ustoms should be guilty of bribery, or if a
treasurer should embezzle the public money. It does not mean, and cannot
mean, that he should be answerable for any such crime or such
delinquency. What then, is its notion of that _responsibility_ which it
says the President is under for all officers, and which authorizes him
to consider all officers as his own personal agents? Sir, it is merely
responsibility to public opinion. It is a liability to be blamed; it is
the chance of becoming unpopular, the danger of losing a re-election.
Nothing else is meant in the world. It is the hazard of failing in any
attempt or enterprise of ambition. This is all the responsibility to
which the doctrines of the Protest hold the President subject.

It is precisely the _responsibility_ under which Cromwell acted when he
dispersed Parliament, telling its members, not in so many words, indeed,
that they disobeyed the will of their constituents, but telling them
that the people were sick of them, and that he drove them out "for the
glory of God and the good of the nation." It is precisely the
responsibility upon which Bonaparte broke up the popular assembly of
France. I do not mean, Sir, certainly, by these illustrations, to
insinuate designs of violent usurpation against the President; far from
it; but I do mean to maintain, that such responsibility as that with
which the Protest clothes him is no legal responsibility, no
constitutional responsibility, no republican responsibility, but a mere
liability to loss of office, loss of character, and loss of fame, if he
shall choose to violate the laws and overturn the liberties of the
country. It is such a responsibility as leaves every thing in his
discretion and his pleasure.

Sir, it exceeds human belief that any man should put sentiments such as
this paper contains into a public communication from the President to
the Senate. They are sentiments which give us all one master. The
Protest asserts an absolute right to remove all persons from office at
pleasure; and for what reason? Because they are incompetent? Because
they are incapable? Because they are remiss, negligent, or inattentive?
No, Sir; these are not the reasons. But he may discharge them, one and
all, simply because "he is no longer willing to be responsible for their
acts"! It insists on an absolute right in the President to _direct and
control_ every act of every officer of the government, except the
judges. It asserts this right o