The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-04-07
DOCTORS DISAGREE.

munds' "Greatest Ehort.''
Some "precedents" that his Lord
ship of Vermont neglected to include
in his great report or mention in his
"greatest effort" have been discov-
cred by Boston lawyer. They are
interesting fragments of our constitu-
tional history, though of no value for
the information of the noble author of
the literary and oratorical works men
toned. His Lordship, whose knowl-
edge includes every thing, was not in
ignorance of them, and no doubt
passed his penetrating eye over them
when he prepared his so-called prece-
dents; but as they would not serve his
noble purpose representing impartially
the truth of history, he omitted them.
But, as his parasites of the star
chamber organs that made haste to
parrot his arrogant assertions are not
so well informed as he is in our con-
stitutional history, it is worth while to
reprint for their information few of
the historic facts that he found it con-
venient to suppress.
The first is precedent that was
made in the reign of Madison, and is
taken from book called History of
the Appointing Power"
"The dismissal of the Postmaster-G eneral,
| Gideon Granger, caused considerable re-
| mark in official circles. Contrary to the
| wishes of the President he had appointed to
| the important position of postmaster of
Philadnlnhj2 long
| President could not but regard this as an act
| of hostility to himself, and, having long sus-
pected his friendship he dismissed him. AS
| he had not been removed for delinquency,
| his friends protested, and resolution was
| introduced in the Senate asking the reason
| for his dismissal. 1t was rejected on the
| ground that the Senate had not the right to
make such an inquiry. 1t is the only instance
! in the early history of the Government of an
! attempt to question the motives of the Presi-
| dent in regard to removal.
The next is an official opinion by
Daniel Webster, Secretary of State in
the reign Of Tyler:
| But applications for office or letters re.
| specting appointments Or, conversations held
| with individuals on such subjects are not Off
cial proceedings, and can not by any means
| be made to partake of the character of official
| proceedings, unless, after the nomination of
| such person so writing or cOnversing, the
!
resDOndence or such conversations before the
! Senate. Mites Register, cot. g., p. 60.
The next is from speech by Daniel
| Webster in the Senate, and, compared
with the official opinion of the same
eminent statesman as member of the
Government, fails to reveal that varia-
ton of ideas to suit circumstances and
motives which is so marked char
acteristic Of his Lordship from Yer.
mont:
"Snce the practice has become settled
| practice, since every Administration has in
dulged in it, and since it must now be consd
| cred as the legal construction of the constitu
| ton that it is one of the powers OF the Presi
! dent to remove incumbents from offices which
they hold, it follows as necessary and as an
| inevitable consequence that this power thus
| legally vested in the President must be exer
cised ty him as independently of our control
as any other power that is to be exercised by
| him under the constitution. And
see no ground upon which we can call upon
| him to give us reasons for the manner in
which he exercises that power, any more than
| we can call upon him to give reasons for the
manner in which he exercises any other power
| under the constitution. The powers
OF the departments are not all mixed up in 9
The deliberate opinion of such char.
acter, officially delivered, on state of
facts exactly analogous to that upon
which the arrogant Senator from Yer.
mont has turned the powerful head.
light of his genius for 4uibbling, is OF
more worth as guide to truth than all
the arrogant dogmatism Of the latter
| joined to the so-called precedents that
even do not 60 to support his asser-
| tons.
Edmunds says: "AHpapers addressed
by anybody to an executive officer on
the topic of suspension are official pa.
pers.
Webster: applications for office,
letters, or conversations of individuals
respecting [even] appointments, are not
official proceedings and can not be made
to partake of the character of official
proceedings"
Edmunds: The suspension of an Off.
Ger ''simply withholds from the duties
and emoluments of the office pending
a decision of the matter by the Senate.
Webster: "As it is one of the pow.
ers of the President to remove incum-
bents from Offices, it follows as an inev.
liable consequence that this power,
legally vested in the President, must
be exercised by him as Independently Of
the Senate as any other power that is
to be exercised by him under the con-
stitution."
Edmunds: Having, in the exer.
else of its jurisdiction, to judge of the
conduct of the suspended official, the
Senate had the right to see the papers
because 'they disclose the grounds, y
or reasons, 'on which the President
| acted"
Webster: 1--WE 1.-THE Senate] can no,
call upon him to give us reasons fol
his exercise of that power any more
than we can call upon him to give rea.
sons for his exercise of any other pow
er under the constitution. -
Edmunds: "All the operations of the
Government are executive" The leg.
islative chambers have universal pow
er of knowledge in respect to every op'
Grafton of the Government and every
one of it's officers"
Webster: ''The powers of the depart.
ments meaning the several branches
of the constitution are not all mixed
up in a tumble"
The assertions of his Lordship Of
Vermont relate particularly to an acl
~