The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1864-1911, 1864-07-20
The New reconstruction Proc
IanAAdiOn

ianGatiOn.
President Lincoln has issued a prOcama-
ton consisting Of virtual declaration OF
his Superiority to Congress, and his indie
pendence of Congress, in all matters connec-
ted with Reconstruction. The President
has a plan of reconstruction, promulgated d
by him in December last, at the opening OF
the session. The two houses of Congress
have IA rival plan, inconsistent with his, and
exclusive Of his, which took the form of a
bill regularly passed and presented to the
President for the customary approval
Which shall prevail? Shall Mahomet 20 to
the mountain, OF the mountain come to Ma
homct? The President declares to re
country that he will not yield, and that Con-
gress must. Had he signed the bill the new
States which he, on his sole responsibility,
has pretended to erect in Louisiana and Ar
kansas would fall to the ground. This obvi-
GUS consequence Of the bill he proclaims to
the country, and assigns as reason for re-
fusing his signature
This Is the most extraordinary treatment
ever bestowed by the executive head Of a
government on the regular act Of legisla-
tive assembly. A veto, is legitimate ex-
ercisc of authority conferred by the Consti-
tuition; but veto, when the two houses do
oTerrule it, is supposed merely to arrest the
action intended by Congress, not to substi-
tutc the will Of the executive for joint will
Of the Senate, House, and President, as Mr..
Lincoln assumes to do by this strange pro
ceeding The sui uljact-mattcr Of the bill
which Mr.. Lincoln refuses to sign, is clearly
within the domain of the legislative depart
ment OF the government. Mr. Lincoln him
call Il, 4 |.
er to prescribe the method Of reconstruction.
By what right then, does he assume not
merely to arrest the will Of the two houses
(which he may, but to substitute his single
will III such a way as to cI0the himself with
the whole legislative authority? Neither
the Senate aione nor the House alone, nor
the President alone, can WELD the legislative
power, The two houses can wiCld it alone,
in spite Of the President, if two-thirds OF
each SO determine but the President has
no power but qualified negative, which
Congress can oyerru,e. And yet Mr. Lin
coin, instead Of awaiting the action OF Con-
gress, anticipated it; and now, when Con
greSs has acted, lie denies to it even that
poor shadow Of power which consists in a
veto on his unauthorized proceedings He
can arrest the will of Congress, but Con
gress cannot arrest his, even in a matter
which unqucstionably belongs to the lceisla-
tive department OF the government! Con
gress passes an act which declares their dis
approval Of the Presidents unauthorized
reconstruction measures, and he proclaims
to country his purpose to persist in those
meas ures in d, tiance Of their diSapproval.
Mr.. Lincoln does Voc. even than this, he
superadds insult to usurpation. After We
tong an act OF tn, ;wo houses by communi-
eating his object ons, not to them, as the
Constitution requires, but to the country
(which looks like aupereilious appeal from
the agent to the PRINCIPAL he graciously
condescends to adopt the plan Of Congress
III States where it my not interfere with his
own, and where the people may chance to
prefer 1t. That Is to say, that while it shall
have no force anywhere as being the will
OF Congress, it may prevail in some States
# it is bad plan, why does he permit its
adoption at al? II it lisa good plan, why
does he veto it? Whether it be bad or good
what right has he to substitute different
and inconsistent one which the representa-
tiyes Of the people have officially condemn
ed IF the President could not sign this
bill, the very least he could do, in consisten-
cy with the respect he owes Congress, was
to withdraw his plan, which that body, to
whose province the whole subject matter be-
longs, had intended to set aside But to
appeal TO the people to support him in taking
out Of the hands of Congressa subject com
mitted tothcm by the Constitution, is very
bold stridc toward despotsm. To partially
permit as an act of concession what Con