ise　of　his　authority　he　cannot　be　said　to　be　perfectly　independent；　the　Senate　takes　cognizance　of　his　relations　with　foreign　powers；　and　of　the　distribution　of　public　appointments；　so　that　he　can　neither　be　bribed　nor　can　he　employ　the　means　of　corruption。　　The　legislators　of　the　Union　acknowledged　that　the　executive　power　would　be　incompetent　to　fulfil　its　task　with　dignity　and　utility；　unless　it　enjoyed　a　greater　degree　of　stability　and　of　strength　than　had　been　granted　to　it　in　the　separate　States。
  The　President　is　chosen　for　four　years；　and　he　may　be　reelected；　so　that　the　chances　of　a　prolonged　administration　may　inspire　him　with　hopeful　undertakings　for　the　public　good；　and　with　the　means　of　carrying　them　into　execution。　　The　President　was　made　the　sole　representative　of　the　executive　power　of　the　Union；　and　care　was　taken　not　to　render　his　decisions　subordinate　to　the　vote　of　a　council　…　a　dangerous　measure；　which　tends　at　the　same　time　to　clog　the　action　of　the　Government　and　to　diminish　its　responsibility。　　The　Senate　has　the　right　of　annulling　g　certain　acts　of　the　President；　but　it　cannot　compel　him　to　take　any　steps；　nor　does　it　participate　in　the　exercise　of　the　executive　power。
  The　action　of　the　legislature　on　the　executive　power　may　be　direct；　and　we　have　just　shown　that　the　Americans　carefully　obviated　this　influence；　but　it　may；　on　the　other　hand；　be　indirect。　　Public　assemblies　which　have　the　power　of　depriving　an　officer　of　state　of　his　salary　encroach　upon　his　independence；　and　as　they　are　free　to　make　the　laws；　it　is　to　be　feared　lest　they　should　gradually　appropriate　to　themselves　a　portion　of　that　authority　which　the　Constitution　had　vested　in　his　hands。　This　dependence　of　the　executive　power　is　one　of　the　defects　inherent　in　republican　constitutions。　The　Americans　have　not　been　able　to　counteract　the　tendency　which　legislative　assemblies　have　to　get　possession　of　the　government；　but　they　have　rendered　this　propensity　less　irresistible。　　The　salary　of　the　President　is　fixed；　at　the　time　of　his　entering　upon　office；　for　the　whole　period　of　his　magistracy。　The　President　is；　moreover；　provided　with　a　suspensive　veto；　which　allows　him　to　oppose　the　passing　of　such　laws　as　might　destroy　the　portion　of　independence　which　the　Constitution　awards　him。　　The　struggle　between　the　President　and　the　legislature　must　always　be　an　unequal　one；　since　the　latter　is　certain　of　bearing　down　all　resistance　by　persevering　in　its　plans；　but　the　suspensive　veto　forces　it　at　least　to　reconsider　the　matter；　and；　if　the　motion　be　persisted　in；　it　must　then　be　backed　by　a　majority　of　two…thirds　of　the　whole　house。　　The　veto　is；　in　fact；　a　sort　of　appeal　to　the　people。　The　executive　power；　which；　without　this　security；　might　have　been　secretly　oppressed；　adopts　this　means　of　pleading　its　cause　and　stating　its　motives。　But　if　the　legislature　is　certain　of　overpowering　all　resistance　by　persevering　in　its　plans；　I　reply；　that　in　the　constitutions　of　all　nations；　of　whatever　kind　they　may　be；　a　certain　point　exists　at　which　the　legislator　is　obliged　to　have　recourse　to　the　good　sense　and　the　virtue　of　his　fellow…citizens。　　This　point　is　more　prominent　and　more　discoverable　in　republics；　whilst　it　is　more　remote　and　more　carefully　concealed　in　monarchies；　but　it　always　exists　somewhere。　　There　is　no　country　in　the　world　in　which　everything　can　be　provided　for　by　the　laws；　or　in　which　political　institutions　can　prove　a　substitute　for　common　sense　and　public　morality。
  Differences　Between　The　Position　Of　The　President　Of　The　United　States　And　That　Of　A　Constitutional　King　Of　France
  Executive　power　in　the　Northern　States　as　limited　and　as　partial　as　the　supremacy　which　it　represents　…　Executive　power　in　France　as　universal　as　the　supremacy　it　represents　…　The　King　a　branch　of　the　legislature　…　The　President　the　mere　executor　of　the　law　…　Other　differences　resulting　from　the　duration　of　the　two　powers　…　The　President　checked　in　the　exercise　of　the　executive　authority　…　The　King　independent　in　its　exercise　…　Notwithstanding　these　discrepancies　France　is　more　akin　to　a　republic　than　the　Union　to　a　monarchy　…Comparison　of　the　number　of　public　officers　depending　upon　the　executive　power　in　the　two　countries。
