The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1849-04-04
oFFIcIAL RnsPoxsIBILITY.


political opinions. -
OFFICIAL RESPONSIBILITY.
All constitutional government is based
upon The principle Of official responsibility,
because all constitutional government is a
delegated trust A trust involves the neces-
sary power to discharge its performances. Of
fetal accountability and the power to exc
cute official duties are, therefore, the cor
ner stone Of our constitution and laws They
assert an express and an implied responsible
;ty, and an express and an implied power Of
executing the trust or office, Our federal
constitution and our federal laws, are very
clear and explicit in their grants Of express
executive power and responsibility, but they
are not sufficiently comprehensive to provide
for every possible case, which may arise un-
der them. There is necessarily very wide
margin left for the application Of the rule of
construction and inference. This rule, to be
correct, must follow the letter and spirit Of
the express grants Of power and responsible
ity. The President is the head Of the ex-
ecutive power created by the constitution.
His duties are prescribed by the same in
strument, Those duties are to be perform
ed by him, either Individually or by the
hands Of others. This division Of executive
labor is the subject Of the laws, which define,
limit, control and prescribe what is to be
done by given instruments
A strict adherence to the constitution and
the laws, in the performance Of the duties OF
the federal executive, was the characteristic
of all the Presidents down to Jackson. He
and his successors down to Taylor abandon
ed this policy, and the President, regarding
himself both as the intermediate and ulti-
mate Judge Of executive acts, banished all
official responsibility and power from the
hands Of the subordinate officers of the gov
eminent, and made them act, not as the in
struments Of the constitution and the laws,
but as the instruments Of the executive will
Gen. Taylor has, in turn, forsaken this poll
icy, and restored that which prevailed in this
respect, from Washington to Jackson. So
far as the constitution and laws expressly
limit, define, control and prescribe the du-
ties Of the heads Of Departments, the wisdom
Of restoring to them their lost powers is OBJ
vious to all, and the country has, through
the press, signifed in unmistakeable terms
its appreciation Of Gen. Taylor's act in this
particular. People now see, that official re-
sponsibility is exacted by the President at
the hands Of the heads Of Departments, and
TO enable them to meet that requirement,
they are RENTED to all the powers which
the constitution and laws grant to them
But these grants Of powers to the heads
Of Departments are not always express, as
we have already said many Of them arise by
necessary construction from the language
and objects Of the laws. The whole powers,
whether express or implied, must be remit
ted 10 them, or they will not be in posi-
ton to answer to the obligations imposed.
All these powers have been restored to them
by Gen. Taylor, and in SO doing he has ac-
ted wisely, has elevated the heads Of De-
partments to theirlegsl dignity, has the high
est possible security therefiom that the pub
Tic business viii be properly attended to-.
The details Of public affairs being thus
thrown upon the shoulders Of the officers, to
whom the law las entrusted this labor, the
supervisory power Of the President in the last
resort can be exercised in proper manner.
In descending the scale Of official subor-
dnates, we find the same principle existing
as that which prevails between the Presi-
dent and the heads Of Departments. 1t is
declared that the President shall do thus and
SO, and Gen. Taylor holds the heads Of De-
partments responsible for the performance
Of the duties which lead to the execution OF
all Presidential acts. The law declares that
such and such head Of Department shall do
thus and so, and in olden time, the head Of
Department held the heads Of Bureaus re-
sponsible for the discharge Of the duties
which led to the performance Of all the sec
retarial acts. This, too, is the practice
under the present administration, and il Is
right and proper il should be so, or the Off
cial responsibility exacted by the President
Of the heads Of Departments, could never be
enforced Let US exemplify by case or
two, and the wisdom OF the rule win be seen
at once and apnlaudeJ