Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1865-03-01

no reason to suppose that, whenever We
should deem, it our duty to offer him conn-
sci respecting important affairs in the Ex' !
ecutive Department, our advice would be
resented as oficious. :, /
If we had intended, to embarass the
President or the Heads ofDepartments by |
an appearance of constraint, we might !
have invited members of other delegations, !
known to concur with us in opinion, re-
speeding the Cabinet, to unite with rs IN |
action. We preferred to avoid such an
appearance, even at the hazard OF render
ing our advice less influential, and OF sub
iecting ourselves to misconstruction.
1t can scarcely be necessary to state that !
the members of this delegation did not>as.
snme for themselves, or for the House Of
Representatives, or for Congress, power
to compel the resignation OF Heads OF De-
partments by any expression OF opinion.
They had reason to expect that some
movement would be- made in Congress
which might bring on collision between
the Legislative and Executive Depart
ments, or constrain the Executive to make
concessions. We desired to prevent such
movement, when we advised the Presi-
dent to conform the composition Of the
Cabinet to the prevailing sentiment in
Congress and the country. We confident
" hoped that such change would, by its
effects upon Congress as we'll as the Exec
utive Department, make the action Of the
Government, at critical period, more et
fcient for the public safety.
The delegation in advising the President,
did not discriminate among the Heads OF :
Departments, whatever were our individ-
ual judgments Of particular officers. This
course appeared to be the best suited to
all the circumstances, and especially to
the state ofpnblic sentiment, ifnot requir-
ed by sound political principle. We chose
to regard the Cabinet as body of coun-
sellers held responsible, as a whole to
public opinion for the entire administration,
besides having each separate response
bihty as head of his own department.
Whatever may be the theory of our gov
eminent, it had not occurred to US before
the publication ofthe correspondence now
under consideration, that practically,
body so eminent in our political system
could, through dependence on the pleasure
of the President, become 80 insignificant
that a change of the Heads of Departments
could not alter the administrative policy
of the government in any degree. 1t
could not be presumed that body of
statesmen in our country, filling those
high places, would contribute no indepen-
dent advice, information or influence to
the policy of the administration, or that
they would long continue to hold Office
either in complete subserviency to single
mind Or in defiance Of the general sense
of their countrymerf. eOf course, we were
aware that the President has power to dis
miss them-a power tit to be exercised for
the public welfare in a great crisis-and
that to him belongs controlling authori-
ty, and the chief honor as we'll as respon-
sibility of the administration. We did not
design either to abate the constitutional
authority of the Presidential office, or to
take from our country the guiding infu-
ence of President in whom we greatly
confds and whom we have firmly support
ed.
| 1t is obvious that the general advice
suggested by this delegation to the Presi.
dent based on general reason, alleging
no fault and araigning no individual
merely advice u be adopted, applied OF
rejected by the President-mig ht have
been substantially accepted without ex
Guiding every particular Head ola Depart
ment from a new arrangement. We ex
,pected and desired that at least one ex
ception would be made. 1t would moi
haye been proper for this delegation to in
dictate to the President, when they volun
teored counsel, the details of such arrange
ment; and, least Of all, would it have been
= proper for us, as delegation, to single ou
a Secretary from our own State for paftia
action, highly as we esteemed the Virgin
ian then in Office, and as much as we de
sired our State to be represented in tn,
} Cabinet. Misconceiving the spirit of on
} proceeding, our distinguished fellow-citi
zen, Mr.. Seldom, without general recon
structien of the Cabinet, resigned the oil
flee of Secretary of War. If we have I'M
:. Intentionally wounded his sensibilities, W
deeply regret that such a consequence re
suited from our action or from his construe
ton of it.
In letter accepting his resignation
the President declines to approve the pre-
= priety of his decision to resign, because, h
adds cannot admit the existence of
power or right in the Legislative Depar
ment of the government, or in any part 9
branch of it, to contEel the continuance i
office of those principal officers in each
the exec utive Departments, whosechoic
the Constitution has vested in the Chic
Magistrate" &c. He observes that tn
circumstances which; gave rise to Mr. Set
don's. resignation are without preceden
In concedinga just and legitimate inf,
ence TO enlightened public opinion, he d,
> MES shat the declaration of a State del
cation, or even of one or both Houses,
, entitled to be considered as the authent
expression of such opinion or as requirin
u | $,a.