The Waynesburg Republican. [volume] (Waynesburg, Pa.) 1867-18??, 1867-12-11

whether the removal snOulu De ihaue
in any given case; the act of Congress
declares in the substance, that he shall
only accuse such as he supposcs to be
unworthy of their trust. The
Constitution makes him sole judge in
the premises; but the statutes takes
away his jurisdiction transfers it to
the Senate, and leaves him nothing
but the odious and sometimes
impracticable duty of becoming a
prosecutor. The prosecution is to be
conducted before a tribunal. whose
members are not, like him, responsible
to the whole pcoplee out to separate
constituent bodies, and who msy hear
his accusation with great disfavor.
The Senate is absolutely without any
known standard of decision applicable
to such a case. Its judgement can
ro. be anticipated, for it is not gov
arae; Jy any rule. The law does not
define what shall be deemed good
cause for removal. 1t is impossible
even to conjecture what MAY or may
not be 50 considered by the Senate
The nature of the subject forbids clear
proof. Ifthc charge be in incapacity
what evidence will supportit? Fidel-
ity to the Constitution may be under
stoodormisunacrstoodin thousand diff
fercnt ways, and by violent party men,
in violent party times, untaithfulness
to the Constitution may even come to
be considered mcritorious. If the Of
ficcr be accused of dishonesty, how
shall it be made out? Will it be in
ferred from acts unconnectcd with pub
lie duty, from private history, or from
general reputation? Or must the
President await the commission of an
actual misdemeanor in Office? Shall
he, in the meantime, risk the charac-
ter and interest of the Nation in the
hands of men to whom he cannot give
his confidence? Must he forbear his
complaint until the mischief is done
and cannot he prevented ? lfhis zeal
in the public service should impcl him
to anticipate the overt act, must he
move at the peril of being tried him
self for the offence of slandcring his
subordinate? In the present circum-
stances Of The country, some ono must
be held responsible for official delin-
qucncy of every kind. 1t is extreme
" difficult to say where that response
bility should be thrown, if it be not
left where it has been placed by tho
Constitution. But all just men will
admit chat the President ought to be
entirely relieved from such RESPONSE
bility, if he cannot meet it by reason
of restrictions placed by law upon his
action.
The Unrestricted power OF removal
from office is a very great cne to Dc
trusted even to q Magistrate chosen by
the general suffrage of the whole peop,.S
and accountable directly to them for hls
acts. It's undoubtedly liable to abuse
and at some periods Of our history
perhaps has been abused. If it be
thought desirable and Constitutions
that it should be so limited to make th'
President ntcommoni informcr AGAINST 9th
or public agents, he should at least be
permitted to act in that capacity before
some open tribunal Independent of par,
ty politics, ready to investigate tht
merit of every case, furnished will
the means of taking evidence, and
bound to decide according to e5tab-
lished rules. This would guarantee
the safety of the accuser when i,e acts
in good faith, and at the same time Sc
cure the rights Of the other party
| speak of course With all proper re-
spect for the present Senate, but
it does not seem TO me that any
Legislative body can be so constituted
as IL Asmc If fitness for these func-
t'1ur,.
/, ia noi he theory ofthis Govern
mont That p4oiic Offices are the proper
~ OK those who hold them. They are
gwen merely as trust for the publi1,
beactit, sometimes for a fixed period
sometimes during good behavior but
generally thcyaro liable to be termln-
ated at the pleasure of the appointing
power, which represents the collective
maioaity and speaks the will OF the
people. The forced retention in Office
of single dishonest person may work
great injury TO the public interests
The danger to the public service comes
not from the power to remove, but
from the power to appoint, There
fore it was that the trainers of the Con-
stitution left the power Of removal un-
restricted, while they gave the Senate
right to reject all appointments winch
in its opinion, were not fit to be made
A little reflection on the subject viii
probably satisfy all who have the goot
of this country at heart that our best
courseis to take the Constitution for ouI
guide, walk in the path marked out by
the founders of the Republic, and obey
the rules made sacred by the observ-
ance of our predecessors.
The present condition Of our finan-
eos and circulating medium is one to
which your early consideration is in
vited.
The proportion which the currency
of any country should bear to the
whole value of the annual produce
circulated by its means is a. question
upon which political economists have
not agreed. !, Nor can it be controlled
by legislation, but must be left to tbs
irrevocable laws which everywhere
regulate commerce and trade. The
n:.n,.1~x:.... lx,11:,,.~ ,~:u ,,,ar srrao, Of