The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1842-09-13
JOHN TYLER'S PREDlCAMENT.

| JOHN TYLER'S PREDlC AMENT.
There can hardly be even national
I fIiend of our accidental President who does
deeply compassionate the predicament in
which his last folly bas involved him. The
man would seem ambitious 10 be known as
no common apos,ate, but as one f,iihless TO
every principle and every profession of the
honest portion of his career. Here he
comes out with flaming Protest. against
The right of Congress to pass jud cement on
the conduct of the Executive, when he him
self has most solemnly and publicly affirmed
lha. right, in the light of a prolracted and
mos. able discussion, and under the solemn
sanction of an officiul OATH
The case in which John Tyler expressly
committed himself TO the principle against
which he now protests, was one every way
stronger than that IN which he now siupi-
fles himself by DENYING it. Let us consid-
err The facts: President jackson took the
responsibility of disseminating the Depos-
ties IF Public Moneys in the U. S. Bank
in the recess of Congress. which assembled
ten weeks later. John TYLER was then
Member of The Senate. The House ind
recily sustained the President course,
though it declined TO do 81 BY direci vote.
The Senate decided differently. After 4
long and earnest discussion, that body pass
ed the following resolution:
Reso'red. That the President in the late
Executive proceedings in relation to the
Public Revenue. has assumed upon himself
authority and po,Der not conferred By the
Constitution and la,os, bull in derogation Of
both."
Here is direct charge of usurpation
preferred against the President. in acts
purely Executive, in which he had not OBJ
structed or thwarted any action of Con-
gress. This charge faction of the Sem
ate. including such men as Silas Wright
and John Forsyth. agreed that the Senate
had no right TO make, as they argued this
with especial force on the ground that the
Senate was the Constitutional tribunal to
try the President on such charges as these,
and if they were true,the Senate were bound
10 presume that the House would present
articles of impeachment, in which case the
President had a right 10 an impartial trial.
and not one from a Court which had pre-
Judged the case. These views. expressed
with all the power of Forsyth, all the subtle
ty Of Wright failed to make any impression
on the majority of the Senate. including
John Tyler. The resolution passed by the
following vote:
YEAs-Messrs. Bibb. Black, Calhoun.
Clay, Clayton. Ewing, Frelnghuysen, Kent,
Knight, Leigh, Mangum, Naudian, Poin-
dexter, Porter, Preniiss, Preston, Robbins,
Silsbee, Smith, Sou,bard. Sprague Swift.
Tomlinson. TYLER, Waggaman, Web
ster-26'
NAYs-Messrs. Benton, Brown, Fo-syth
&c.-20
This resolution having been thus passed,
Gen. jackson sent 10 the Senate a Protest
against it. which he desired to have entered
on the journals of the Senate. but that body.
after thorough discussion, voted not 10 re-
ceive it. in The following resolutions:
|. "Resolued. That the Protest commu-
nicated to the Senate, on the IL inst. by
the President of the United States, asserts
powers. as belonging 10 the President. in
consistent with the Constitution of the Uni
Ted States.
q Resolred, That while the Senate is
and ever will be ready to receive from the
President all such messages and COMMUNE
cations as the Constitution and laws, and
the usual course of business authorize him
10 transmit 10 it. i: cannot recognize any
right in him to make formal protest agains,
votes and proceedings OF the Senate; de-
claring such votes and proceedings to be
illegal and unconstitutional, and requesting
the Senate to enter such protest on its jour.
nal.
3. Resolced, That tie aforesaid protest
is breach Of the privileges of the Senate,
and that it be not entered on the journal.
4. Resolred, That the President of the
United Stales has no right 10 send pro-
test 10 the Senate against any of its proceed
ing'."
These resolutions, after thorough discus