Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1860-04-14
POLL U 1lG.Al
Message from the President,

n tcwdlyS since Mr. Cuvodc Il member of
the House from Pennsylvania, offered Il rcSo-
hlt'on, which was adopted, appointing com
'nltiec to investigate whether the President of
the United States has not used ''momcy, pa
tfonaGe and other improper means" to cor
rupt members of Congress and control their
Official action. On Thursday last, President
buchanan sent the following message to the
House, protesting against such action:
10 THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
Ater delay which has Afforded ne anplc
time for reflection, and after much and careful
dclibcrntlon, find myself constrained by AN
impcrious sense of duty, as a co ordinate
branch OF the Federal Government, to protest
against the first two clauses of the first rcsolu
ton adopted By the House of Representatives
on the 9th instant, and published in the Con-
grcsSonal Globe on the succeeding day.-
These clauses are in the following words ::
Resolved, that committee of five mcMb. :.
be appointed by the Speaker, for the purpose
(hrS) OF investigating whether the President
OF the United States, or any other officer of
the Government, has, by money, patronage,
or other improper means sought to influence
the action OF Congress, or any committee
thereof, for or against the passage of any law
appcrtalning to the rights of any State or Ter
rltory (nnd Second) ''also, to inouirc into
and Investigate whether any officer or officers
of the Government have, by combination or
otherwise, prevented or defeated, or attcmntcd
to prevent or defeat, the execution of any
law or laws now upon the statute book, and
whether the President has failed or refused to
compel the execution of "Hy !.sw thcrrnf"
continc myself exclusively to these two
branches OF the resolution because the ror-
tons OF it which follow relate to alleged abu.
scs in post Offices, navy yards, public build
lngS, and other public works of the Cntcl
States lnsuch cases inquiries are highly
proper in themselves, and belong equally to
the Senate and House, as incident to their
legislative duties, and being necessary to cna-
bic them to discover and to provide the appro
pirate and legislative remedies for any abuses
which may he aSccrtaincd Although the
terms OF the latter portion of the resolution
arc extremely vague and general, vet nv sole
purpose iii advcrting to them at present is to
mark the broad line cf distinction between
the accusatory and the remedial clauses Of this
resolution. The House of REPRESENTATIVES,
possess no power under the Constitution over
the hrSt or accuSatOry portion of the re-
solution, except as an impeaclimo BODY
whilst over the last, in common with tho Sen
ate, their authority as legislative body is full
ly and chccrfuly admitted
1t is solely in reference to the first or i'm
peachng power that ] propose to make few
observations. Except in this single case, the
Constitution has invested the House of Rep
resentatlvcS with no power, no jurisdiction,
no supremacy Whatever, over the President
In all other respects he is quito as indcpcnd-
ent of them as they are of him As a co.or-
dinatc branch Of the Government. he is their
equal Indeed he is the only direct repre-
sentative on earth of the people of all and
each of the sovereign States. TO them, and
to them alone, is he responsible whilst acting
within the sphere of his constitutional duty,
and not i'll any manner to the House of Rep.
resentatives. The people have thought pro
per to invest him with the most honorable.
responsible, and dignifed office in the world,
and the individual, however unworthy, now
holding this exalted position, will take care,
so far as within him lies, that their rights and
prerogatiyos shall never be violated ia his per-
son, but shall pass to his successors unimpair-
cd by thoadopton Of dangerous precedent.
lie will defend them to the last'extremity a.
gainst any unconstitutional attempt, come from
what quarter it may, to abridge tie constitu-
tional rights of the Executive, and render
him subsorviont to any human power, except
themselves.
Tho people have not confined the Presi-
deatt to tho exercise of executive duties
They have also conferred upon him largo
measure of legislative discretion No bill
Qan'bo9ome a law without his approval, as