Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1861-12-12
LETTERS ON THE PRESIDE ENJOY.
By NICHOLAS oF LOUISVILLE.
FirstpnbIishsdin in 1910; rspu5Iishsj in 1859.
NUMBER v.


| BYs 8 NICHOLAS oY LOUISVILLE
FirstpnbIishsdin in 1910; rspa5Iishsj in 1859.
! NUMBER v.
shall call your attention to ant ther Mr. GAYS
political picures taken from bis Hanover speech if.
ter stating that in hs dliberats opinion he present
dstrtsses and distracted state Of the country may be
traced TO the sagle cause OF the action the encroach-
msns, and the usupatons of the Executive branch OF
the Government he reviews what he terms 'lhs stu.
pendous structure Of Executive machinery and despo-
tism, Which has been reared in young Republic" and
tseu proceeds, thus:
"The Of the whole is, that there Is bu, one pow
err one control, will in the State Alis concen.
tra.ed in the President He directs orders commands
the whole machinery Of the State He executes accord
1pg to pleasure caprice the whole powers Of the
Commonwealth, which have been absorbed and engro.s
ed by him. 01e sole wil predominates In and commands
this vast community IL this be not practical despos
am Incapable OF conceving or defining H. TIE exist.
ence nOnexstence Of arbitrary government does not
depend upon the title denomination bestowed the
clef of State, but on the quantum of power he pos
sesses wields
~ have thus fellow citizens, exhibited to you true
ard faithful picture OF Executive power II has been
enlarged and expanded within the last few years. and
has been proposed farther to extend it. II oyershadows
every other branch Of the Government The source Of
Legislative power is no longer 10 be found in the Capi
to. but in the palace Of the President How Is Il pos
sibe for public liberty 10 be preserved and the Cons
tuonal distributions of power among the departments
msntaned unless the Executive career be checked and
| restrainedt -
Truly sir, this Is gloomy picture. You yourselfha
drawn several such during the late cinvass. Some al.
owance is no doubt TO be made for extra colprng
account OF tho time and occasion. But il is
to be hoped aud believed that neither of you would be
capable Of SO soemnly presenting it 10 the nation
lees you believed il vas substantially true picture For
myDlf, adopt Tie whole Of il, coloring and all. IL
ia not too highly colcrsd for my opinion. But wha.
xant to ask you and Mr. Clay and in behalf Of the ma
don to call for response, h How or whence did this
iespotsm come upon us? You say il is not in the Con-
stitGtion, be traced to that its Whence
then, came it Mr.. Osys general defamation about
sbsorp ptions and encroachmens Is well enough for the
hastings, but won't do for sober chat in the closet We
want scs We want you to point out distinctly wherein
and when did General Jackson or Mr. Van Buren ever
transcend the limits OF the Constitution, or usurp a
power clearly aud expressly assigned the EIecu-
tive. To many of your party it win seem very pre-.
3umptuous hut TO you 1t viii year such aspect. that
should, as do, defy either Of you 70 produce the In
stance.
You will not cite the power OF removal from Office
for that il debaabe question, and, you admit In
YOUR Richmond speech they found 1t settled practice
Of III Government established With the assent OF the
lra Congress that "a. under the Constitution and With
the full sanction Of br. ha1iscn. Who ansht have.
kao-n better than any other man what the Constitution
meant. You will not cite the removal Of the deposiu
for si that sui you may, petver with ali
your ingenuity, and the most you make Of IL s
gross abuse OF undoub.ed power. You viii not cite
certain assumptions Of Gen. Jackson, acted
for he and they have had their day, and opin
ions they will have neither weight authority with any
one Even bis successor his promise concerning the foo
steps" to the contrary notwithstanding, would hz
ard his reputation Constitutional lawyer by adopting
or avo wing them. NY mbrance supplies no ustancs
one whit pausby in aver than either OF these
No such instance be produced Even all the dis
tinctly tangible abuses Of power, it will be fou and
candid revision, circunscrbable within thos, two
sub scs the removal Of the deposits aud the removing
aud appointing OF officers.
