Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1842-09-08

sentatiyes to carry up ITS accusations a.
gainst any chief of the Executive depart
ment whom it may believe guilty OF high
crimes and misdemeanors. Before that
tribunal the accused is confronted with
his accuser, and aay demand the priv
lege, which the justice Of the common
| law secures to the humblest citizen, Of
full, patient, and impartial inquiry into
the facts. upon tie testimony OF witnes-
ses, rigidIy examined. and deposlng in
! the face Of day. If such a proceeding
had been adopted towards me, unjust as
| certainly should have regarded it, |
should, trust. have submitted with be-
coming constancv 10 q trial as painiulas It
would have been undeserved | would
have manifested, by profound submis
sion TO the-laws OF my country, my per
feet faith iii her justice; and, relying on
the purity Of my natives, aud the rectl-
tude of my conduct. should have looked
! forward with confidence to a triumphant
refutation in the presence OF that country.
and by the solemn Judgment OF such a
tribunal, not only Of whatever charges
might have been formally preferred a
ganst me, but OF all the calumnles Of
which have been the unrelenting victim.
AS it is, have been accused without ev-
idence, and condemned without a hear
j ing. as far as such proceedings can &C
compIish it, am deprived Of public con
{ lidence in the administration Of the Gov
| eminent, ana denied even the boast Of a
good uame--a name transmitted TO me
from a patriotic father. priced as my
proudest Inheritance, and carefully pre-
served Tor those who are to come>alter
me, as the most precious CT all earthly
! possessions. I am hot only subjected. to
imputations affecting my character as an
individual, but am charged with offences
against the country, sc grave and so hel
nous as to deserve public disgrace and dis
! fran chisement / am charged with violat-
ing pledges which never gave; aud be-
cause execute what believe TO be the
law, with usurping powers not conferred
by law and, above all, with using the
powers conferred upon the President by
I the Constitution, from corrupt motives &
fer unWarrantable ends. And these
charges ale made without any particle of
evidence to sustain them, and, as | SOL
EMMY affirm, without any foundation in
truth.
Why is proceeding of this sort adop.
ted at this time? Is the occasion for it
found in the fact, that, having been cleo
ted to the second office under the Consti-
tuition by the free and voluntary suifra-
ses Of the people, have succeeded to
the first, according to the express provi-
sons Of the fundamental law of the same
people? 1t is true that the succession Of
the Vice President to the Chief MagIs-
tracy mas never occurred before, and
that all prudent and patriotic minds have
looked on this new trial Of the wisdom
and stability Of our institutions with
somewhat anxious concern. have been
made to feel too sensibly the difficulties
of my unprecedented position, not to
know all that is intended to be conveyed
in the veproaCh cast upon President
without party. But found myself
placed ia this most responsible station.
By. no usurpation OR centrivauce of my
own. was, called to it, under Proyi-
dence, by the supreme law of the land,
and the deliberately -declared will of the
people. 1t is by these, the people, that
have been clothed with the high pow
ers which they have seen fit to confde to
! their Chief Executive, and been charged
with the solemn responsibility under
which those powers are to be exercised.
1t is to them hold myself apswerable,
as moral agent, for free and consci-
entious discharge of the duties which they
have imposed upon me. 1t is not as an
individual merely, tEati am now called
iNp op to resist the encroachmept of un-
constitutional power. | represent the
Executive authority of the people of the
United States; and il is in their name
Whose mere agent and servant am.
and whose will. declared in their funda-
mental law, dare not, even were in
c.ned, to dsobey.) that protest against
every attempt to break down the nn-
doubted constitutional power Of this de-
partment, without solemn amendment
Of that fundamental law.
am determine ed to uphold the Const-
tuition in this, as in other respects, to
tie utmost OF my ability, and ID defiance
Of all personal consequences. What
may happen to an individual is OF little
lin portance; but the Constitution OF the
country, or any Of its great and clear
principles aud provisions, is too sacred
to be surrendered, under any circum-
stances whatever, by those who are char
ged with its protection and Defence
Least of all should he be held suiltless,
who. placed at the head Of one of the
great departments Of the Government,
should shrink from the exercise OF its un-
questionable authority on the most i'm
portant occasions; and should consent,
without struggle, to eEace all the bar
riers so carefully created by the people
to control and circumscribe the powers
conhded to their various agents. / may
be desirable, as the majority of the House
of Representatives has declared it is.
that 10 such checks upon the will of the
Legislature should be suffered to contin-
ne. This is matter for the people and