The North-Carolinian., 1852-07-17

State and federaI-an independent department
in our system Of governMent-and which holding
neither the purse to corrupt nor the sword Of
power to terrify. addresses itself only with the
mild force of persuasive reason to the intelligence
and virtue of the whole community. BY the fed
era! constitution every possible safeguard is pro-
rided to shield its iary against leetng Preju
dice. political rancor, and party dependence, TO
which legislators and the executive are un-
aroidably directed and constaRtlyssexpo ex posed
Hence, to the .sone Supreme Courts - wisely
extended {by "appelate ion''l lAH cases in
the laws of thc United States, and treaties made.
which shall he made, rn,ler their authority
Looking to i!.issexprss provision. have
arising under either the constitution itself, the
supreme law Of the land, under an act o. Con-
gress, treaty-has once been solemnly adj
Indicated by that court, the principle of the
decision ought to be taken by all definitively
settled-unless, indeed, it be upon a rehea ring
before the tribunal. This appears TO me
too clear for disputation for the the court is
not only declared to be supreme, and hence there
can be no bench beyond, but to Congress is only
given the power to constitute '.inferior' tribu-
nails. BY appeals to the Supreme Court, set
tement was intended to be reached. and anarchy,
through a long distraction of the public mind, !,
on great questions Of legislative and executive
power, thus rendered impossible. Practically,
therefore, for the people, and especially their
functonaries, to deny to disturb, :mpugn
principles thus constitutonaly established
strikes of evil example, if not of direct
revolutionary tendency. except. indeed, in the
against liberty; and any dangerous error of this
sort always be easily corrected (and should
be only corrected) by an amendment of the con-
stitution in one Of the modes prescribed by that
instrument itself-the organic law of the States
and the people Msconstructions Of law. other
than the constitution. are yet more readily cor
rected by amendatory or declaratory acts of
Congress.
L ~,
of the constitution, could only have been design
ed. To enable the President to defend his
own rightful powers against usurpations on the
part of Congress. 2. To enable him to forbid
other leg islatve infractions of the constitution ;
and g. To guard the country against other acts
of hasty violent legislation.
1t is hardly possible to conceive a case. under
the first or secon6s-of those heads, against which
the judiciary the balance wheel ofthe system
does not afford Of itself, ali the security that the
people can require.
But. without the protection Of either the
bench or the veto, would the executive depart
ment (becotne superjudicial of late years) be
too weak to fulfil the strictly executive functions
for which it more particularly created, or,
rather, would not that department still be the
most powerful for evil in the government.
The President is, under the checks ofthe
constitution and law, rightfully invested with
sssI ga had sat s o. o. the pure The-ho,ses
Congress, it is true, lay taxes, fIx.inpusts, and
regulate the sales of the public domain but it IS
he, through his agentS, who handles the pro
ceeds. From 1888 to 1886 (to say nothing of the
presently he alone nominated and dismissed al
the agents who kept, as well as those who col
lected, distributed, and disbursed the public
revenue. The apothegm, make us executors,
we care not who are your legatees, has fright
full application to such agents and the immense
treasure that annually passes through their
hands
The rapid increase and spread Of popu LAT ion.
the growth of national wealth, tie amount of
revenue collected and disbursed, the new rel
tons (by the extension of commerce) with
foreign countries, the additional appointments
home and abroad, the number and value of
contracts-all constantly and neces5ariy on the
increase-a general decay in morals. perhaps as
great in Congress elsewhere the habit that
we have seen prevail during several presidential
terms, of filling public offices with but little or
no regard to moral standng-haye, taken to-
gether, already opened to the head the govern
ment elements Of power and corruption which 1t
was impossible for the trainers and adopters of
the constitution to foresee or to conceive. Who,
at that distant day. for example, ever dreamed
of the spectaces which have recently disguised
every honest citizen of postmasters. mail con-
tractors, mail agents. and census takers, coveri
the land with government pamphlets, handbilis,
and extra gaZettes. sufficient OF ready to sap the
morals, public and private, of entire genera
ton of the stom-house mercenares in the
large cities, living on the public, neglect ng
every duty for party meetings and the polls, and
rendering to power the most bribe worthy SER
vices :-of district attorneys aud collectors
rambling missionaries, defending every abuse Of
otfice-their own the most indecent--in order to
maintain power in the hands Of their patron !:
4 vino have reflected the foregoing facts
must be ready to a1irm that executive patronage
g has increased, is increasing, and ought to be
dimni>hed.'
l hope, then, by early amendment Oft the
constitution to reduction of the Presidents
veto. The regulation of patronage would pro-
perry follow.
There can be good why the veto
should not be overcome by bare ma lorIty In
each house Of Congress Of all the members elect
co to it-say. for the benefit OF reflection at the
end of ten days from the return OF the bill. An
amend mt to this effect would leave the Presi-
dent-the general representative Of every State
and district-arIned with the votes of all the
members absent at the moment from the respec-
tive houses and there will always be some ao-
sent from both.
ROTATION IN oFFIcE.-The inquiry under this
head is not definite in any letter before me- H.
however, is presumed to refer-1. To governors
and secretaries of Territories, and some OF the
Judges therein; district attorneys, collectors,
SURVEYORS, and naval officers of the customs
marshals, postmasters " hose commissions amount
to a thousand dollars per annum; navy agents
registers and receivers of land offices, surveyors
general of lands, and Indian agents; all of when
are by law appointed for term Of four years
but sub lects. by express enac tment, Except the
judges,) to be removed at pleasure. e 10 a
high class Of civil officers (neXt to the chAefs) IN
the xecutive departments at WashiDgto ton other
high observation-disclosures ministers, secre-
taries of egatIon, and consuls, postm hose
commissions amount to lees than thousand dol.
lars per annum; superintendents OF Indian al
fairs, Indian sno-agents, &C., &c, appointed
without limitation as to time, vet subject, In
prsctice-not by express law-to be also remov-
ed at pleasure and 3. To the assistants allow ed
hv law to very many of the principals included
above, which assistants generally called
clerks-some Of them deputies, appraisers
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