Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1864-07-20
From the World.
The new Reconstruction Proc
lam tfOn.


lam alton.
President Lincoln has issued procla-
nation consisting of n virtual declaration
of his superiority to Congress, and his in
dependence of Congress, in all matters
connected with Reconstruction. The
President has a plan of reconstruction,
promulgated by him in December last, at
the opening of the session. The two
houses of Congress have a rival plan, in
consistant with his, and exclusive of his,
which took the form of bill regularly
passed and presented to the President for
the accustomary approval. Which shall
prevail Shall N1ahomet 90 TO the
mountain, or the mountain come to Ma
hometF The President declares to the
country that he will not yield, and that
Congress must. Had he signed the bill,
the new states which lie, on his sole re-
sponsibilty, has pretended 10 erect in
Louisiana and Arkansas, would fall to
the ground. This obvious consequence of
the bill he proclaims 10 the country, and
assigns as a reason for refusing his sigma
turc.
This is the most extraordinary treat
mcnt ever bestowed by the executive
head of government on the REGULAR act
of legislative assembly. \ veto, Is a
/ legitimate exercise OF authority conferred
by the Constitution; but n veto, when
/ the two houses do not overrulc IL, i sup
posed merely TO arrest the action intended
by Congress. not TO substitute the will OF
: the executive for the joint will of the
/ Senate, House and President, as Mr..
/ Lincoln assumes TO DO by this strange
proceeding The subject matter of the
/ bill which Mr.. Lincoln refuses to sign, is
clearly within the domain Of the legisla-
tive department of the government Mr..
, Lincoln himself virtually admits that
, Congress has power to prescribe the meth
I'd of reconstruction. BY what right,
then, does nc not assume merely TO arrest
! the Will OF the two houses (Which he may
| but 10 substitute his will III such a way
as to ciothe himself with the whole legis-
lative authority Neithey the Senate a
lone, nor the House alone, nor the Presi-
dent alone. can WELD the legislative au-
thority. The two houses can WELD il a
lone, III spite Of the President, if two
thirds Of each so determine but the
President has no power but Il qualified
negative, which Congress can overrulc-
and yet Mr.. Lincoln instead of awaiting
the action Of Congress, anticipated it
and now when Congress has acted, he de-
mics to it even that poor shadow of power
which consists in 4 veto on his unauthor-
! lied proceedings. Ike can arrest the will
of Congress, but Congress cannot arrest
his, even in matter which unquestiona-
bly, belongs to the legislative department
Of the government. Congress passed
an act which declares their disapproval
of the Presidents unauthorized recon-
struction measures, and he proclaims TO
the country his purpose TO presist in those
measures in defiance of their disapproval.
Mr. Lincoln does worse even than this,
he superadds Insult to usurpation. After
vetoinG an act of the two houses by COM
municating his objections, not TO them, as
the Constitution requires, but to the coun-
try (Which looks like supercilious appeal
from the agent TO the principaD he gra-
sciously condescends to adopt the plan OF
Congress in States where it may not in
terfere with his OWN. and where the pcO-
pie may chance to prefer it. That is 10
saw, that while it shall have no force
anywhere as being the will of Congress
it may prevail in some States as having
the permission of the executive. If it is
a bad plan why does he permit its adop-
. ton at all If it is n good plan why
does he veto it Whether it be bad ol
good, what right has he to substitute 4:
: different and inconsistent one which the
, representatives of the people have official
ly condemned If the President could
not sign this bill, the very least he coult
do, in consistency with the respect IN
owes TO Congress, was to Withdraw hi
, own plan, which that body, to who's
province the whole subject matter belongs
had intended to set aside. But to appea
4 to the people to support him in taking ou
of the hands of Congress a subject com
: mitted to them by the Constitution, Is
e very bold stride toward despotism. Il
partially permit it as an act of concession
what Congress had commanded as gen
! eral law, is of piece of Cromwelrs driv
ing out Parliament at the point of tn
bayonet The mildness of the metho
merely marks the difference between
!, man of cunning and man of courage
If Mr.. Lincoln is SO independent of Cor
press that the two houses cannot obstru,
}, his will, Congress has ceased to be any
/, thing but sham. His virtual veto
n nothing. but bis persistence in his ow
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