The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1849-04-09

sponSbilltles clearly elnanallhS nom wv
constitution and the laws. The adminlstra-
ton requires neither apologies for its IN
tended acts, nor apologies for its consum-
mated acts. 1t shrinks from no response
bility, because it will assume no response
bility, but such as will carry with It its own
defence. 1t needs no pleas Of justlhcation
in advance for its acts, because it designs
no usurpation Of power. ltheeds no attacks
in advance upon its probable action, and
listens not to the threatenings Of its oppo-
nents. It requires no way to be opened for
it, to assumption Of powers which It does
not clearly possess. II viii exercise its just
powers despite the depreciation olits enemies.
In passing, we cannot refrain from adj
verting to the error, into which the lntelil-
gencer has falIen--unintentionally, we pre-
sume--by saying in the above paragraph,
that the President endeavored to provide
for'' the settlement Of the California ques-
ton The Intelhgencer itself, il we remem-
Der Alright, was satisfied that he did not in
terfere in the matter, that he only expressed
a wish, that law might be substituted fol-
anarchy, that Mr.. Giddings' statement was
not true. Endeavoring to provide for" the
accomplishment Of q thing, involves direct
action, direct exertion. We are bound,
therefore, to attribute the above expression,
going to implicate the President as an active
party to this controversy, to inadvertence OF
incautous haste. But the Union is very GU
rious to see the solution Of the problem,
which the Intelligencer propounds, II wants
to know, whether Gen. Taylor will call an
extra session Of Congress, or permit the Cali
fornians and New Mexicans to establish a
government Of their own, or usurp the pow
er Of Congress over the subject and erect
territorial governments by the mere exercise
Of the executive will. The concluding OBJ
servation in the extract from the Intelligent
Ger, we confess, gives the Union good ex
cuse to make these inquiries, for il looks as
though it were plea in advance for execu-
tive usurpation Of some kind. ltjusti6es, too,
in some measure, the fling Of the Union
against the Intelligencer's opposition to Mr..
Folks usurpation. But leaving these two
journals to settle their own disputes, we bid
the Union not to be unnecessarily concerned
as to the action Of the Administration in the
premises. 1t will do what is strictly consti-
tutional, strictly legal-and the Union shall
be the Judge. The embarrassments which
surround the question, and which the Intelli-
gencer would have the Administration meet
in some way for humanity's sake, will be dis
posed Of as the high interests involved shall
demand, but always within the pale Of the
law and the cons titution, and never by in
vading the rights and powers Of Congress.
There will be no lattudinarian construction
Of the constitutional powers Of the executive,
to seek authority for this or that act, as was
exercised by Mr.. Polk, when he made and
unmade governments by his Presidential
edcts. There will be no appeal to the law
Of nations, for authority to execute the uni
ted and constitutional powers Of the execu-
tive, as was the constant practice Of Mr..
Polk when lie wanted an excuse for his
usurpatons. II evil is to flow from the
omission Of Congress to give law to Callor-
MIA, and it is not in the power Of the execu-
tive to provide remedy by the acknowl-
edged and just means which the constitution
and the laws place in his hands, the evil must
be endured and Congress must shoulder the
responsibility. 1t is high time, that Con-
gress should be made to feel, that it must
bear the responsibility Of its own acts. 1t
has been too long the fashion to visit the ex-
ecutive with the derelictions Of Congress
Let evil be endured, il evil come upon the
country by the non-action Of Congress, for
a time, and Congress will do its duty here
after