225
WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1838
competent for the Congress, by combining a majority of two- thirds of both houses, to assume the entire control of the financial department of the Government, and to carry every other measure of public policy, not involving the immediate action of the Execu- tive. · The fact, of delegating the power of the Secretary of the Treas- ury, without even recognizing the existence of the Executive, though a co-ordinate department of Government, in this in- stance, at once assumes the fact that he is not essential to the existence of the contemplated administration of the laws and Constitution- The Executive derives a substantive existence from the Constitution as much as the Congress and the Judiciary does, and may exist without a cabinet, but a cabinet cannot exist without an Executive. The Cabinet is called into existence by the President, under the laws, and· ratified by the Senate, under the Constitution- Hence, it is placed under the control of the President, who is responsible to the country for the conduct of its members. The Constitution, however, contemplates the existence of three departments in the Government, among which its general powers are distributed. When any one of these co-ordinate departments assumes to itself, constitutionally or otherwise, the entire control, and be- comes the sole power of the Government in reference to any given measure, common justice to the othe1·s requires it should take, also, the entire responsibility of its administration. To this ex- tent is the form and effect of the present bill. Fully persuaded, as I am, that its administration cannot be salutary, that there is no just ground of complaint against the Government on the part of its creditors, and even if there was, that the disappointment of individual expectations and private interest is a small evil compared with that which threatens the whole country, under the operation of the bill presented, I return it to you, gentlemen, without my signature. Sam Houston 1 "Messages of the Presidents," Congl'essional Pa7>el's, Texas State Library. The Jo1ff11.al of the House of Rep1·esentatiues of the Republic of Texas, 2d Cong., Adj. Sess., 1837-1838, pp. 119-124. Austin City Gazette, February 10, 1841. Matagorda B11lletin, May 31, 1838. These reports are the same in wording but differ considerably in paragraph division, and somewhat in capitalization.
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