Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-04-06
ImbeciIity of the Administration.

en- for tho columns OF the UHt0n, presents
nore forcibly and plainly the weakness--the
oyishness of the mind Of the President, of
mis- great country, than hiaSe6iace Of him
s' lf N. that yesterday. driven by
perfect hurricane Of dissatisfaction In the
Northwest, at his silly, sectional discrimination,
he blunders oit an attempted explanation, the
only discernible feature Of which, is an exhi-
Lition of infantile weakness His febleness
is really pitiablc Wercgrct TO DO Obliged 50
to speak, or even think Of the Chief Magistrate
of the nation II wonld be pleasure to US II
we could say something in his praise, and say
the truth 1t is painful to look upon weakness,
or wrong doing in President Of the United
States.
The article in yesterdays Union, to which
we allude, and which was inspired by his Ex-
cellency, as no one qualified to judge can doubt,
was ostentatiously and confidently headed thus
aThe bills for deepening The charmed over TIC -.
Clair flats and Of tAa 81 Mary's riper, IN the
State Of ichiga,,, and for the yrnsopihg obsfr1tc-
tions IN the Savannah rieer, tn Gcoygsa.
1.-THE difference in the action Of the President
m these two bills has been made the subject OF
good deal of comment and criticism III the papers
Of the Northwest. When the facts are properly
understood we are persuaded II VIII De readily
conceded that there erists just ground for COM
,,iai,t on Dissatisfaction, however much the I'M
Tproyement Of the ST. Clair fats and the ST. Mary's
river may be desired for commercial purposes.
.The facts that the two bills--one for removing
obstructions in the Savannah river, and the other
for improving the navigation OF the 81 oair mats
and the ST. Marys riveroere presented TO the res
iaent at the time, and that the frn 'ods dp
uroped and atfe second cas moi, have been seized
upon to charge the President with disposition to
male concession to the South and TO withhold
inst consideration from the North The accusa-
top. upon the face of it, Is so absurd the coinci
dances and differences selected to sustain % are so
oecidsnfal and ssnimportant, that we have dounted
the propriety of giving it evea passing nof'ce'
but, lest any should, &c, &c.
Can any language be more confident ana I'M
perial in its tone, than the above? The Union
proceeds to say that
"These bills were presented to the President
for his annrnyalat midnight Of Saturday tnr
Congress. He had repaired to the Capitol d facil
tate the despatch of tho vast amount of Legislative
and executive business which is always crowded |
upon the President during the closing hours Of 4 |
session of Congress-"
These were the circumstances under which
bill for the removal Of distractions In the Savannah
river, he saw upon the face Of IL the evidence that
the distractions were placed there during the rev.
nlutonary war, for the common defence, and there.
fore, in his judgment, proper to Be removed at the
;harge cfhe United STATES"
But alas The Union says:
An examination of the bill for ST. Clair flats
md ST. Mary's river not only showed that the suo-
'estion contained in the Presidents special mes
age Of December 80, 1854, in regard TO passing
eparate bills for each improvement had been dis
sydrded but that, independent Of this objection,
he question to the constitutionality of the APP
ropriation In the bill was presented" &C., &c.
The deuce it was And did not the Copsti-
utional question equally pertain to the South
astern and to the Northwestern bill2
But again, says the Union:
1.-THE Democratic Convention which nominated
i'm, had declared ofits principles, that Con-
ress has no constitutional power 70 enact general
ystem OF internal improvements. In accepting the
omination, he had pledged himself to carry out
his principle The approval or dlsapprovh Of the
III necessarily presupposes such an examination
was necessary TO determine the true import Of
he pledge so given, and to make such decision
pom the constitutional question as would accord
nth his pledge. The President had not beer,
,cdrc Of the pendsncy before Congress Of the bill
IS presentation TO him for his approval, under the
circumstances stated, ,Oas his first notification Of
u eristeace.h
What has Col Forney to say to thisf or the
secretary Of the Senate "The President had
Tot been aware Of the tendency Of the bill II"
!. 1t is the duty Of the Secretary Of the Senate,
md Of the Clerk Of tho House, 10 cause copies
Il all bills TO be sent to the President as soon
A.l x,f ~afI
hem, neglect the performance Of this duty 7
n was it the Presidents fault that he had not
cad the St Clair Flats billp No, no, this is an
fterthought
But says the article in the Union:
Besides, in his special message on internal i'm
rovements by the general government he had dc.
led the power of Congress 70 make appropriations
DR. works of Improvement under the clause Of the
constitution as TO the regulation Of commerce. AT
be same time, he had conceded the power 10 inn
rove the navgability Of a river, or 10 deepen or
rotect harbor schen the object Of the Improve
,ent has reference 20 necessary military naval
imposes; but he had said that the rightfulness OF
n appropriation for such.an object depends upon
10 military or naval exigency of the case. There
as nothing on ne face Of the Bill which showed
neither the appropriation was intended for COM ,
ercial or military objects, and nothing 10 shos
nat its passage was necessary for military or naval
urposes, nor there any opportunity 70 asccr- ]
lin, by investigation or reflection, whether the ,
Improvement proposed was justified upon any
Military or naval eIgency"
In other words, craven fear, that somebody
Tould say, the President had approved bill
ecduse 1t conferred an immense benefit upon I
Internal commerce, and not because the work G
'as one Of vast military or naval importance c
mis- fear 1--WE say caused the President to re- {
lsc to the Northwest, what he promptly and Il
lady granted TO locality in the State Of
Georgia Il
Such is the point Of view in which President a
ierce has deliberately, and Of choice, placed c
imself before the country He afixes his !
gnatures to bills, or withholds them from I
ills, not from internal convictions Of their
'sticc, or injustice but depending upon the
nestion, whether the bills con their face"
pint out the reasons for their passage--or in {
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