  The　executive　power　has　so　important　an　influence　on　the　destinies　of　nations　that　I　am　inclined　to　pause　for　an　instant　at　this　portion　of　my　subject；　in　order　more　clearly　to　explain　the　part　it　sustains　in　America。　In　order　to　form　an　accurate　idea　of　the　position　of　the　President　of　the　United　States；　it　may　not　be　irrelevant　to　compare　it　to　that　of　one　of　the　constitutional　kings　of　Europe。　　In　this　comparison　I　shall　pay　but　little　attention　to　the　external　signs　of　power；　which　are　more　apt　to　deceive　the　eye　of　the　observer　than　to　guide　his　researches。　When　a　monarchy　is　being　gradually　transformed　into　a　republic；　the　executive　power　retains　the　titles；　the　honors；　the　etiquette；　and　even　the　funds　of　royalty　long　after　its　authority　has　disappeared。　　The　English；　after　having　cut　off　the　head　of　one　king　and　expelled　another　from　his　throne；　were　accustomed　to　accost　the　successor　of　those　princes　upon　their　knees。　　On　the　other　hand；　when　a　republic　falls　under　the　sway　of　a　single　individual；　the　demeanor　of　the　sovereign　is　simple　and　unpretending；　as　if　his　authority　was　not　yet　paramount。　　When　the　emperors　exercised　an　unlimited　control　over　the　fortunes　and　the　lives　of　their　fellow…citizens；　it　was　customary　to　call　them　Caesar　in　conversation；　and　they　were　in　the　habit　of　supping　without　formality　at　their　friends'　houses。　　It　is　therefore　necessary　to　look　below　the　surface。
  The　sovereignty　of　the　United　States　is　shared　between　the　Union　and　the　States；　whilst　in　France　it　is　undivided　and　compact：　hence　arises　the　first　and　the　most　notable　difference　which　exists　between　the　President　of　the　United　States　and　the　King　of　France。　　In　the　United　States　the　executive　power　is　as　limited　and　partial　as　the　sovereignty　of　the　Union　in　whose　name　it　acts；　in　France　it　is　as　universal　as　the　authority　of　the　State。　　The　Americans　have　a　federal　and　the　French　a　national　Government。
  Chapter　VIII：　The　Federal　Constitution　…　Part　II
  This　cause　of　inferiority　results　from　the　nature　of　things；　but　it　is　not　the　only　one；　the　second　in　importance　is　as　follows：　Sovereignty　may　be　defined　to　be　the　right　of　making　laws：　in　France；　the　King　really　exercises　a　portion　of　the　sovereign　power；　since　the　laws　have　no　weight　till　he　has　given　his　assent　to　them；　he　is；　moreover；　the　executor　of　all　they　ordain。　The　President　is　also　the　executor　of　the　laws；　but　he　does　not　really　co…operate　in　their　formation；　since　the　refusal　of　his　assent　does　not　annul　them。　　He　is　therefore　merely　to　be　considered　as　the　agent　of　the　sovereign　power。　　But　not　only　does　the　King　of　France　exercise　a　portion　of　the　sovereign　power；　he　also　contributes　to　the　nomination　of　the　legislature；　which　exercises　the　other　portion。　　He　has　the　privilege　of　appointing　the　members　of　one　chamber；　and　of　dissolving　the　other　at　his　pleasure；　whereas　the　President　of　the　United　States　has　no　share　in　the　formation　of　the　legislative　body；　and　cannot　dissolve　any　part　of　it。　　The　King　has　the　same　right　of　bringing　forward　measures　as　the　Chambers；　a　right　which　the　President　does　not　possess。　　The　King　is　represented　in　each　assembly　by　his　ministers；　who　explain　his　intentions；　support　his　opinions；　and　maintain　the　principles　of　the　Government。　　The　President　and　his　ministers　are　alike　excluded　from　Congress；　so　that　his　influence　and　his　opinions　can　only　penetrate　indirectly　into　that　great　body。　　The　King　of　France　is　therefore　on　an　equal　footing　with　the　legislature；　which　can　no　more　act　without　him　than　he　can　without　it。　　The　President　exercises　an　authority　inferior　to；　and　depending　upon；　that　of　the　legislature。
  Even　in　the　exercise　of　the　executive　power；　properly　so　called　…　the　point　upon　which　his　position　seems　to　be　most　analogous　to　that　of　the　King　of　France　…　the　President　labors　under　several　causes　of　inferiority。　　The　authority　of　the　King；　in　France；　has；　in　the　first　place；　the　advantage　of　duration　over　that　of　the　President；　and　durability　is　one　of　the　chief　elements　of　strength；　nothing　is　either　loved　or　feared　but　what　is　likely　to　endure。　　The　President　of　the　United　States　is　a　magistrate　elected　for　four　years；　the　King；　in　France；　is　an　hereditary　sovereign。　　In　the　exercise　of　the　executive　power　the　President　of　the　United　States　is　constantly　subject　to　a　jealous　scrutiny。　　He　may　make；　but　he　cannot　conclude；　a　treaty；　he　may　designate；　but　he　cannot　appoint；　a　public　officer。　*q　The　King　of　France　is　absolute　within　the　limits　of　his　authority。　　The　President　of　the　United　States　is　responsible　for　his　actions；　but　the　person　of　the　King　is　declared　inviolable　by　the　French　Charter。　*r
  ＇Footnote　q：　The　Constitution　had　left　it　doubtful　whether　the　President　was　obliged　to　consult　the　Senate　in　the　removal　as　well　as　in　the　appointment　of　Federal　officers。　　〃The　Federalist〃　（No。　77）　seemed　to　establish　the　affirmative；　but　in　1789　Congress　formally　decided　that；　as　the　President　was　responsible　f