The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1864-1911, 1866-05-16
war Upon the PrcsIdenf row.

1Aibo us Hcte tue ~tlctpAtIo OF the
trainers Of the Constitution In respect to
the future magnitude Of the nation which
was 70 exist under its auspices il is evident
that they did not discern clearly all the fea-
lures Of that future for which they wero en-
deayoring to prepare. Had they done so,
they would have deemed it a matter of pri.
mary importance to have relieved Congress
and the President alike, as far as possible,
from labors, perplexities and causes of dis
agreement which are cast upon them by the
vast power Of appointment which reposed,
jointly or severslly, in their hands. Il is,
as we receive it, a very serious defeat, in u
firm Of government, and one which, as tine
elspses, will become more and more uupro-
pitious in its consequences, this appoint
ing power, extending to an almost incrsdi-
bic number of local Offices; the incumbents
Of which, under a practice which has grown
into a precedent, are TO be changed with
every change of the Northumberland
and even personal.
There is no good reason why postmasterS,
collectors Of revenue, and local executive Of.
6cers of every kind, should not hold their
places at the gift ofthe people among whom
their several functions are exercised; and
there has probably been no President who,
resisting the press Ire Of his friends to make
changes for reasons of a party character, Or
giving away to it, would not have been glad
Of relief from the trouble and the response
bility, by turning it over to the people. As
the thing stands at present, whenever there
is a change in the party character Of the Elk.
~ecutive, the demand is universal, that the
Administration shall at once relieve itself of
its enemies in Office, and will avail Itself Of
its friends, who perhaps will only continue
friends upon condition being put in the pla-
ces of the enemies. And even where the
Executive change is only personal, the new
officer is surrounded by those who insist that
it is his duty to protect himself, by putting
authority and influence in the hands of those
whose devotion to himself is distinct and un-
questionable. As a refusal to comply with
requests which, to such as make them, APP
pear most reasonable, is in party morals
deemed sufficient cause for active future en-
nifty, the dilemma in which the the Presi.
dent is often placed is far from comfortable,
and one which in most cases he would glad
ly be spared. An this especially, as for
every office, actually or by anticipation, va
cant, there are at least half a dozen appli-
cants, only one of whom can be obliged, and
this at the risk of alternating the remain
der.
President johnson, although elected by
the same party which elected the majority
Of Congress, being, in a manner,
nicated by the majority, and holden to have
departed from the policy of his immediate
predecessor, is undoubtedly experiencing
the solicitations of members of the other
branch of the party to make extensive Off
cial changes; to which solicitations he has,
in some instances given away, This has
alarmed the majority with the fear of a
sweeping decapitation of their friends and
appointment of those of different complex
ion, and has led them to attempts to advise
means for its prevention. Not being able
to dispute the appointing power of the
President. or to take it away, they are pro-
ceeding to set limits to it-circumscribing
his power of removal. IF they can prevent
him from creating vacancies, they can cut
off tine possibility of making changes; and
that which they can not do directly will be
done by indirection.
1t is one OF those cases in which men,
impelled by the extreme of party madness,
do a thing for a temporary purpose. without
rejecting that, by and by, it may operate
against misunderstanding a staff with
which they may erelong be beaten. Such
things are only done by those who are ready
to sacrifice every thing to their own imme-
date party ends; and prove that those by
whom they are undertaken have ceased to
care for Constitution or consistency-for any
thing, in short, but their own ambitions and
fenaticisms. 1t is sufficient to say that such
q measure would never have been thought
of, had not. disputes arisen between the ma
jority and the President. 1t is simply a wal
of factions; and had it not occurred, the ma
jority would, at this moment, have been as
willing to add to the power Of the Presi
dent as they are now to take from him what
he has, and which is but a corollary which
is distinctly given to him by the Constitu
ton. To divest him of the power of reno
val would be practically to strip him Of the
power of appointment; and that would be
done indirectly, which to do directly would
be palpably unconstitutional.
While. in our view, it would be right SO
to amend the Constitution as to relieve the
President Of the United States of the Ia b
and responsibility of making the great mass
of local appointments, we are convinced that
the power of removal ought to be permitted
to remain with them. Otherwise, how can
the public be relieved, as suddenly as is de
sirable, Of the services of an inefficient, I'M
faithful or dishonest officer? For the sake
of tho public service, the injury, which
might arise from the too frequent use of
such power should be endured. That Con-
gress can cosstitutionally strip the President
Of the power Of appointment by laws pro.
hibiting him from exercising the prelimina.
functions Of removal. we do not believe.
1t would DO contrary to all the recognized
doctrines o~flegislative conduct and constitu-
tional Interpretation; for it is a doctrine of
Fundamental law that wherever a power is
conferred there is given with it oil that is
to it's full and complete exercise.
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