We have then al this absorption Of DOW.
er by the Executive, without single usurpa
ton or q tangible Instance of encroachment.
dow ;hel, hfs ii come about? That is what We want
4 response TO- win you rctort upon me the question
nov then do admit the truth OF Mr.. Clsys picture p
How, if there has been no usurpation, even anY
abuse Of power bu. such may be crcumscribed With
in such narrow limits how 10 that the President po'
.esses such 's.upeadcus, overshadosing pouer?" ]
shall attempt eGcape from the question, by affirming
that the dilemma is not mne bui yours and his who did
the painting for that is the very point to which wish
to bring the inquiry. 1t presents the only true question
for consideration 10 the investigation Of this grts. sub
ject. 1t is 70 which neither you nor hr. Clay
.uy other prominent has yet responded. You
have all SO unaccountably overlooked IL TO
the surmise that had purposey avoided it but Why
or wherefore knor not. Ny own response to the
aues ion will be readily anticipated from the tenor OF
previous remarks Il is believed be susceptible OF
none other even approaching to plAusibilty. All
the excess Of his powers above those granted him by
the Constitution precisely those, and other,
that naturally and necessarily devolve on him, as
the head Of the great political party that elevated him
TO the chair the unavoidable inference being that there
lies the true source Of all the power complained Of
This is a power wholly sItraneous from the Consttu
ton It is q power which Its trainers not only never
intended to give but which, they supposed could
never come by accession accretioD; for they be-
lieved they had most carefully and securely guarded
against IL power not even remotely incidental to the
scheme Of Government as its projectors Intended 1t
should work in practice Let u.s. them TO wonder
nov il ia that officer under the Constitution acting
within the pale of bis assigned powers acquired pow
or above the Constitution that actually controls and nu
aes H. that kicks aside i;s Who'll, frame work of checks
,nd baences concentrates all Legislative and Executive
power in hs hands; and reduces the Government TO
that simple machine as you have termed IT, elective
| despotsm.
IL is unnecessary to tell you but It may not be amiss
20 remind Others that this peculiar aud extraordinary
power l. not Of modern growth. lay in the hands
all our party Presidents and less eIercisei
BY them all. 1t only more gsringy developed sud
displayed whilst in the hands OF General Jackson, be-
cause of the peculiar and uousua mode OF its exercise
! by him. Mr.. Jefferson ard Mr.. Madison treated Their
party and its Interests sort OF family concern 10 be
mana ged by mutual consultation between them and is
leaders in and out of Congress The interests OF the
,onntry Il Is TO be hoped always the first consid
ration: but the interests Of the party were never over
looked and wers carefully attended to as thing which
they ali had mutual interest," AID in the successful op
sraiions of which they all had stake less Of
sonal reputation hr. Jedsr'on, BY the fo'es Of bis
great talents great personal popularity, aud by bis
s,il greater tact In the management OF men, did jas
AZ be pleased, without seeming 10 do SO, and
Was more truly the Government and the whole Gov
ernment than General Jackson was. The differ
| enee vas in the mode Of exercising the power. The
one did With the polished cOuresJ OF gentleman, and
with that nice address Of the accomplished statesman,
which made The party leaders in Congress actually fancy
that IL was they and not he who were exercs ng the
power The other did it with the SIC soio sic beo Of
the perempiory soldier. To the one, the party vas
osterchild of his own and be treated II with nursing
parental care, and though he was occasionally most
taskmaster H. yet they seemed 10 move 10
concert and acted with apparent harmony. The ethe'
belonged to the party till he placed ct Its
head resented its pretsntions inuros 10 the npu-
ted sufhcieucy Of his oWa popularity, cared nothing
about Ii except far il subsrved biz pufptl ana
vas ready any moment to kick 1t to perdiion when
aver II should cesse 10 do so Hence bis nevtnents