury-eniovs a
prineely salary, and resides II a regal palace He
VINO cesires more splendid, more potent Masis-
trate must have penchant for royalty itself These
views apply equally 10 the withdrawal of both the
Post Once and Treasury from the control of the
President there others OF even greater WEIGHT
which apply exclusively 10 the latler.-If IL he
essenth 10 pubic safely tina, the power to lay and
coHect taxes should belong exclusively 10 the
Legislature, 1t would seem 10 follow thai ,bc c1,c
and custody OF the money, after il is withdra yyn
from The pockets ofthe people ought to be in ,he same
hands. After having filled the public Golfers from
the earnings OF their labour, II would seem but
reasonable that the people should keep the KEYS
and as they cannot do this in person. il should Le
done 10y such oil their servants rs are more imine-
diateiy under their own eye, and most responsible IN
hem. TO hand them over to the President, who's
the least responsible Of all public servants and who
IS armed with 81 much power, cannot be wise The
trainers OF the Constitution, aware Of the dangerous
union between the Military and money power
in,erposed, what has proved to BE-, an ineffsctuai
guard. They provided that no money shall
Oe drawn from the Treasury, but in pursuance
Of appropriations made by law. This provision is
easily rendered nugdtofy. Witness the attenpt 10
place three millions at the Disposal Of Pfesdont
Jack son--ten millions actually placed at the dispo
sal oi President Van Buren-and n discretionary
power over hve millions gwen 20 him at the last
session OF Congress But let this guard be inter
posed. What is II worth when the President and his
servants have the actual custody Of the treasure
hseli a mere paper security And what was
SUCH a security ever worth when opposed 10 the
sWofd' We may draw instruction from the pro.
ceedIngs OF The Federal Convention on this subject
At very early period Of its session, plan for n
national government WAS submitted bv Charlie
Iinckney-lt proposed TO vest IN the IegisIatuy
The power ito Appoint Treasurer by b1liotp-
Aher the Convention had been more ,h,n ,,z,
monlhs IN session, the various resolutions which
had been adopted were referred 10 a committee al
1eail, 10 prepare and repor. the CONSTITUTIONAL
10 this committee, MIR Pnckney's pI1n was ntsc
referred. On the 9Th Of August, ten a W after ,bc
reference, the Committee reported the Constitution
drawn out article by article, and section by section
Article vii, sec. !, enumorntes the powers of III,
legislature; amongst them is the power ITO nppoin
a Treasurer by ballot" On the l7th Il was amend.
CD so as that the appointment should be made by