, 1861-10-23

L. 1u. Sewarl's letter to Lord Lyons
are TWO Statements often maintained By
Is in this Journal, and for which we have
:ctn soundly and roundly abused by those
foolish contemporaries who imagine that
1hc Constitution gives the President nc dis.
Getionary power in the means which he
will adept for suppressi1g the rebellion,
and that his efforts to that end are not to
l.c ignored by the acts Of Congress. In
zhe following, we find undoubted evidence
1t4t Mr.. Seward has adopted the only wise
aEd pror'er view Of the powers and duties
Of lie Chief Mag;strate. He says:
But It does seem necessary to state, for tbs
j1fcrm2t:on Of that Government, that Con-
g,see is By the Constitution invested with no
Executive power or responsibility whatever;
nDc, or the contrary, tia. the Presideu. of the
United States Is, By the Constitution and laaE,,-
invested with the wLoee executive power Of
the government, End charged with the 81
preme direction Of all municipal Or ministerial
civil agents, az vel As Of the whole land aad
naval forces OF The Union; and that, Invested
with these ample powers, he Is charged By the
ConetUut;ou and ld1cs With the absolute duty Of
3uIprtSs;ng nSN7Tectios', az 1oeu as Of pneosnt,g
AMI 7t1eilsng iApGSioa ; and that for these puE-
3t09Ek DE EQu6llAtAS1AA4it CAE4E3@CS LIZ Az III
of suspending the writ Of ha5eas corpus, wlan.
ever aud Wheresoever, and in whatsoever ex-
tent the public saeety, endangered by treason
OF invasion in arns, in his judgment requires.
Doctrine that We have again and again
enGcayored to illustrate and enforce, aad
which we are glad to zee Mr, Seward ap-
prove. But tie last sentence Of the fol-
lowing paragraph comprises all the neces-
sazy reasoLing ind to that too, we are
firmly committed.
The British government have cnadidly con
celed, In the remonstraace before ME, that
even lc this country, SO remarkable Tor so long
Al ctjoy neut by its people OF the highest in.
mIEities OF fersCnal treedon, War, ana espe
cia11y c.11 7car, cannot te conducted czetssns5
,idec IN ,a,4nictpdl ldns anhtch are ddequGse Il
The p}esc7vat on Of public order IN q time Q
7cace. Tr.eson E1TsyE opLratee, 1t possible
by EE1E1:tt, ard Prudence and aum aaity there
icrc equally require that violence cohcocted II
.ec.et thal d prevented, Il practicable, ,,
rrrsuai ard vigorous precaution. am tu1.'
xw1re Of the iacozre1icnces which result ffoc
1le nrsctice of su h precaution, embarrassing
communities in social life, and affecting pei
Iacs t1ade aid Intercourse With foreign na
Ions. Bat the American people, after ha1
jpg tried il every way to avert cir
w. haye accetted Il at least as > stern necss
tity' TIE CHEF Interest, while it last5, is nc
The e1jc; uc1te Of society, OF the profits
trsde, t,ut tie saving Of the national lite. IN:
i::t ts1ed, aU tie otaer blessings which attaa
il ~ s1eeaily return, With greater assu:aa: sa
II fIe tnloze 77fop.e has become, in the pres:
tn,5uucz, re supreme zau. and 70 long as Z
do,a:y .h=u <1ist, dU cldsses Of socitty equal!
Ike Te,.izfn and l.e citizen, chse: f4Qy as2"'ecte
7ic measures achicA t*at laac prcseFa1es
Now will somebody tell US, if these a
1hc rules Of action at Washington, vi
Frcmont's pr exclamation was set aside
Why an act of Congress was m'eipos'
between 4 necessary and powerful meas1
of Commanding General and the rebt
and assassius at whom he struck?