Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-08-11
70 1tlr .rrrutriirs OF 1nr aarnzsl.,r.

tleiF right and duty 10 check the eneroacbments
OF the Executive on the authority OF Congress.
and 10 require il to confne itself 10 its proper
sphere
Il i impossible 70 pasSn silence this pTocla
nation without neglecting that duty: aud having
tsken as much responsibility any others IN
supporting the administration, We are not dispos
ed 20 fail in the other duty of asserting the right
OF Congress.
The President dld not .igu the bill 10 guar
aztec to certain States whose governments have
been usurped q republican form OF government"
passed BY the supporters Of this administra-
ton IN both houses Of Congress after mature de
liberation.
The bill did not therefore become a law; aud is
therefore nothing.
= The proclamation is neither an approval nor
veto OF the bill; and is therefore document un-
known to the laws and Constitution Of the Uni
ted States.
So far as il contains al apology fOF hot signing
the bill, il Is political manifesto against the
friends ot the Government.
So far as il proposes 10 execute the bill
which is not a law. II j. grave Executive usurp-
alton.
IL is fitting that the facts necessary to enable
the friends of the administration to appreciate
the apology and the usurpa,iou be spread before
them.
The proclamation says:
And whereas the said bill Was presented 10
the President of the United States for his APP
prevail less than one hour before the sine die
adjournment OF said session, and Was not signed
by him"
Ifthat be accurate, still this bill was presented
with other bills which were signed
Within that hour, the time for the sine die ad
journment three times postponed by the
votes OF both Houses; aud the least intmation
of desire for more time by the President TO con-
slider this bill would have secured further post
ponement.
Yet the committee sent TO ascertain il the
President had any further communication for the
House of Representatives reported that he had
none and the friends of the bill who had anx
iously waited him 10 ascertain its fate. had al
ready been informed that the President had re-
solved not to sign IT,
The time Of presentation, therefore, had moth
ing to do with his failure to approve it.
The bill had been discussed and considered
for more than month in the House of Repre-
sentatiyes, which 10 passed on the 18th of May; il
was reported TO the Senate on the 9th of May
without material amendments. and passed the
Senate absolutely as il came from the House on
the "a Of July
Ignorance OF its contents is out of the ques-
ton.
Indeed, al his request adrait OF bill :ubsan
TALLY the same III All mateflal points, ana
cal in the points objected to by the proclamation
bad been laid before him for his consideration in
the winter of 1862 60
There is, therefore, no reason TO suppose the
provisions Of the bill took the President by
surprise
On the contrary, We have reason Ia believe
them 10 have been 20 well known that this
method OF preventing the bill from becoming a
law without the constitutional responsibility OF a
L = a i
passed the Senate
We are informed by gentleman entitled to
entire confidence, that before the 22i OF June in
New Orleans it was stated by member OF Gen
Banks staff. in the presence of other gentlemen
in official position. that Senator DoOlittle had
written a letter to the department that the House
reconstruction bill would be STAYED off in the
Senate to a period too late in the session to re-
quire the President to veto il in order to defeat
it, aud that Mr.. Lincoln would retain the bill, if
necessary, and thereby defeat IT,
The experience of Senator Wade. in his vari =
Gus efforts to get the bill considered in the Sen
ate, quite in accordance with that plan; and
the fate of the bill was accurately predicted by
letters received from New Orleans before il had
passed the Senate
Had the proclamation stopped there, il would
have been only one other defeat OF the will of
the people by an executive perversion of the Con-
sttution.
But il goes further The President saws:
"And whereas the said bill contains, among
other things. plan for restoring the States in
belion to their proper practical relation in the
Union, which plan expresses the sense of Con-
gress upon that subject, and which plan il is now
thought fit to lay before the people Tor their con
sideration -
BY what authority of the Constitution? IN what
forms? The result to be declared bv whom!
With what effect when ascertained!
Is il to be q law by the approval of the people
without the approval of Congress al the will OF
the President:
Will the President, on his opinion of his popu
lar approval. execute 1t as lswY
Or is this merely device To avoid the serious
responsibility Of defeating law on which so many
loyal hearts reposed for security
But the reasons now assigned for not approx
ing the bill are full of ominous significance
The President proceeds:
Now, therefore. /. Abraham Lincoln, Presi-
dent of the United States, do proclaim, declare,
and make known, that, while | am as in De-
cember last, when by proclamation propounded
plan for restoratiOn,) unprepared, by a formal
approval of this BILL TO be infexibly committed
10 any single plan of restoration"
That is 10 say, the President Is resolved that
the people shall not by law take any securities
from the rebel States against a renewal of the
itotiltoh, btttiE ltrtoitue tueil power 10 govern
His wisdom and prudence are 10 be our sufi
cient guarantees.
he further SAYS:
And while | also unprepsred declare
that the free State constitutions aud governments
already adopted and installed in Arkansas and
Louisiana shall be set aside and held for naught
thereby repelng and dscouraging the loyal citi
zens who have set 10 the same as to further
effort"
That il 10 say, the President persists in recog-
nizng those shadows OF governments in Arkan.
sas and Louisiana, which Congress formally de
clared should not be rec0gnlzed-wL0se Repre-
sentatives and Senators were repealed by formal
votes of both Houses of COngreSs-which il was
declared formally should have no electoral vote
for Pre,den; and Vice President.
They are the mere creatures of his will They
cannot live a day without his support They
are mere dig arches, imposed on the people by
military orders under the forms of election, at
which Generals, Provost Marshals, soldiers and
camp followers were the chief actors. assisted by
a handful of resident citizens, aud urged on 10
premature action by private letters from the
President
In neither Louisiana nor Arkansas, before
Banks defeat, did the United States control half
the territory OF BALI the population. In Louisi-
ana, General Ranks PROCLAMATION candidly de
clared: Il be fundamental laN OF The State il
martial law.
On that foundation OF freedom. he erected
what the President calls the free constitution
and the government OF Louisiana