, 1860-03-31
73tt9s & Ctihttttr,
mR. nUC1ANAN,s MESSAGE.

MR. HUCaANAN's MESSAGE.
Coming On the heels Of the testimony taken |
By the House Committee on Public E1pcudi- |
tures, in which the venerable J. 3. is convicted
Of being priry 10 the sending Of money into
Pennsylvania for the purpose Of supporting
pro-slayery newspapers, and influencing the
elections Of 1853, in various Congressional
Districts Of that Stato-which money came
directly from tho Treasury-comiug on tho
heels, we say, Of such testimony us tlis, Mr..
Buchanan's extraordinary Message to the
House Of Representa- ycs, is the most notable
public document Of tue season. Aside from
lts wcll.teigned Innocence and vociferous de-
mails Of guilt; its novel position that tho rres-
dent Of: the United States is 50 far out Of the
reach OF the 1aw-making power, that he may
not 10 subject to inquiry, except by pro-
ceedinss under Impeachment, will strike every
body with surprise. That position is clearly
untsnahle- Under tho Constitution, Con-
gross is sovereign, aad there is no matter Of
public concern into which it may not right
tully examine. We should not expect the
President to respond il any way to questions
which concern Lis privileges under the law.
IT Congress should nssume to direct the franz
ing Of treaties or the appointment Of executive
officers, it would transcend its jurisdiction;
aud, when iuterrogated thereupon, the Prusi-
dent might safely keep silence, or send
downright refusal to answer; because these
are matters which the Constitution has en-
trusted to the President alone. But when
that high fuuctlonary steps out Of the line Of
duty which is prescribed for him by power
that governs both The Executive aud Congress,
and enters upoa course Of proceedings not
recognized BY any Law or custom, for his Illegal
cr ucolhc;al acts, he is as much within the reach
ola committee OF inquiry as the lumblest citizen
in the land. We do not understand that Mr.
covodo's cQznmiacs proposes 10 interfere in
any way with Mr.. Buclaaan's constitutional
rights Is an officer Of the rImcDt, or to
question the manner in which lie hns done
TIM: which lie lad tho right TO do as ho
pleased The inquiry, by tue terms Of the
resolution, in accordance with which the COM
mittoo WIS appointed, aims at no censorship Of
legal acts; but it docs seek to elicit informa-
tion in regard to tho corrur:ioas to which the
world believes Mr. Buchanan, as President or
politician, is illegally party; aud herein the
inquiry is strictly within the limits Of the law
aud The province Of the House. 1t is, as all such
inquiries are, Of the nu.ure Of an examination
before grand jury, merely preliminary and
for discovery. Aud if Mr.. Buchanan had
no motive except a fear Of legislative er-
croacbnlent upon his p1ezogative, to impel
him to stave Of ffin4uiry, he would never have
uttersd tic rcmons;ranca which lis uuftr,a-
nate Message contains. Tiers is settled
conviction in the minds CT all well-informed
men, that for years past the money Of Coy
ernmcnt 1lns, under tue cover Of legality, been
used for the basest Of party purposes. No one
eupposss that NJ. Buchanan has gore down
to tho office Of tue Treasurer Of The United
States, and packed OF bags Of gold for pur-
chasing votes, or influencing legislation in the
Senate or House; but it is almost ccrtaiu, that
rs in the case Of the Public Printer, ext1aordi.
nary allowances have bcen made to EMPLOYEES
and contractors in tile public service, a
large per centage Of which, by agree.
ncnt between contractors and officials,
has been expended for partizau purposes.
The enormous sums paid to contractors fo1
transportation, corn, feed, horses, mules, ETC.
connected with the Utah expedition; tho fla
grantly unwise charters Of vessels for tue Par
aguay expedition; the well known abuses
connected with tie government coal contract.
and the Navy yard, all these point with sui:
ticient certainty to the fact that without Off
cial completely in partisan schemes, the profit
gate waste Of tho public funds for which Mr
Buclaaaus administration las been distin
gu;shed, would never have been allowed Int:
these things ths House, by decisive rote
1hous sh not without the resistance Of the 50
called Democracy, instructed Nr. Covode'
has been charged On the floor Of the Hous
that the President, during the Lccompto,
struggle, USED lis patronage, or attempted t
use it, for the purchase Of yotcs to secure tn
passage Of the infamous I.ccompton bill. VI
submit that the waste ard the bribery ar,
clearly matters into which Congressional
Committee may examine. Nay, it is the duty
every Congressman to see to it for the Ion
or Of the government and the security Of til:
people, that they arc examined. II the pzesi
dent has, in tic discharge Of his functions, per
mitted his zeal as G partisan to overcome Iii.
duty as the executive head Of the whole m
ton, to such an extent tha. the inquiry vii
damage his reputation aud injurc the part,
that he has attempted to serve, upon him b.
the responsibility. In the mean time, his pro
tcstations Of innocence are worth Just as mucl
as the charges Of those who proclaim hin
guilty. We trust the Committee will not b,
deferred from a fearless discharge Of their dut,
by the clamors Of those, the President at thei
head, who arc interested in the suppression q
tic truth Let it 50 ahead; aud if the hal
thai is charged is proved, the impeachment 70
which Mt. Buchanan p7ays will not bo lacking
THE PACIFIC TELEGRAPH BILL
The Congressional, G.ole Of the eth, bring
us a copy Of the Pacific Telegraph B;ll, as
passed the Serate on the previous day, by
vote Of 20 to Is. 1t provides that the Sccre
tary Of the Treasury shall make q contract 70
ten years with Zcnas Darnum, Thomas
Walker, John Il BcrryhilI, Hiram sbley, Ma,
win Green, John D. Cation, Frederick 4 Box
Charles II. S,ebbins, and James S. Graham, q
their assigns, for the uss By the Govcrnmcr
ofa line Of magnetic telegraph from come poir
west Of the Mississippi river, il conneclio
with the Atlantic seaboard and tho Gulf
Mexico, to the city Of SanFrancisco, at an III
nual ratio Of compensation not exceeding $50
oD0 per annu.u-!he said line to be construct
ed within two years from tile 3lst dag e. Jul,
1900, to he FREQ to the Government OF the I'm
ted States, the Coast Survey, tho snithsopia
Institution and tho National Observatory, m
to 10 open 10 the uso Of the public at a raj
not exceeding four dollars for n message Of tc
words: with tho usual proportionate deduc,io
for dispatches Of greater length. 1t tprovidt
also thnt the contractors shall have the right