Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1866-08-22
THE PRESIDENT JUDGED BY HIMSELF. z

massacre az new OTledhas ""N ~ ~
ciircun stances connected With it have been
regarded With more painful surprise than
the action of the President. Ever since
the meeting Of Congress last December nc
has strenuously insisted that the late rebel
States, by conforming to certain terms
which hehad named, without consultation
with Congress. were fully restored to their
equal relations in the Union with tbs rlloyT
al States. He has publicly denounced
Senators and Representatives as traitors
and disunionists, because they did not
agree with him He has vetoed the most
important bills passed by Congress, as
signing among his reasons in every in
stance that legislation during the exclu-
sion from representation of the States in
question was of doubtful constitutionality.
He has uniformly spoken of those States
as no longer in an exceptional situation,
insisting that war was over, that all it's
methods were at an end. and that nothing
remained to complete the normal condi-
ton of the Union but the admission Of
representatives duly qualified. .5s4a
( Louisiana is one of the States. The
President told us that it was upon exactly
the same footing in the Union as
4 New York, and was to be treated by the
national authorities exactly as New York
is treated. He had recognized its local
State Government as no less valid and in
dependent within its constitutional sphere
than that of New York, and however opin-
ions as to the constitutionality or good
policy or common.sense of his views may
have differed, no one, we suppose doubted
that they were sincerely held and would
honestly control his actions. n .
But the President has suddenly shown
that, while he denounces the Legislative
branch of the Government as disorganiz-
ing or reasonable for not asserting to his
theory, he does not mean to be bound by
himself
While he and his supporters are vocifc-
rously accusing Congress of revolutionary
intentions because it does not immediate
Z
4 ly recognize what he calls the lawful rep
rresentatives of Louisiana, he himself calls
to account and peremptorlly disregards
| the Governor of Louisiana, whom he has
recognized as lawful as Governoa Fenton
of New Yoak He does in that State what
he knows would not be for moment toll
Grated in this .. ...
On the 2lst of July the President is
sues the following extraordinary order to
the Governor of Louisiana, who, let it be
remembered, he asserts is the peer Of the
Governor of Pennsylvania, of Massachu-
sets, of Illinois, or of any other State.
81 have been advised that you have
issued a proclamation converting the Con-
A vention elected in 1864 Please inform
me under aud by What authority this bas
been DONE aud by what authority this
4 Convention can assume to represent the
whole people of the State of Louisana.pb
Thisi is the order Of a superior to sub
ordinate agent. This is message which
the commander-in chief may properly send
to provisional lieutenant. 4R t.,,re
But it isa message which the President
Of the United States has no more rightful
authority to send to the Governor of New
York than the Queen Of England has
And when such missive is forwarded by
a President who has for months been to-
diously reiterating that the rights of the
States are in imminent danger Of being
destroyed dy despotici Ltarlization it is
both ludicrous and alarming :: ludicrous
because the executive act is such ride
ulous contradiction Of the executive asser.
ton; and alarming, because it shows Ell
Their the President incapacity to compre
bend the limits of the executive power, OF
his determination to disregard them a,
his pleasure. .''' a'l'''' % @l,in'u
The Presidents policy" thus proves tc
be the Presidents pleasure. nWhenfit il
convenient for him to treatla State as full
ly in the Union the Presidents policy
requires us to assent. When 1t is con
1venientto consider it as under absolut,
military supervision the Presidents cpol
icy requires us to say Amen. If tn,
President blows hot, We must agree tina
ii ia warm If he htows ooId 80 !. -