Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-08-19
SPIRIT OF THE MORNING PRESS

SPIRIT OF THE MORNING PRESS.
The Inteiltgeneer discusses the train of cir.
cumstances leading TO the termination of the
session yesterday without providing for the
cost of the Army of the United States for the
next fiscal year. The editor says:
Z" 1t is the first time in our history that such
thing has happened, and in permitting 1t to
weighty responsibility. We shall as soon as
possible publish the able debate on the sup
Jet, that both sides may be heard, ana tne
public be enabled to form its own Judgment
as to which of the two Houses the plane OF
the failure should rest upon. Inc loss OF the
bill must occasion great embarrassment 70 the
Executive, for the appropriations amounted to
some twelve millions of dollars, and how sup
niles are TO be provided without authority of
faw we cannot imagine. The army cannot be
disbanded, and yet without money cannot long
be kept together. We greatly regret that the
difficulty was not forseen early enough to have
given time for a short extension of the session,
as was attempted by the Senate, but too late.
A little time more, we cannot doubt would
have brought the two Houses to such an agree.
ment as would have passed the bill. But the
memorable hour Of twelve arrived before the
proposition could receive the sanction of the
other House, and the session scas ended.
The editor falls into grave and important
errors in this statement of the circumstances
involving the loss of the bill. Thus it 1cas
clearly " foreseen early enough to have given
time for q short extension of the session -
More than a majority of the House voted to
suspend the rules to that end. But the Re-
publican party managers, who had decreed
the defaa of fba onnronr;ot;op Hill 70 Iaan nm
the excitement in the Northern popular mind
by insisting on the yeas and nays, first on the
motion to suspend the rules to admit resolu-
ton to extend the session for two hours, and
then on the question of concurring in the
Senate's resolution 50 extending the session,
brought the House to moment of time, Q2
m. by their clock) when the Speaker SYM
pathizing with their revolutionary purpose
might seem to the uninitiated to have an ex-
cuse for usurping authority to terminate the
session by his simple fat-which in such a case
was really of no more legally binding force
than that cfthe humblest mem Der on the floor
as We explain elsewhere to-day.
The Union says of the circumstances obi
ging the President to call an extra session OF
Congress, with great force and justice, indeed
&c 1t will be seen from the foregoing procla.
nation that the President has felt it to be his
duty, in view of the failure of Congress To
make the necessary appropriations for the
army, to convene Congress to meet again on
Thursday next. No one who thinks Of the
disastrous consequences of disbanding the
army under existing circumstances can fail to
see the necessity for this measure. The CEN
stitution imposes upon the President the solemn
duty of seeing that the laws are executed, and
to this end provides him with military force
for the common defence and security of the
country. But Congress has failed to provide
the means Of supporting the men who compose
the army. The constitution does, however
authorize the President, on extraordinary oc.
casions, to convene Congress; and as this is the
only remedy in his hands for securing the
means Of maintaining the army, and, through
that branch Of the service, of preventing dis
astrous consequences, he has promptly and
wisely resorted to it.
"a resort to this extraordinary remedy ba,
been forced upon the Executive by the per
sistance Of a portion of one House Of Congress.
IN measure which we have again and AGAR
characterized as factious and revolutionary
1t has been persisted in with full knowledge
that 1t would defeat all appropriations for the
army, and thus leave the public peace unpro
tected, or OF requiring an extra session Of
no legitimate connection with an appropria.
ton bill. The two Houses agreed on the an.
preparation bill proper but the House insisted
on annexlng an unusual and demonstrations a.
condition to the bill, and persisted in it until
finally, factious minority resorted to the
means Of defeating the bill which we detail
in another article.
we have now practical illustration ofthe
spirit which actuates the Republican leaders
1t can no longer be question 4 that they are
resolved to rule or to ruin the government II
Is not necessary to conjecture whether the
same spirit will not produce the same result
at the extra session That is matter tor
Congress. The President has his duties r.
perform under the constitution, and he ha:
resorted to the only power that he possesse. &c
see the laws executed and the peace of the
country preserved. If the House of Renre
sentatives choose to perseyere in their effort 70
coerce the Senate and the President. and bv
that means prevent the execution of the laws
and the maintenance of peace, the response.
Dllity will rest where it properly belongs
Inc President has done his duty; the Senate
mas done its duty, and will do it again: the
House has taken one perilous step in reyoIu.
non, and it remains to be seen whether it will
be repeated