The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-12-20
OF THE NEW YORK PRESS
THE HOUSE or EXPERIMENTATION ON
THE MEXICAN QUESTION.


Frop, ne times.
We hope Hon. Winter Davis feels better Tho
House Of REPRESENTATIVES has passed his resolu-
ton censurug the intermcddling OF the State De.
partmeut with Foreign AHaiIs. II that body
would now indorse bis vehement dcnuuciation Of
President Lincoln for dsspproying bill which
he bad favored, we might reasonably hope for
Mr. Davis temporary aclutesccucc in the action
OF the Administration. As it Is, we can only hope
that he will not overthrow Il before the short re-
maindcr Of his Congress onal term expires.
The action Of the House is not particularly
Crcditablo TO It's wisdom, though it Is quite
harmless In It's practical effect Congress has
the right - declare war, and when declared 10 IS
the duty Of tue Executive q conduct that war;
but the House Of representatives has no right,
by It's separaC action, to dictate TO the President
or TO any Departments OF the Government any
policy upon any subject foreign or domestic;
and any attempt Co do 60 Is simply an assumption
OF power with which IL is not clio he'd.
II Congress had seen fiJ last ar, by the Joint
action Of It's two Houses to pass law 'cIaring
war against the French for their aggressious ia
Mexico, or prescribing specific line OF policy to
be pursued by our Government upon that or any
Other subject, tha law would still have required
the Presidents signature % give iJ valid aud
active force. But the President has precisely the
same night % withhold his signature, and thus
veto the law, as Congress has % pass 10; and any
attempt to override that right, or to override it in
any other way than by tue vote required ia the
Com sttutiOn, Is an invasion Of the prCrO tyCs Of
the Executive department. Aud any attemps to
give 10 a bare resolution of one House an import
auCe abroad or at home which does not belong to
10 in the eye Of the Constitution, is simply mis-
ChievOus cNperlu Cut upon the ignorance Of the
people Of foreign countries, or upon the credulty
of our own.
In all his correspondence with France on the
subject of Mexico Mr.. Seward on behalf Of the
President had dscaimedthc right of interference
in Mexican aiiairsi but he had repeatedly and
earnestly warned the French Government that
any attempt on their part to override the will of
the MeXlcans, and to substitute, by force of arms
or by fraudulent elections, monarchy for the
republican institutions which were then existing
in that country, would plant seeds of discomfort
in the United states, which would be very likely,
sooner or later, 10 involve the two countries 'in
war. No person in any responsible position
could well wish the President, under the circum-
stances of the case TO go any further than this.
No intelligent hiend Of the Government of the
United States cOnld wish it, while struggling for
the preservation of republican Institutions AZ
home, to assume the additional task of protecting
them abroad. Jeif Davis was naturally anxious
that we should. Ills agents and organs tIuntCd
the President naturally enough with his ina1tiOn
in regard to Mexico those who, from political
sentiment or party feeling, sympathiZed with
JEFF. Davis In the North, naturally echoed these
complaints: ana the object of the resolution
passed by the House, under the guidance and
st mulus of Winter Davis, If it had any object
beyond that OF damaging the President, was TO
push the country into an attitude Of hostility
that it would be wise for the country to take that
position. He did not believe that 1t would aid
the great object Of all our etforLs-the suppress
sion of the Rebellion.
On the contrary, he saw clearly that il would
hamper and Ieiard, and that il might defeat Il
altogether. He decided, therefore, and decided
wisely, not 10 change the policy he had thus far
pursued upon that subject; and in the despatch
to which Mr.. Davis takes exception, he simply
told the French Government that there was
nothing in the action of the House which required
him to change it, and that he did not intend to
do so.
Il suits the present purpose of Mr.. Davis to re.
present this as an apology to the French Govern
ment for the action of the House. This is q per-
version of its character. There was nothing IN
the despatch open to such q construction, IL was
simply an explanation of the real scope of that
action perfectly true in itself, and called for by
the circumstances of the case. No one pretends
that II has produced any i'll results. No one sees
in il anything dCrOgatory 70 the dignity OF tue
country, or changing in the slightest degree the
position and attitude Of the Government concern
ing the action of the French in Mexico.
MIR. Davis probably had no other object IL
pressing this resolution upon the House than ths
Vindicaton of his own position and the gratlhca
tion of his personal dislike of the President ant
Mr., Seward. Those protested friends of the Ad
minstratiOn who voted for II did so, probably
from sympathy with these sentiments IL inc!
meant ANYTHING more, let them follow up thet
vote by corresponding action. Let them TAX
steps to carry out the policy they seem to fore
shadow Let them bring in bill to eNpel MAXI
milan from Mexico, not by resolutions, but D.
force of arms and then we shall have Il dennlt
and decisive expression OF opinion, not only my irGI ti
40 1t now stands, the action Of III
louise amounts 10 little more than spleneti
ehulliti0n AGAINST the President, on the part
those who failed to prevent his reelection.