Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-03-24

Canouu were united in q common assanl
upon toe Executive power over removals
taat debate which was aimed at the pass
age OF en- act restraining the power ~ -
moyai; q debate which resulted likewissir
q failure oy the House of Representative
70 concur IN that construction of the Con
shtuton, and the failure of the propossf
law. Fifty years after, eharac,eriEinS ths,
debate and those who conspicuously iieuret
IN IT, the contemporary
COMMENTS OF AN EMINENT NAN
are instructive as well as interesting
AT the session Of Congress of ls85-
says the same author from whom
read '"
An organized assault upon the Presi
dents power Of removal was made in tbs
Senate, IN which the chanpion of nuIli6.
cation and the champion of a national
bank were conspicuous leaders. Jsekson
had crushed notification and killed the
bank, and the embittered champions Of
both united In an attempt to crippls and
curb his power. The record of that sbor,
tive experiment appears in the journals
and debates OF the Senate, and it IA full OF
Instruction.
The coalition Of Webster, Calhoun and
Clay upon that occasion was unnatural
and 10 the nature Of things could not en-.
dure. They were rivals tor public favor
and sll OF them sspirants for the Presiden.
ey; their constitutional views were inhsr-
monious and to great extent conflicting,
and It was very certain that if successtulin
putting down jackson they would break
with each other. 10 fac. they did break spart
within tWenty,foG- months, with mutuai re-
psosehes and recriminstiou. But for a time
their union was, appsrs ntly, earnest and
sincere. II not one Of affection, it was at
least one of common interest and common
passions. And those men came TO the en-
counter with the President fully eouipped
for wsr. They were 10 the highest credit
rs leaders of debate; their speeches went
everywhere, and reached and we're read by
all. The woodchopper in the forests Of
Maine, the planter By the Southern gulf
the pioneer Of the far West, and the bank.
sr, merchant and workman in the srsa,
cities of the East, were alike delighted and
charmed by than, and nov hereafter the
scholar in his study must indorse and I'D
olsud the contemporary popular Judgment
lpon their merits.
Mr.. Calhoun brought to debate a power
Of analysis and clsarpess of thought
which no speaker in the American Con.
yress has ever ex;elled His style was
mastery for his purpose. No meretricious
ornament disGgured, ard no diffuseneas
it. 1t was clear, strong, simple
condensed. His language was, ia fact. as
simple and as pure as Frsnklin's, and, like
hat great master OF composition, he com.
nanded fit words II will To hear him
HaS to believe in his sincerity, in bis can.
lor, in the depth aud integrity OF his con-
Tictions. In delivery he combined earnest.
ness with dignity, and the known purity of
his life added moral sanction ID his spo-
ken words
Mr.. Webster, as q speaker on great oc
ossions, ranks, perhaps, first among Amer.
cans. In parliamentary eloquence he was,
n some respects, superior 10 Burke, aud
i may be predicted with confidence that
his reputation will endure. IA will be
aororsbly mentioned when the great
speakers Of the world are classified, and
heir performances are revived. He was
not "godhke," but be was great, and his
blows in controversy were the blows of
giant.
Fer immediate eject upon an audi
ence the speeches Of Mr. Clay were not
inferior to those Of bis coadjutors. In FIRE,
lash and enthusiasm he was q very Rupert
Of debate, and in impassione d rstort q mas
Ter. In demesnor sad delivery impressive
and graceful, he was yet upon occasion
terrible in invectiVe, aud sometimes over
bearing in will. He was fitted 10 lead in
great struggles-to win admiration from
iaes-snd to take as of right, splendid
position in the history Of his time
These were the men who stood forward
o question the removing power Of the
President and to deprive that power OF sll
ogical support. But they wholly disagreed
With each other shout the source Of tbs
power, aud also, in the main, about its
regulation. Thd argument of each one OF
hem was destr lctiye of the arguments OF
he others Their views we're not only di.
,erss. but inconsistent, and not oOiy in.
consistent out contradictory. One cf
hem derived the power from the power to
appoint, ard vested it By implication in
he President and Senate; another, admit
ing it's executive nature, placed the con-
rol and regulation OF it in Congress, BY
virtue of the last clause OF the eighth sec
ion OF the fret article; the third argued
neutrality-suspicious. sll reason and
it was rather legislative
han executive in its nature, aud therefore
,lassed it among the Incl ieutsl powers of
Congress-
"It anything were needed to confirm our
acceptance and approval OF the Marshall
and Madison expositions Of the appointing
and removing powers of the Government
4 would be furnished by that debate OF
1895. Before questioning the settled con-
,truction Of the Constitution upon the sub
sct of removals from ONCE, the dsuntless
,hree should have at least agreed upon
he new construction to be substituted for
i, and prepared themselves to vindicate
he new departure by harmonious and
reasoning.
Mr.. Clay spologized for the fact that for
hen forty-six years the power OF removal
had been conceded under the Constitution
10 the President by saying that no abuse OF
i had occurred, and hence there had been
no Necessity for raising the question; but
Il the mower were not conferred upon the
President By the Constitution, ia the so'
ssuce of the comforting Of it by law SIN
ole act would have been "a asass, 6 multi
rude Of those acts o multitude of abuses;
Aad the facts do not account tor the 40
sence OF statutory enactment within that
period. Speaking of the power OF removal
by the Prssident-I read from 2 vol. Cal
houn's Works, page 800
Mr.. CALHOUN SAID:
"But while thus severely condemn the
conduct of the President in removing the
former Secretary and appointing the pres
emit, l must say, that, in my opinion, 1t IS
a case OF the abuse, and not OF the usurps'
ION Of power. The President has the right
If removal from Office. The power CT re-
roval wherever it exists, does, from ne