Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1865-02-10

4
Inv ,rcss sincere desire taan bas StimulstoI
ma 20 devote my full powers to sustsin yeuE
administration and promote the s'adscahen Oh
! limited sphere of rriest, life, shall not cease
| :, reLdsr TO you as the trusted Chief Mag;s'
| s,ate OF tho Confeicraoy, add to our gr::t
csus., whatever assistance | may be scle ~
g,r:.
V:rY truly you're,
(S;gned) JAMES A. SsrnoE,
Secretary of War.
RICHMOND, lat Feb'rT, 1865.
Nv Dear Sir-You are too well acque.nSs>'
| w;rh the rhss0rs gkioh havs d.itTtd my c."
sw,r t, your letter Of TIA 18Th ultinl, :" nsaa
| any explanation Oh tho subjscs ard nnst be to-
wall ss.used Of my warm psrs"nsi reSaia aho
cfficial condolences, t. renter rnoaSsary any ~
! rreasion Of the rsgre; !eel ~ hei:g dspri"r'!
OF your aid and o5uassl at this CLINICAL JuEc
/! i1"o ii GU: rtslrs.
| had hoped that further riu.cS'on G2r ID
! Ia. ;,eu cbsnge in your riewH, hus III los
J nas Got osan tho case, l an not q. liberty -
&C SETON the reas onH .o- you- deosIcn. II Is Il
matter exclusively fer your private judgment
| waetasr gen should be controlled ty M eZ-
,rsssion Of opinion on tho psrs Of tbs Nirs;i-
| i,a delegation in CoagIesa !has Il ~1"'l -
advisable so reorgsu'z, ray C!biaot .,y 70
li.v;ns a,I-hs pres, n ussGa Of Departments. ,
hsvs nc chc:cs bns 20 scqnissoe in yonr ooh"
olu.ion, that YOU cannot !onge: f.: yvur prs
sent position without paired usefulness, npr
wi.hou. doing violence to your feelings.
I carro:. however, recognize the psopristy
| 0: vcur deo!uion, booa1ss cannot ADM. tic
| u1istcnce of q power or right il the Lsgisla-
| rv. D.ra1 .men. Of tho 0ovornrns.t, OR III ss.S
part or Srsnch Of it, - cou:tjl .:,o con.i@a.
40, in c!Gce of thcso principal otic.:s ii
osch of tho Executive D,p..'u,sn'a." wh"sn
cbo:se tie Consti.utinE hss vested in the Cainf
Ne 1:strsts; whore ad-ios in writing be Is ein =
Powered 40 r.qurs." and whose tenure "
Office is e3cepuopsl, beipg made 20 depend
oxp:..sly on "the pleasure Of the President
Ia. r.la.ieaa bstwsen tho President and til
usads Of the Executive Departments ars uCI
.hsir nature Of :Ne uloso=s acd mast 'iI:I'4a.-
cbnraoter; ttey imply mutual confidence al
IS. ;onn, and a gBnerst contur'sncs o. oplai n
n admin .sttstivs poiic:; ind it 10 ncs 8 CON
s:isusionsi function of'ths Legislative D"rar'-
ra.nt 20 Interfere with ihtss ielatioos. nor car
DC 7saumsd thai chavgs OF tie uoHts OF
Dapar,. N, MS wnnia alter tus ad,n:niHIrAtys
n2licy Of tie GGysriirne5t, ViIhers also Hs"u :
M n. - tsns the III uri,us supposltlon th.ttte
P,e:itsnt DE, Iermtte1 than 20 pn,sue pol
lev ~ ysriaDcs with his own. end has thus
t.,lsi ~ d. Lis own duty as Ohitt CT tho Elk.
eoutivc Department..
Ths notion thaS under oar form OF GoVssf =
wsnt en- expression by the L-ElJistvact wan:
cs coniider CO in inc Efoonhys Department.
is Tn appropriate exercise If constitutional
rcwsr, and .hould caues obangein tho Cabi-
MT, IS ua:a unfoundod and j. Is not difficult
70 res tbs. it ARISES from fsi's analogy, tGs.
most fertile source OF error. 10 Great Briis'n
= VOC Of tbs House Of Commons OK preaRlnG
wsnt of conf i.nce in til, lnissry has Z can-
trolling i..fnsnce, bccaus. tho Pnsl'Rn-nt
governs. Wua Ill it il the re7orsa. Tie tso
cascs sre No i!.tHet AZ 20 be opposite, rather
tasa parallel 10 esoh o;hs,.
