North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1864-08-17

| TO THE SUPPORTERS OF THE GOVERNMENT
awe have read without sarprser but not
without Indignation, the proclamat ion Of the
President of the 9Th of July, 1864.
Tnc supporters of the Administration are
responsible to the Country forits conduct
and it is their right and duty to check the
| enroachments of the Executive on the au-
thority Of Congress and to require 1t to con-
| fine itself to Its proper sphere,
| 1t is impossible t. PASS in silence this
| proclamation without neglecting that duty
| and, having taken as much responsibility as
any others in supporting the Administration,
we are not disposed to fail in the other duty
Of asserting the rights of Congress.
The President did not sign the bill "to
gu arantce to certain States whose Govern
mrnts have been uSurped republican form
of Government" passed by the supporters Of
his administration in both Houses of Con-
gress after mature deIiberation.
The bill did not, therefore, become q lap
and it is, therefore, nothing.
The proclamation is neither an approval
| nor veto Of the bill it is, therefore, doc
nment unknown TO the laws and Constitu-
ton of the United States.
c So far As it contains an apology for not
signing the bill, it is a political manifesto
against the friends of the Government.
So far as it proposes to execute the bill
which is not law, it is grave Executive
uauTpation.
Il is fitting that the facts necessary to
enable the friends Of the Administration to
appreciate the apology and the usurpation be
spread before them.
The proclamation says:
And whereas the said hill was presented
10 the President OF the United States for IN,
approval less than one hou, before sine die
adjournment of sald session, and was not
signed by him
IGthat be accurate, still this bill was pre-
seuted with other bills which were signed.
Within that hour, the time t1r the sine
die adjournment was three times postponed
by the Aotes of both Houses and the least
ntimatlon of desire for more time by the
President to consider this bill would have
securedsa further postponement.
Yet the Committee sent to ascertain if the
President had any further communication
that he had none; and the friends of the
bill, who had anxiously waited Cd him to
ascertain its fate, had already been informed
that the President had resolved not to sign
it.
The time of presentation, therefore, had
nothing to do with his failure to approve it,
TIE bill had been discussed and consid dered
for more than month in the House Of R. p
resentatVes, which is passed on the 4th of
May; it was reported to the Senate on the
9th of May without material amendment
AMI passed the Senate absolutely as il came
from the House on the q of July.
Ignorance of its Contents is out of the
question.
Indeed, at his request, draft of bill
substantially the same in all material points,
and identical in the points objected to by
the proclamation, had been LAID before him
for his con sidet alton in tho winter of 1862
1863.
There u.s. therefore, no reason to suppose
the prov isions of the bll took the President
by surprise.
On the contrary, we have reason to be-
leFe them to have bee: 80 well known that
his ,oo,bo3 az pra-ont;,r tha hill from, ha
coming law without the constitututionst
responsibility Of veto, had been resolved
on long bet re the bill passed the Senate.
We are informed by gentleman entitled
June in New Orleans it was stated by
member of Gen. Banks staff, in the presence
Of other gentlemen in official position, that
Senator DoolittIe had written letter to the
department that the House reconstruction
bill would be STAYED IF in the Senate to
period too late in the session to require the
President TO veto it in order to defeat it,
and that Mr., Lincoln would retain the bill,
if necessary, and thereby defeat it.
The experience of Senator Wade, in his
various efforts TO get the bill considered in
the Senate, was quite in accordance with
that plan, ard the fate of the bill was accu-
rately predicted by letters received from
New Orerns before it had passed the Senate
Had the proclamation stopped there, it
would have been only one other defeat of the
will of the people by an Executive perversion
,l the Constitution. -..s 10 -....e
R"t j. % :.ees further. The President says
And whereas the said bill contains, among
other things, a plan for restoring the States