The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-07-09
q THE ONE MAN POWER

tic, and Irresponsible, which had mueh W ~ WIZ"
bringing this Government and nation INTO The per
picked and unhappy condition which IN Al and AZ
was Witnessed and deplored. The power 10 which
We alluded though IT may be velvJustly styled the
one man power" i. not 10 be found IN The Federal
Constitution it es not make part OF that harmo-
NOUS system OF checks and balances, contrsed and
perfected by the exalted intellect and pure patriotism
of our fathers to secure TO Us and children The
blessings of IL eedom and good government NO y
80 far from Introducing into tina, instrument the
one power" referred to, the sages oil Mai day
foIesaw that at some period when The times should
be out Of joint and demagoguism should SIT In h'gh
places, this lswless power might arise, and chef u
ed by The passions of excited and reckless par
tisans, might be used by them to obstruc the VIII
of the People, and poison the sources OF leg sat'on'
rendering the law-mAking power mere in-
strument for perpetuatng their own misohevous IN
auence over the destinies of the nation. To guard
against this contingency, among other reasons, The
qualified negative conferred on the Executive
The clause ofthc Constitution which gives the poe
10 return bill for reconsideration, does not leave
j, opiionai with the President to sign or return IT, as
he may deem most polite convenenti but, on the
contrary points out his duty clearly and imPeratveiy
recurring that, if he do approve the bill, he SHALL
return it, sc. except in case Of immediate adjourn
ment i, would seem that this qualified negative
,parinply granted, and carefully guarded, as it is
was incorporated with the other powers and duties of
the Executive, with the express view of holding In
check that dangerous one man power which, with
out constii u,ional restraint authority OF law Is
sometimes seen 10 invade legislative bodies if by
storm, bending them TO its despo,c will, welding
min Laws and
to riset their own letters Such was the authority
which Napoleon exercised the Constituent As
sembies France long before the days Of the Empire
and history full Of examples of It's exercise among
she different nations, and at various periods, OF the
world. In declaring that to this ''one man power"
might be distinctly traced many Of the evils which
embarrassed and distressed the naton-piacing the
Legislative power of the Government in an attitude
of hostility the Executive, and finally compelling
the President to apply the conservative power vested
in him by the Constitution, we did not speak unad-
visedly, and adduce abundant testimony in sup
port Of our declaration.
CHANGING backward upon the chain of events
which Immediately led to, and connected with,
Mr.. Tyers accession 10 the Presidency, it will be
seen that the Wing party-hayiDg been for twelve
years shut out from participation in the government
OF the country-was newly established in power az
ter a struggle Of unexampIed activity and excite
ment, in which MIR. Clay had borne prominent and
influential part. The extra session Of Congress had
been called, in pursuance Of his advice in opposition
to the opinions and wishes of tho moderate |
Wings, by whom it was then clearly seen and under
stood that the immediate friends and partisans Of
Mr.. Clay impatient for him to assume subsan-
TALLY the administration Of the Government and The
distribution of lis patronage. Strange this decla
ration may appear it is nevertheless true aud it is
perfectly well known to the leaders Of the majority
in the 9th Congress that little regard reference
was had TO the opinions wishes of General Harri
son in respect TO important changes in the Executive
Departments and the adoption Of general system
of policy for the administration Of the Government,
tina, il was deemed unnecessary 10 consult him, ex
ceIt to ask that concurrence which expected TO
be given, a matter of course, 10 every or re-
commentator, originating in that Zone power"
which had sprung into full strength and maturity
already overlapping the Executive chair. How
much modification and anguish was suffered by Pre-
sident Harrison from this encroschment upon the
power and dignity of his official station, or how far
these causes tended to produce and aggravaie that
disease which so soon laid the great and good old
man in his grave, can never be known. Time was
scarcely given for the performance of the last solemn
rites the grave Of the departed patriot before il
was attempted to the system Of dc,ation with
increased vgor, but attempted in rain. At this
period commenced that system Of unrelenling host-
ity which has pursued Mr.. Tyler at every STEP ard
through every act Of his administration.
Called suddenly and Unexpectedly to assume the
authority and obligations Of The h0bes, station in the
Government, under new and untried circumstances,
Mr.. Tyler had the strongest motives for couoiIiatng
the abest and influential men by whom he was sur
rounded. He desired to secure the appreciation and
support of the party which had elected him and to
this end he at cyinced willingness to conform