In Great Britain, tbs ministry orc TIA FIX e.
s:a.ivs Government. Tho sovereign rulrs bls
does not govern In tbs Coufsdsracy tha
hea(,s Of Departments nsiths: rals nor govern.
II Great Britain, the soycrsisn j, irresp'n-
si5is, ACC, "cga dono wr0ua," ard tho u,i::"
!st.g slcne ara respo7sii.,o. In the Cor!sd-
-sce, To President may so wrong, ard IL re-
acouoiJ!s fir ~ d5ing. Tho rcmsdy sor his
s5ra; 62iug is impca,amsns by tae House oil
REPRESENTATIVES.
Tho Senate is wi'hout power eyen to irorea Oh
a.; can OILY act as judges waeu tie liou'S
Il Great B :;tain, tie crown being hereditary
IS wsu &c irresponsible, Ihs control Ct laa
r;or,!? over tho policy OF tho government CON
s:s,s in .s'u,iog by thoir Commons tbs grant
l., ehs aoscreign of supplies necessary f)r
aarreiug On TIC governments.
la the Confederacy, the people ohoose the
President as we'll -ns the Congress, and b?
giving him a term Of elk years, and making
ihs seuuro Of cfics Of tho Cabinet "his plec-
sure" tave dsbarred themselves from tho
power Ct enforcing any change Of adminis!ra-
tive policy during tba. term. II il Known
ths. this larg.hened torn Ct elk years. With
on. 70. sljeiollity. was conferred by our CoTn-
s.i.a,;on "a the Executive Tor the expro.s pur-
DOSE Of imparting stability to government.
and Of WITHDRAWING oil motive for coursing
popular favor ut tho expense Of duty.
Ia Crest B.itaio tho MiniSs,y sra members
Of TIE Legislative Department, originate la,oa,
6uide. administration, exercise the appointing
1,o,ccr to all offices (the sovereign's power
being ia p,scticu purely noIninsl) are dppr'sed
in a9rance Of the grounds OF proposed cote
Of want of confidence, aud haze the poacsr and
means Of attending themselves.
In lbs Ooafederaoy the exact revsrsc oil al
this il the onre, and tho Hsads of Depart.
narts ars not even admitted 10 the right O.
a,Ia,o on the sutjtcs appsrtainiog 10 thelr
d,partmor,.s, % cJItamplnted by the Go9st!-
suticn.
Ia u.cat Britain, even alter Yate Of csn-
sn.c Tho ministry may dissolve Parliament
and appssl to The country, which has not uu-
frequently reversed the vote.
The Commons are thus restrained from
fac,ious OF untounded chsrssa ny tho retpoa-
sibili:y Of making them OF tho psril OF Icing
discounttn anosd by tho poopls, an" thus
icsiug .hsir own ,Eestc.
Iii tho O1nfete:acy, the exact reverse oil NJ!
his il aysin tho case. and vote Of Wsis OF
an a iance would DO froe from sli sslo.ary 70.
sir4ipt Cr responsibility.
r. ia nssd!ess to oontiIus this exnosi.ion.-
I. il zoo clear fer doubt that tine Legislative
ara Executive Departments, deriving equally
,hcir e1ietenoe from the vJtes OF the pe0pl,.
i. would % o. ats as proper for tho Executive
Departments 10 express want OF 0nnhdence IN
tas Legislative Departments as for tho latter
70 .xprsss distrust Of tho former.
In sfa.ine these views, nothing is farther
from nv ioseation thsa to deny to snlighs :nsd
nub.ia opinion, when deliberately formed Ht:'
krovlc;ire of fso.s, its just and legitimate IN
flocncs Saeh pubic Cpiuiar: is s!nost invh-
risbly ocIrscs shl Can rarely 10 d'srega'oee
without injury to the public "eai.
Nv purp pose is simply 10 deay thas tbs "a
oI.zc,;,, Of a Sta. dsiry2tiO,. or even q y0ts
of ora or both Houses ia entitled to be Con-
sid.IeI as tie su.hen,c expression OF ouch
opinion. OF as requiring concession n lt9o'
u co-ordiuste department Of the dosorn-
mert. 49,
/ bsy. bsen led into this dig.sssion by tbs
n,oul;,r clroumstssess which have giTeu rise
"a YOUR resignation. They arc without precs-
a,st. / csnnot, however, refuse to relieve
-. 80, a.I;xS rhinh tha action Of your