The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-10-26
POWER AND INFLUENCE OF THE pREsIpEE.
TIAL OFFICE

that do not seem to understand the inAuen
oi PRESIDENT by virtue of his appointing pow
er, touching the question of Slavery, or any
thing else that may be favored by him The
say, what if we do elect O Free Democrats
President - what influence can be have OF
Slavery In the States or Territories Thi
question | would like to have answered in th
| Era.n
Every Party which pretends TO be national
and to have national scheme of policy
knows that it must secure the Federal Admin
istration before it can give effect to its policy
by legislation. What could Wing majorit,
IN Congress accomplish, with Democratic
President? What, Democratic majority
with Wing President? Shareholders neet
no instruction in this matter. Always in mi
nority in the Legislative Department, they have
controlled the politics and determined the poll
% Of the country, by securing tho Administra
ton. The free States in 1850 had majority
of forty members in the House Of Representa-
tives, and had sent there q majority Of mem
bers in favor Of the Wilrnot Proviso; but never
was the Cause CT Freedom 80 shamefully be
trayed as by that Congress, which not only
abandoned the Wilmot Proviso, but cursed the
country with the Fugitive Slave Act. How
was this brought about? By the Federal Id.
ministraiion, Of which the Slave Power had
obtained the control, and which it used az an
instrument to debanch the Peoples Represent
atiVes A political revolution is now going On
in the free States. Prc-Slavery men are thrust
AT, 81 koI IL Ii
of Representatives in the next Congress will
contain a ma ority Of members chosen express
" to resist the aggressions of Slavery: but, il
the People stop at this point, if they now be-
como disorganized and divided on old issues
and by old prejudices, and fail to change the
character of the Administration, leaving it still
subservicnt to the Slave Power, all that they
have done will 60 for nothing. The Anti-Sla-
very majority they have placed in Congress
can achieve nothing, while there will be CON-
slant danger that it may be disabled, if not
corrupted, by Pro-Slavery Executive.
Party managers understand all this-why
should the People be ignorant?
The President is an important part of the law
making power. He can recommend such meas
ures as ne may see fit, he can veto whatsoever
he pleases. The Western States arc specially
interested in obtaining appropriations for the
improvement Of their great rivers and lake
harbors, and the majority Of members in the
present Congress went so far as by a very de-
cisiye vote to pass an act granting such appro-
priations, but the President vetoed it, and now
there is no hope for the West in this respect
80 long as Franklin Pierce shall remain Presi-
dent This is one illustration Of his power
take another. Suppose, instead of Willard
Fillmore, we had had in the Presidential chair
what People would call q Free Soil Presi.
dent the Fugitive Slave Bill would have been
vetoed-nay, such bill never would have
passed both Houses of Congress; for
The President has influence, as we'll as po,c-
- Influence that may be cxerted for or
against the enactment of certain measures,
power that may be used to veto them. The
scheme of admitting California and New Mex
leo, as States, with laws excluding Slavery, was
the policy Of General Taylor, and so long as
he lived, no other scheme had any chance Of
success. His death left the Government in the
hands Of Mr.. Fillmore who soon abandoned
that scheme, and adopted the measures pro-
posed by Mossrs. Foote and Clay. The same
Congress which, had Taylor lived would have
enacted his policy, enacted under Mr.. Fill
more measures directly repugnant to it. Why /?
Because, executive influence ,cas brought to bear
upon members. In what way? Through per-
sOnGl intercourse some persons are peculiar
ly accessible 10 appeals made to them by men
occupying high station. Through personal
interests the hore Of some Office of profit or
power is too much for the virtue of some pcliti-
clans. Through Party Obligations the Pres
idont, 1.o6icio, is the head of the Party that
sustains him, and enjoys through him the Fed
eral Patronage. A well-disciplined party man
docs not ike to oppose or thwart bis Chief
The President may adopt policy not at all
palatablo to him, but he will be ap. to support
it, rather than risk the distraction Of the Par.
ty, Or what is perhaps Of no Ices Importance
to him, bis own standing in the Party Hence,
Disconnected part;sans are not unfreqrently in
uuNGO W FobO AOk u uit6sute, even
against their own convictions of what is RICH,
or expedient In these several ways, did Mr.
Fillmore succeed in obtaining majority in
Congress for the Compromise and Fugitive
Slave Act, against the well-krown views of a
majority Of the People Of the Free States
With how much more force does the remark
apply to Franklin PIERCE With no command
ing attributes of character, an ordinary man
in all points, still, by his Presidential influence
be might have prevented the repeal of the Mis-.
souri, Compromise, as by that influence he secur-
ed it. The most distinguished members of his
Party from the free States in both Houses dep
recated the movement as unwise and mischiev.
ons, but, as the President adopted and urged
it, they fell in with and supported it.
There are other forms, under which O
President may bring a more constituting in.
fiuence to bear on legislation. James X. Polk
in virtue of his authority as Communicates.
chief of the army, placed General Taylor in a
position On the Rio Grande, where a collision
with the Mexican troops became necessary
and then, having involved the country in war
made an irresistible appeal to Congress tc
sanction it.
| MIR. Pierce, without consultation with TIE
Legislative Department, negotiated treaty
with Mexico, by which certain claims wer,
settled, ard portion of territory fit for slav.
labor, purchased, for ten millions of dollars
to be paid by our Government AS Congress
alone has ths disposition Of the public moneys, i
became necessary that it should pass an act
appropriating said ten millions for purpos,
/ cen corning which ira oniniana bod ,,oA L..