The Portland daily press., 1865-11-02
Do the Democrats favor Usurpationp

For four or five years, during the prevalence
of our great civil war, we never ceased to hear
from the Democratic journals dolorous COM
plants about usurpation, and the tendency
Of the times to Executive despotism. ANY
manifestation of a disposition on the part OF
the President to influence the action OF Con-
gress, no matter how legitimate the means
used, or any apparent forestalling OF the action
OF CONGRESS by the Executive, was sure to
wake up all the party watch-doSs, and concen-
trate their voices in one general howl. Who
has forgotten the manner in which the Presi-
dent was assailed for su5pending the privilege
of the habeds corpus, even when the life Of
the nation was threatened by traitors in arms,
and prompt action alone could save itP Who
has forgotten the charges of Executive usurpa-
ton, and the allegations that the President
was doing acts that Congress alone had pow
er to perforTnP
But all this is now changed, and simply De-
cause the so-calIed Democrats would leigh be-
lieve that the Executive is less radical than
Congress, and has less disposition to make the
way of treason hard one, Or to demand am
pie security against future rebellion.
The Democratic papers now do not hesitate
to invoke usurpation, and to call upon the
President to interfere with the other depart
ments of the Government, which are made as
independent of him by the Constitution, as he
is independent in the exercise Of his functions,
of them. We give an example.
In the Advertiser yesterday we find brief
editorial article from which we quote:
'we are glad to learn from our exchanges that the
President has countenance for the fAcionsts who
are thinking about getting Mr.. Mcpherson the Clerk
OF the House OF Representatives, to bar the door
against Southern congressman, who are coming there
with properly accredited certificates of election The
President is anxious to have the House organized at
once, ia order to go rapidly as possible with the
ffion.s - = - = - - -
Here we have it very distinctly asserted,
that the President is disposed to interfere with
the House,--its organization and membership,
that the work of reconstruction is his work,
on his hands, and more than this, the spirit OF
the article shows that the writer would have
the President thus usurp the powers and pre-
negatives of the legislative department of the
Government. The whole thing is an insult to
the President, who knows as well as any other
man; that he has no right to exercise, such in
reference, and that the whole work of recon
struction is a work for Congress and not for
the Executive. We have made the above
quotation only to show the present dnimus
of the party which claims such superior rever-
ence for the Constitution. 1t is painfully APP
parent that, in order to regain lost power, the
present Democratic party are ready to break
down all the barriers of freedom, to bridge
over the constitution whenever it suits their
convenience, and to play the despot whenever
they can find tool base enough to DO the ty-
rants work. Their spirit Is that of the south
ern rebels, with whom they would have joined
hands openly, as they did hearts secretly, had
they dared to do so, or had they been inspired
with sufficient confidence in success.
The President knows them root and branch;
and no doubt, with all his outward blandness
and suavity toward them, feels perfect con-
tempt for their wicked schemes and shameless !
Vaccinations. He knows, and they should |
know, that the House has full control of the |
qualifications Of its own members, and that the |
work of reconstruction, like the work of max
ing war and Of concluding peace-which lat
ter work it really isis one delegated to Coz
gress alone.