The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1860-10-09
IcoN712oED FROM FIRST PACE

Free people OF Illinois, has now to pro
pitiale the people of the South and in.
stead of deciding the report Of the Com.
mittee in favor of the admission of Kan
sas as Free State, he is busly engaged
in preparing his 18th of May speech,
which is to convince the shareholders
that his great principle of Popular Sow
ereignty is working favorably for the in.
PRODUCTION of Slave States-the Free
Safe Of Kansas is kept out of the Union
once more, and he is held up as the
true champion of Freedom" Poor
Freedom-then the champions belt lies
like a halter around her neck.
Here will stop. | might go on for
hours plling fact upon fact, conclusion
upon conclusion, argument upon argu-
ment, until the putrid eXhalations OF
fraud and hypocrisy exposed to the sun
light would torture your very nostrils.
1t is enough. will dismiss Mr.. Doug
las, "the true champion of freedom, - and
devote few remarks 10 Mr.. Douglas
"the greatest Of living statesmen"
True craftsmanship can rest upon no
OtuNi oooIS oul lutlIllttt
with the philosophy of government, and
thorough knowledge of the sources and
effects of political institutions 1t can
have 10 other aim and end but the con-
servation of sound constitutional princi-
pies, and their application most favorable
TO the development of popular liberty.
Let us see how "the greatest of living
statesmen, stands the test. shall con-
fine myself to few facts of vital impor-
lance.
1t is one Of striking pecularties Of
our Federal policy that the different
branches Of our General Government en-
JOY certain independence in the exer-
else of the functions respectively assign
ed to them. In order to guard against
the danger and abuses which might
arise from that independence, the power
necessary for the exercise of those func-
tons had to be carefully limited and
strictly defined. Thus a system of checks
and balances were established in our
Constitution, which is calculated to len
der usurpation impossible. 1t is, indeed
said that the Executive branch of our
Government is responsible to the people,
but that responsibility consists only in its
being liable to impeachment. For the
Secretaries of the President do not, like
the Ministers of the Crown of England.
sit upon the benches of the Legislature,
subject to the immediate control of the
parliamentary majority. Our Executive,
nnllsa that n constitutional
ernment, is stable for term of four
years, removable only Oh the conviction
OF treason, bribery, or other high crimes
and mlsdemeanors. But already Jeffer-
son told you impeachment is mere
scare Grow. So the Executive moves in
dependently within the circle of its own
powers. 1t is, therefore, of vital mpor-
lance that this circle should be strictly
drawn, and those powers OF the Legisla-
ture which from necessary supplement
to the powers Of the Executive, be zeal
ously preserved.
IT this system of checks and balances
is of general necessity, it is doubly in
dispensable in all matters relating to The
administration of our foreign policy. 1t
is natural and proper that in all diplo-
matte transactions with foreign govern
ments, our Executive should be intrust-
ed with certain discretion. But the
Cabinet of the President, not being sub
ject to our legislature in the same man
ner as the British Ministry is to Parlia-
ment it is essential that in the absence
of immediate control, another system of
checks should be placed around the Elk
ecutive power. This was done in the
Constitution by making, not, indeed the
diplomatic transactions themselves, but
their ends and results, Immediately de- /
pendent upon the direct action of Con-
gress. Thus, no treaty can be made and
consummated without the approval Of the
Senate by two thirds vote. And Con
yress alone shall have power to declare
war Why was the war making power
not intrusted to the Executive Il is
hardly necessary 10 describe to you the
part which wars have played in the his
tory OF the word-the blood of millions
spilled, not seldom, for paltry causes
the happiness of generations DESTROYED
the prosperity Of countries bIighted for
centuries; the rights of men trodden un-
der foot; the progress of civilization set
back for ages Is it wonderful that the
trainers of our Constitution should not
have entrusted single officer with the
formidable power OF bringing all these
calamilies upon the Republic ?-an off
Ger, too, who, for certain time, does not
stand under the immediate control Of the
representatives of the people. The war
making power-one most extensive, in.
volving the interests Of nation-is Ger.
tainly one of the highest attributes of
sovereignty, and it was mostly reserved
to that branch of the Government in
which the sovereignty of the people is
most comprehensively represented. The
power to declare war being withheld
from the Executive, and expressly lodg-
ed in Congress, it follows that the Exec
utive can have no authority to use war
like measures, unless specially authoriz
ed by Congress for what would the ex-
elusive power to declare war be worth to
Congress if the power to use belligerent
measures without special authority
is, 10 bring on or make war-were vested
in the Executive This is one of the
diStinuuiS hinp features of our nnnat;t,