Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1859-02-25
The Presidents Message.

IF his Nicaragua Canal Company anu o
President Buchanan message, asking to
be clothed with the power OF transport !,
inc our forces to the Isthmus and there +
employing them according TO his own !
discretion. Is there not some connec- /
ton between these two events? Our gov |
eminent was doubtless informed of III.
Belly's success Immediately on the arrl-
val of the America, thus giving the Pres
ident ample time to prepare his bret
message. If this document is not due to
some such information recently transpIr-
ing, what is the cause of its appearance!
It's reported to have taken the Senator's
by surprise, as well it might, since the
public has not recently learned of any
changes on the Isthmus to require this
application for the prerogative OF the war
making power. There is undoubtedly |
some hidden or Interior motive at the
bottom of this strange appeal from the
/ Executive.
We are necessarily driven to conject-
ure some concealed purpose of this new
message, because it is utterly devoid of
any avowed reasons for its production at
the present tine. Affairs in Central
America are in exactly the same state, so
far AS our relations are concerned, that
they have been for the last three or four
wears. There is nothing new in Next
co, either developed or threatened. II
there were. the President should have
q given the requisite information to Con-
gress. In order that he may obtain I'M
= precedented powers, he simply says that
: for want Of them, he "may be placed in
painful position before the meeting OF
Il the next Congress" Painful positions
: are the lot of mankind, and even the
n highest officer cannot be wholly exempt
% ed from them. But Mr.. Buchanan does
n not point out the grounds of his appre-
lie hension, nor show that his &" painful posi-
Y ton" cannot be endured till December
should it actually come upon him. lie
does not even show that he has already
exerted his constitutional powers, no
exhibit the facts that have troubled him
nor ask the cooperation Of Congress il
the prosecution of any well-defned ob
iect. All vague and uncertain. Witt
absolutely no reasons, he asks first, tina
IN he be allowed xtra-constitutional powe
.r- to employ the land and naval forces c
or the United States in guarding the Nicar
o. aqua route; secondly, the Panama route
on thirdly, the Tehuantepec route tourthlJ
nd III procuring s. redress" for our either
he in the republics south Of the Unite
rt- States on this continent" and filthy,
NJ protecting such citizens within their lin
.r- its. We separate the powers actual
,at asked, because as they are stated in ii
ba message, their real extent does not striI
he the casual reader.
fe- Now this document is neither mo
ma nor less than an executive protest again
kin the Constitution of the United State
the II is virtually saying that the Constit
uf- ton is a failure, in certain material I
IN spects, compared with the systems
uld European monarcy, TO which Mr.. B
) 10 chanan refers. He complains that
be has not monarch;cal power; but he f
on, gets that he and his Cabinet have l
ute the immediate responsibility which
to- taches to the heads of most limited me
Nth arches. If the ministry of England
res contrary to the wishes of the peopl
- representative, they must instantly ret
d to from office or submit their conduct to
the approval of the people. But our IRE
bills dent and his constitutional advisers c.
not be reached for four years, while G.
Ject gress is continually being renewed
las the popular will. The trainers Of
'tIes Constitution, therefore, did wisely
ssly confling the weighty responsibilities
Bu- the war-making power to Congress aIo
our Seventy years of trial have proved
y no wisdom of this step. We went throl
hav- the last war with England, we have ,
ter messed the commissions of South Anne
has ca, we have encountered the Indian |
State tilities of many years, we have fou
) do through the Mexican War-and yet
leg President, before Mr.. Buchanan. e
Pc complained that the Constitution did
par give MIN powers adequate for every
Sc in sis. Are we, then, verging upon a n
sake tary despotism, of which this is 10
and the first step? But we feel conf(
one that Congress will know how to n
4 an this unexampled demand to give up
very legitimate and salutary powers.-Bo
may Journal.
stitu- -
the ~ ladN o+ CT PauI Mime.