The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-01-20

sibility for bich belongs TO MN h'b on'y
he the spirit of Our republican customs and
the-,e,ter-of our reput.ican: laws, but by his.
o,rn fixture 10 ceas,re, the acts hesd,so1oas
and to recall the ministers through tho z,
dqency they ,oere committed. --
Here comes the voice Of one VINO andseo
belongs to the CHS Of fathers of the repubo.,
lie. with both logic aud philosophy. that con-
| vict the President aud throw heavy GEN.
sure upon the republic for permitting
pres, and fearful departure from the pure
system OF government bequeathed to "a by
an ancestry that will appear in the annals Of
the world as amongst the purest, wise'f, and
mos. heroic men that ever lived. We invite
for this communication the most deliberate
| consideration:
lFor the Dispatch.1 -,,~.>..-...
The first Congress which assembled after
the adoption OF the Constitution. OF ltoS or
oanized the various departments Of the. GOV
ernmept. The lower mouse, Where the I'm :
portant bills originated, contained inc aoless
u,en, recent from the conYentionIY z.' oiaul-
son Ames. and Others. The bill organizing
the Senate with an amendment requiring
their assent to the removal by the PRESIDENT
NJ it's Secretary, This amendment was re-
iar,pd for the following reason--VtZ., That
inc constitution had vested all the executive
Gu,ics ia the President with the exception
or the amendment to office and the treaty.
MAXIM hover, 10 which it had associated
rho senate with him. These must be taken as
executions, 1t designed to impose on
HIM An undivided responsibility. Como ne
have discharged all these duties win DIS
own hands. he would have been bound 10
havc dome so. AS this was Impossible, thcy
haa 70 rive him assistants, these we're btlt DIS
evns and his hands, and if the Off ,tr DID not
ronform TO the Judgment OF The President IN
the discharge OF bis duties, he was oouod 10
dismiss him: he being held by the Con>tl-
,ul,on responsible for the acts OF the o1h;"r,
and could only relieve himself by hlS dis.
ui.sai. These could not be tue officers Oh
! Congress, because Congress had no cAecu-
tive duties to perform. They were emphal-
ic ,llv the officers Of the President, and Con-
press could not, without VIOLATION OF Tue
snirit Of the Constitution, relieve any eXecu-
| t;v. officers from uuder the immediate ana
drec, suoeryision and control of the Presi-
dnnt. IS. Debates of the fist Congress on
the organization of the Treasury Depart
ment.)
Gideon Granger was o.tmaster-General
in Nadison's admiui >tratiop, and as such bad
the appointment Of the deputy pos!masters,
then even of the large cities. Tie was about 10
appont DR.. Lieb postmaster OF Philauel-
phia. MIR. Madison, disapproVlng the ap
poinmcnt, forbade it. Granger Inc !" na>
piyen 10 me and not you he power 10 ap-
point these officers Madi on True, the law
has: but the Constitution makes 1t my duty
10 sIperiniend you in the discharge OF ali
the duties the law impose upon you. inese
appointments are part OF thesc cutle'. ana
il YOU do not conform 10 my Judgment III
their discharge will dismiss you ana ap,
point man that will. Granger appointed
Leb. Madison dismissed Granger ana aP
pointed person who dismissed Lleo;
The law charterng the Bank OF Inc Unllea
States directed that the public moneys should
be deposited in it until the secretary 0i the
Treasury should otherwise order and direct,
when he must assign bis reasons for removing
the deposits to the neyt session of C0ng1ess.
Jackson. acting on the exposition OF the
Constitution given 10y its founders and the
precedent set by Madison, believed 1t his
duty 10 supervise his Secretary in the dIs,
charge of ali the duties which the law had
in,posed upon him directed him to remove
the deposits. Duane, taking Changers view,
refused, Jackson dismissed him ana ap'
poiptcd Tauey, who removed them. Inc
eases were the same in principle. But LNeo
was an individual. In the second case 1t was
a powerful corporation, whose lrnuence
could convulse public opinion.
The practice in the origin OF the Govern
mpnt was for Congress to call for informant IN
on the President and not on the heads OF De
partments. Hamilton was accused OF pro-
curing the first deviation with view 10 SO
far withdraw his department from Executive
superyison. General Washington consul
cred it an invasion Of his constitutional pow.
ers, and consulted his Secretary OIL hte, JET
fprson, who concurrcd with him 10 OPINION.
It was deemed, however, unlmportant as II
was the right and duty OF Tue president 10
sec that the Secretary should return sucn
response to the call Of Congress as the ffesi'
dent should approve.
Thus Il appears from the exposition OF the
Constitution given by its founders, and the
uniform practice under it for more than
seventy wears, that the President is response
bile for the acts of bis officers; and II the
officer is guilty Of official misconduct and
the President does not rebuke or dismiss
him and correct ibe wrong, bcassumHS ana
cannot shirk the responsibility of his acts
that the acts of Belknap, Sheridan, Pack
ard, and other Federal officers in Louisiana
are the acts Of the President, aud It Is an
other dangerous precedent IN the decnnlng
liberties of the country If sectional ha'e per
mits him to shirk the responsibility.
Will the President recall Sheridan ana
take the foot of bis power from the necks
and his bayone,s from the throats OF the
people of Louisiana, and permit them TO
establish Governnient2 How long Is " the
purpose of the msjority States to perpetuate
a union OF majority States BY compact, and
minority States by conquest and su1luSa-
ton? In the dense population Of New 1ork
the number of UNPUBLISHED outrsges and
murders probably exceed the number IN the
similar amount of the sparse population OF
the southern States. If in consequence OF
this an attempt should be made BY Federal
bsyonets to expel its Legislature from
their ball. the wrong would be promptly
redressed in the blood of the ASSISTANTS
amid the applause of the Union. Bu.
in one of the subject States passive
submission to outrage is the sole evidence
of (ealty to the UuioD. Their complaints is
sedition; their remonstrance treason, to be
punished by drumhead court'martial and
military ex ecution at the will Of military
ruler. Such is the recommendation of She
ridan, approved by the Secretary of War.
And this Generals Yeracity disastrousy i'm.
peached to bis beard by public meeting Of
northern merchants, resident in New Or.
leans, and Radical committee Of Congress.