The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1867-03-16
RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT.

The Round Table, in an able article, philos-
ophizes upon the tenure Of Office bill, which
has SO materially changed the status Of the
Executive Office. It comments upon the
English form Of government, under which the
royal Executive has become sham, its
power having become absorbed in the Legis.
ture. 1t proceeds;
awe started here with rejecting all shams,
and there is nothing Of which we have been
more proud than our substantial and power
full Executive. We threw aside with disdain
the maxim that the king can do no wrong;'
and avowed our intention to hold our king
responsible in his own person for whatever
he or his chosen servants should do; respon-
sible not only at fixed periods to the popular
| Judgment, but answerable at any time to q
court which we provided for trying and con-
demning him Just as any other criminal is
tried and condemned. The vicarious re.
sponsibilty Of the kings ministers for the
kings crimes was not remedy to suit the
straightforward men who put together our
Government.
"By a simple law Of the late Congress all
this has been changed. A responsible exec
utive, in the American sense, no longer ex-
lists, and responsible government OF the Eng
lish fashion has been partially brought into
use. Heretofore the President has been
looked upon as answerable for all matters Of
administration, and has, as q matter OF JUS
tice in view of such responsibility been left
free to choose his own chief clerks. The
Cabinet ministers were required, as was the
case with other officers, TO have their ap
pointments confirmed by the Senate but in
practice the Senate, in view Of the direct re.
sponsibility of the President for all admins.
trative matters, refused to put any restraint
upon his free choice for these high appoint
ments. Practically, our President has chosen
his own ministers. Now, he cannot remove
any one Of his Cabinet, no matter how in,
subordinate, no matter how incompetent he
may prove to be, no matter how dishonesty
he may be conducting his department, IN
less the Senate consents to such removal
Mr.. Seward may take it into his head tc
snub Louis Napoleon so rudely that he can
! not decline war; the Secretary Of the Navy
may send the whole feet Of monitors to the arc
tic regions to find out if they will float in tn,
polar ocean; the Secretary Of the Treasur,
may compromise away the whole custom
house revenue; the Attorney General ma,
direct nolle proseqH against every indicte'
criminal; the Secretary Of the Interior ma,
excite all the Indian tribes into war by rob
bling them Of their pensions and lands; tn,
whole Cabinet may quarrel when they meet
like cats and dogs; the Secretary Of Wa
may even be provoked to tweak the nose o
the President in Cabinet session, and yet tn
President, in the absence Of the Senate, col
apply neither restraint nor remedy. 1t
manifest that the direct responsibility t
which the American people have heretofor
held their chief executive officer can no Longer
with justice, be enforced If the army shout
} be mismanaged or be in any way unlawful
, employed, the Secretary Of War, throug
s whom orders go, has it in his power to oil
r struct and hinder the Presidents action, an
. therefore is Justly to be held answerable II b
does not do so. Diplomatic correspondence
being all in the name Of the Secretary {
: State, the whole tone and course Of ii is no
, under his absolute control, and blundei
, therein cannot be charged upon the Pres
q dent. For anything that may be done her
y after, since the passage Of the bill regulatin
y. the tenure of Office, the President cannC
fairly and Justly be impeached, unless som
one or all Of the Cabinet ministers be in
, peached with him"
$ The journal we have quoted further says
: "They (Congress) have tried, by maxim
Q the Cabinet independent Of the President, I
!. introduce here the so-called responsible go
eminent of England They have failed
/ do SO because, although the Cabinet mini
tiers are no longer under the control Of th
y President, they are equally beyond the col
IS troll of Congress. While the President cal
}, not remove them, 80 also Congress has n
IS power to put them out Of Office, except b
D the slow process Of impeachment. Pract
s. cally the members of the Cabinet are no
). not responsible to any one.