The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-10-03
The President and His POlicy-COngress
and the Amendment.

The President and His POlicy-COngress
and the Amendment.
From the Herald
We are again assured from Washington that
the President, on the question of Southern
restoration will adhere most strenuously" to
the policy he has adopted in opposition to the
policy of Congress. Why? What is there in
this Constitutional amendment which prevents
his cooperation with Congress? Nothing which
he has not himself recommended at one time
or another. He has himself imposed the main
conditions of this amendment upon the excluded
States as essential conditions of restoration, and
he has proposed the Others What then, is the
difficulty? He contends, as it appears, that all
the States that claim and are willing to be
represented in Congress have the right to a
voice i'll this matter OF Constitutional amend
ments. He therefore proposes, first, that the
excluded States shall be represented. and then
he has Constitutional amendment to offer
regulating representation on the basis OF suf-
frage that is or may oe adopted by the several
States, and apportioning taxation upon the
value OF properly in each State.
This Is his plan. His great objection against
the amendment Of Congre 81 is that it was passed
in the absence OF certain States asking and
entitled to be represented. But how and when
did those States secure the right to admission
into Congress? They were disorganized and
broken up by the Rebellion. They had to be
reconstructed The President, in the absence
OF Congress, and in the exercise OF the discre-
tionary war powers conferred by Congress- pro-
Ceeded TO reconstruct them. All things consi-
dered, he did his work very well; but in the
very outset he admitted and proclaimed the fact
that this work would be subject to the
approval OF Congress. What has followed
Congress has refused to admit the States
concerned as reconstructed by the Presi-
dent. But adopting substantially his con-
ditions, the two Houses have put them
into the form of Constitutional amendment
with the offer to the excluded States that with
the ratification OF this amendment they will be
admitted. If the President in the absence oil
Congress, had the discretionary power to eXac
of those States the ratification of the amend
ment abolisbing slavery, had not Congress oil
reassembling in the Capitol the power and th'
right to demand the ratification Of these othe
conditions of restoration, all that the Presiden
had done being subject to the approval of Con
gress Are not all the powers Of admission
supervision or regulation of the States possessed
by the General Government? Are they not al
invested in Congressy They are, from the begin
ming to the end. Is not the President require
by the Constitution to execute the laws OF Con
gress He is, from first to last.
Here we might contend that, as this amend
ment was passed by two.thirds vote OF eac
House, it should, in the spirit OF the Constitu
ton, be accepted by the President as a measur
which has gone bey yond his power OF opposition
We are satisfied, however, in answering thi
objection of his as to the exclusion of certai
States by his own testimony. What Congress
ought to have done with those States is not L o.
the question. 1t is enough that in refusing {
admit them on the Presidents plan, Congres
has simply exercised its authority over this sui
Ject; 1t Is enough that said States are not recol
structed, and are still subject to this ultlmatuI
OF Congress. I
The case, then, is clear. There is in reality n
olsagteement IN principle between Congre'
and lne PRESIDENT In this matter. His Vetoes
certain bills passed at the late session were ju
tilted by solid facts and arguments But the
"ot reach the great question of this amenC