Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1862-05-28
from the Charleston Mercury
THE PROVISIONAL CONGRESS.

The greatest error of the Provisional Congress,
was not that it failed TO support and carry out all
the recommendations of the President for carving
on the war. 1t was not even that it did not orig
nate measures of itself to give efficiency to the war
This it did to certain extent. But its great error
was, in its subservency to Executive dictation.
When the President vetoed its measures to carry
on the war, it Succumbed and instead of overru
ing the Executive veto by the two thirds vote the
Constitution required, it supported the executive
Yeto and stultiied itself and voted down its own
measures. When the proceedings Of this Congress
shall be published, we suspect 1t will Ge seen that
measures, passed with great unanmity Ivy Congress,
after veto Of the Executive were voted down, III
stead of being supported by two-thirdS Of its mem
bers. This habitual subserviency to the Executive
produced another great error. Instead Of Congress
acting Independently in the Originaton of laws, as
the Constitution designed it shaped its laws to suit
the Executive favor 1t had the power by the Con-
stitution, by Overrung the Executive, to pass any
laws its judgment dictated expedient or necessa
~ to carry the war. When, to all but the eyes
of personal heated partZanS 1t was manifest that
the Executive could not would not appreciate the
magnitude of the struggle before us, and would
neither recommend or support measures necessary
to meet them it the duty Of Congress to act
independently of the Executive and to have Origi
mated and passed, despite his vctoS, all the great
measures the exigencies Of the Confederate States
required They could have bought navy, filled
the country with arms and munitions of war, and
passed regulations which might have saved our army
from that disgust and alienation towards the ser
vice which occasioncd the necessity of the late Con-
scrpton Law This was the duty of Congress;
and if it had been performed in open day, with I'M
closed doors, the President would have been com
PEELED to make his administration efficient, he
would have been displaced from power. The pco-
pie of the Confederate States would have understood
the true condition Of their aifIirS and would have
been able to asten the responsibility of the failures
to provide for their defence those to whom 1t
rghtfuy belonged. But the fatal error of conceal
ment and SubScrvicncy committed; and the
country has been carried hiindfOldcd into the most
enormous slaughter and dcva, tGtion. The motives
which governed Congress in pursuing this policy
we do not intend to question. They may have been
perfectly pure. \ mistaken idea of harmony be-
tween the Executive and Legislative Departments
of the Government may have governed their course.
Harmony in wise and efficient policy IS wisdom
and patriotism; but in a weak and inefficient pCiiry
may bc silly and runOus. Harmony which springs
from concert in wise COunSclS-muSt be hcncli-
cia; but where it arises from mere SubScrvIcncy
in Congress to the Executive wI--mGSt he as I'm
wise and dshon0rable as it is unconstitutional
Congress was not created to BE- a tool Of the Evecu-
tive, to register his will; bat to be an independent
element of power in the Government 10 protect and
The evil effects of abcating its constitutional pow
er, in submitting to Executive dlcta;on, is in
the disasters and troubles which ovcrShaiow the
Confederate States. To ward oil evils in the fu-
ture, we must understand those OF the past.