The evening Argus., 1862-03-17
The SOphiStry of Gov. Yates Exposed.

correspondence OF the ST. LOUIS Republican.
SPRINGFIELD, Feb II, 1862.
A. you have already been advised, Cover.
nor Yates sent n document to the convention
| yesterday, which concludes with the follow.
| ing sentences in which the SHdpiter IN mO20
and torttcr IN re are most beautifully blen-
| ded
| 81 desire to say, with the utmost respect that
do not acknowledge the right n your honorablv
| body to instruct me in the performance of ms
| duty, and ! shall feel myself bound to regard
your instructions IN the Light ofsugge stlons VIII ch
| shall adopt when think them night, and not
| otherwise, holding myself responsible alone to
| the constitution and the people who elevated me
| to the Office | hold.
| have great regard for the members OF the cnn.
ventIon, and believe that they are fully capa bic
in wisdom and experience to make suggestions
which will be of great service to me, and shall
always be thankful to them for their advice"
This was, IN part, Il reply to certain in.
terrogatlons (Which he answered. touching
the movements Of the army auditing board
Here he says he holds himself responsible to
the existing constitution, &c, but denies the
right OF the convention to catechSe him in
relation to executive doings.
Now let us see the attitude he has assumed
The law passed at the extra session, calling
this convention, embraces the following pro
vision:
"AN public officers shall furnish such conyen-
ton with all such papers, statements, books or
other public documents IN their possession, al the
sad convention shall ordcy or rcuulre''
This was law passed pursuant to the con
sttnuon, which he says he is responsible"
to, and Il law too, which he officially approved
by his signature. Now no one asks him to
do more than this law and the constitution
he so much reveres require of him and "lS.
STRICT" him to do, lie has never been in.
structed beyond the right Of the honorable
body" to instruct. But lest this should not
show him up sufficiently, the following may
be quoted from the same state constitution to
which he so blandly and patriotically ac
knowledges allegiance:
SEC. Z. "He SHALL, from time 10 time
give the general assembly information of the state
Of the government, and recommend to their con-
'lderatlon such measures as he shall deem eypedl-
cnt'
Here is another paragraph from the law
from which we have quoted above
That said members shall be the judges ofthcr
own privileges and election and shall be entitled /
10 the same privileges to which members Of the (
general assembly entitled"
Above we have both the law and the con.
winch he has approved. Hardly a
NoFa heei be added TO show that his note,
from winch we have extracted, sets both at
defiance
But suppose nothing mandatory had been
provided IN either the constitution or the law
would nc, ne have the right " to tell the peo.
PIE OF Illinois that though they have sent
deiesa''s here pursuant to constitution and
law to frame new constitution suited IN
their wants, it was none Of his business IN o;I
them by furnishing such information as might
be necessary, nay, indispensable TO a proper
of the work assigned to their
performance? They came here to legslate
n regard to the erecutire, as we'll as the 9TH
r branches of the government, and they
ave full power to possess themselves of all
be facts they may demaad calculated to en-
ghten them in the discharge of their duties
hey know that abuses exist, and they have
he right by principle and by law-organic
nd iegslative-to pump the source of these
buses in order to find out better, if not
e RECT plug, against them in future.
Ahe law puts the privileges" of members