The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1867-12-12

s~titution may be understood or misunderstood
in a thousand different why's; and by violent
parry men 10 violent party times, uniaitLfu'-
ness TO the Constitution may even come to be
considered meritCrious.
if All officer be accused Of dishonesty. how
shall il be made our Will IL be ierred from
acts unconuected with public duty-irnm pri-
waite history, or from general rePututiony o.
must the President await the commission OF
an actual misdemeauor in Officer Shall he in
the meantime .isk the character and interest
Of The nation 10 the hands Of men TO whom he
canrot give his cou6denctY Must he forbeur
his complaint until The miscl icf is done, and
cannot be- prevented II hir zeul in he public
service should comp,l him to anticipate the
overt act. must be move ut the peril Of heirg
tried himsel! for the cfl,nse OF slauderiBg his
subordinatesl
In the present circumstance Of the country,
come one must be responsible for oficinl &c,
iinqutncy OF every kind. IL is ex;r, mcly Of,
6cuii to say where that responsibility should
be thrown, II il be not LEFT whtre il has been
placed by Constitution. But all just men will
admit thut the President ought to. be entirely
relieved from such responsibility, IL he cannot
meet it by reason OF restrictions placed ny
law upon his actions.
Untestrained power OF removal from office
is o very great one 10 BE- trusted EVEN TO n
magistrate chosen By the general suffrage of
the whole people, and accountable directly TO
them for Ills acts. 1t is undoubtedly liable to
abuse, AID at some periods Of our history. per.
hups, las btcn abused.
IL il be thuugbt desirable aud constitutions
that it should be 80 limited rs to make the
President merely n common iufhrmer against
other public agents, he should ut lrast be per,
mi!ted 10 act in that capacity b, fnre some
oren tribunal, independent oi party politics,
ready to investigate tic merits OF every case,
furnished with the means OF taking evidence,
and bound TO decide according TO M establish
cd rule. This would guarantee the safety uf
the accuser when he nits in good faith, aud
al The same time secure the tights Of other
parties.
] speak, Of course, with oil proper respect
for the present Senate bu, it does net seem
to me that any legislative body con be 40 con.
struciej as 10 insure lis fitness Tor these lunc-
iiune. II is not the Theory of this Government
that The plblic Offices are rIe property Of
those who hold them. They are given merely
us q trust. for tie public btuelit. sometimes
during good behavior, bnt generally they are
liable TO be terminated at The pleasure Il the
appointing power, which rrpresUurs collectively
aud speaks Tor the people.
Forced retention 10 Cfice Of a single di -
honest person may w'ik great injury TO public
interest. Danger 10 public service comes not
from FOwer to remove, but from power TO ap-
point. Therefore il was that the fsmers OF
the Constitution left lie power Of removal I'M
restricted, while they gave the Senate the right
to reject oil the q; p. inimer's which, in its
opinion, were not ct TO be made.
A little reflection on The sunj.ct will prob,
ably satisfy all who huve the good OF the
country al Heart that our be-, course is 10 take
the Constitution Tor our guide, walk in the
paths marked out by the founders vi The &c
public, oud obey tue rules made sacred 10y the
observance Of our grea, pred. cessors.
The present condition Of our finances end
circulating medium is one TO which your carly
consideration is invited. The proportion which
the currency Of any country should bear to the
whole value OF tie annual products circulated
by its means, is q question upon which politi>
cal economists have not agreed: nor Gun II be
controlled by Legislation but mu.i be lett TO
the laws which everywhere regulate commerce
and trade.
The circulating medium viii ever now 10
those points where it is in greatest d,maud.
The law Of demand and supply is Us %unerrinr
as tast which regulates The tides OF the ocean;
aud indeed currency, like the tide, hgs its Gibbs
and its flows throughout tue commercial world.
AT the beginning Of the rebellion, the bunk
note circulation OF the country amounted 10
not much more than two hundred millions Of
dollars. Now, the circulation Of National
Bsnk notes. aud those known US legal tenders.
is yearly seven hundred milliuns. While ii is
urged by some that this amount should be- in
creased, Others couicud that u dt c.ded reduction
is absolutely essential 10 the best interests of
the country.
In view Of these diverse opinions, il migbt
be we'll to ascertain the real value of our Ia
per issue, when compa.td with d metallic or
convertible currency. For this purpose, let
US inquire how mach gold and silver could be
purchased by the seven hundred millions OF
paper money now in circulation. Probably
not not more than hulf the amurEt Of HE hat
Ter; showing that when our paper currency is
compared viii gold sud silver, lis commercial
value is compressed into three hundred and
fifty millions.
This striking fact aakcs II he obvious duty
Oi The Government, rs early as may be cun\
sistent with the principles Of sound "politicaI
economy, to take such measures ne will eunble
The holders OF lis notes, uLd those Of the Nm
tional Banks, to convert them, without loss.
into specie or its equivalent.
a reduction OF our parer circulating me-
dunn need not necessarily follow. Ihis, how.
ever, would depend upon the inv Of d mand
aud supply, though ii should be- bnrne in mind
that, 10y mixing legal tenders pnd yntk notes
convertible into coin Or is equivalent, their
specie value in the hands Of their holders would
he enhanced one hundred rer cent.
Legislation Tor accomplishing . result SO de-
s!table, is demanded by the hignrst public con.
sideiaiIons. The CONSTITUTING contempIar,s
mat The circulating medium Of the country
snslI DC uniform 10 quality aud value. At The
time OF the formation of that instrument ,be
country Lad just emerged from The war of The
revolution, and was suffering irrm the ,1.c,s
o. o Redundant aud worlhleps paper currpncv
The sages Of that period were anxious 10 uro.
lect Their posierity from the evils which thew
themselves bud experienced. Hence. in nro-
VlhIng a circulating medium, they conferred
urOn COngress the now ar In l.nin rnnn.n.