us of
measures, adopted by himself in the recess, which should appear to us
the most plain, palpable, and dangerous violations of the Constitution,
we must, nevertheless, either keep respectful silence, or fill our
answer merely with courtly phrases of approbation.

Mr. President, I know not who wrote this Protest, but I confess I am
astonished, truly astonished, as well at the want of knowledge which it
displays of constitutional law, as at the high and dangerous pretensions
which it puts forth. Neither branch of the legislature can express
censure upon the President's conduct! Suppose, Sir, that we should see
him enlisting troops and raising an army, can we say nothing, and do
nothing? Suppose he were to declare war against a foreign power, and put
the army and the fleet in action; are we still to be silent? Suppose we
should see him borrowing money on the credit of the United States; are
we yet to wait for impeachment? Indeed, Sir, in regard to this borrowing
money on the credit of the United States, I wish to call the attention
of the Senate, not only to what might happen, but to what has actually
happened. We are informed that the Post-Office Department, a department
over which the President claims the same control as over the rest, _has
actually borrowed near half a million of money on the credit of the
United States_.

Mr. President, the first power granted to Congress by the Constitution
is the power to lay taxes; the second, the power to borrow money on the
credit of the United States. Now, Sir, where does the executive find its
authority, in or through any department, to borrow money without
authority of Congress? This proceeding appears to me wholly illegal, and
reprehensible in a very high degree. It may be said that it is not true
that this money is borrowed on the credit of the United States, but that
it is borrowed on the credit of the Post-Office Department. But that
would be mere evasion. The department is but a name. It is an office,
and nothing more. The banks have not lent this money to any officer. If
Congress should abolish the whole department to-morrow, would the banks
not expect the United States to replace this borrowed money? The money,
then, is borrowed on the credit of the United States, an act which
Congress alone is competent to authorize. If the Post-Office Department
may borrow money, so may the War Department and the Navy Department. If
half a million may be borrowed, ten millions may