Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1866-05-11

the Dlil NSEil. Win great IeSllhuuDs dLu WIN
the design, if he could not become better salts
fed with it, TO move its reconsideration. The
amendment was very general aud comprehen- /
siye in its terms, and denied any payment Of /
salary to officers appointed by the President be- .
fore their confirmation, unless appointed TO I'LL .
vacancies happening during the recess by death, (
resignation, expiration Of term, or removal for ,
official misconduct. One Of the mischiefs which I
it Is claimed to be designed to prevent, v as the
filling Of vacancies which exist while the Senate
Is in session, when there Is an Opportunity 10
submit nominations, or the app intneni IN va
cation Of persons rejected by the Senate III sss-
sion. II the amendment had 10 greater scope
than this, he would cheerfully suppori it; for
the language Of the constitution was clear. that
the Presidents power Of appointment, without
the consent Of The Senate. Is confined TO vacan-
cies that happen during the recess. The power
Of the President 10 I'll vacancies was not denied,
but the amendment declared that, unless they
happened IN q peculiar way, the salary OF the
person appointed should MT be paid, unless b,
consent OF the Senate. He thought the mover
would not deny that the effect 81 his amendment
was to declare tina; appointment to vacancies
caused by removals for political reasons should
not be confirmed This brought nj the old
question Of the power ofthe President TO remove
from ofice persons whose originai appointments
That was the boldly ayowod opinion Of the Sen
ator from Missouri, (Henlers0E) and his argu-
ment. could the question lie considered an open
one, would 20 far towards convincing him (Nir.
Poland) that such was the true construction Of
the constitution. II Senator, had power to re-
fuse appropriations 10 pay salaries Of executive
officers he held that it. exercise could only lie
iustife,. as last resort. TO prevent usurpstion,
or the destruction OF the lfeIties % the people.
If the President has not the legal and constitu
tional power Of removal, why not say distinct
Iye If we would adopt the doctrine Of the Sen
ator from Missouri. Why not 80 30 in an open
and manly way After a uniform exercise Of the
power by every administration since the iorma-
ton Of the constitution and after at least thirty
years Of unlout;ed and uDquestioped use there
OF. does il become the Senate 10 do it in the in
direct and sinister way proposed by this amend
/ men, > II such j. the desigu. i Il exactly open,
honest dealing 20 bolster II up by affecting TO be
lieve that tie President traHscends his power 10y
making such removals But it comedies, he
| affirmed, the constitutional power 10 remove on
its face, by providing that removals for miscon-
/ duct in office shall be excepted from the prohibi
/ ton OF payment. Il could no lie said that be
/ has the power TO remove for one cause but not
for another. The idea was strange and mon
strous, that man who legally holds an Office.
]
paid because his appointment was particularly
unsatisfactory. lie believed such position TO
be wholly indeiensible, wrong IN principle, and
| one upon which no party could stand. Tie hap
pened TO say, IN Offering the motion to reconsid-
| er, that the doctrine seemed l. him almosI rev.
| clutionarv. lie had since learned that no rad
ical Unionist had q right to use that word, and
he would, therefore, take leave to withdraw IL
lie stated the origin and status Of the coutro-
/ versy between Congress and the President, and
said neither showed as yet & disposition TO yield
to the views Of the other, but to appeal to the
people in the election Of the next Congress.
The truth /. that the President, if he enter
tains any such design, cannot build up for him
| self against the Union party a Presidential party
of any considerable numbers without having in
it the men who opposed every measure for the
pulling down Of the rebellion, who discouraged
enlistments, opposed the draft, voted the war a
failure and many other things Of that character.
This very fact viii destroy his party if be en-
deavors TO make che Where those men 20 the
people will not. The people look upon the
thing a. they did during the War-not as an or
binary question Of politics, but as q question Of
loyalty or treason-and If the President aban-
dons the great Union party to form one for HIM
self, and his party Is made up, as II must be in
the main, Of the men who opposed the war,
they will soou be the only men left in IT, If the
President is ambitious TO have such party as
this shall we deny him the benefit Of a few hired
mercenaTies il the shape Of federal Office holders
if be desires If he chooses to make changes, SO
far as my own State Is concerned, he will have
to make them from men who do not belong to
the Union party. | have never yet heard Of a
Union man there who does not most cordially
support Congress | believe my State IL not
singular IN this respect. Mr.. President, | ex-
pect to be lectured here and elsewhere for op-
posing this amendment. | know that one can
hardly be allowed 10 question measure here,
however iujudicious or unwise be may deem it,
without mourning the charge Of being Cop
perhead, or a Conservative, or a johnson man
have seen in leading Republican paper a no.
tice Of my motion 10 reconsider the vote 10y
which this bill was passed, IN which it was said
that had adopted the language of the Copper
head press, and the Senator from Kentucky
(Mr. Dayis) says my ideas this subject may
, be odd and old-fashoned. | admit it; but they
are such as have always obtained in Vermont
MIR President, do not know anybody who car
sustain such accusations with less danger Of in
Jury to themselves than Vermont and her Rep
rtsentatiyes. Vermont has always upheld free
dom and law. The doctrines Of equal right.
, and equality before the law have been there
maintained since the days Of Ethan Allen. Hei
legislation, her officers aLd her courts have eyeI
faithfully fulfilled her will in sustaining liberty
and freedom according to the Constitution and
laws. When the war Of the rebellion came upon
the nation no State IN the Union contributed her
proportion Of men more promptly than Yer
mont Her Sons showed theT patriotism and
courage on many bloody field with equal credit
at least with any other State. She paid as
heavy legacy Of death in proportion to hel
= number as any other She bore her share IN
putting down the rebellion most cheerfully, and
she did II TO preserve q government Of constiiu-
tional law. She does rot desire TO have her re-
presenfatiyes here aid in fritteIing away what
has cost US 50 dearly to maintain. She desires
her representatives to stand firmly for her prin-
ciples and their principles, Tut 10 make their
fight clearly within the pale Of constitutional
law. The two great measures Of this session Of
Congress, which elected the difference Of views
, between Congress and the President, were the
Freedmen's Bureau and Civil Rights bill. !
assisted in the preparation and perfecting OF
both those great measures in Committee.
voted for both on their original passage in the
Senate and voted for the passage Of both,
notwithstanding the Presidents veto. voted for
the joint resolution declaring that State
which had been 10 rebellion was entitled TO Ie-
presentation, or to share in the Government,
thereto, think, may surely claim 10 be a sup
| porter OF the polcy OF congress. IL might IN
reference to these measures, lie SAID Of me, as a
political Wag said Of a leading anti Mason in
my State in the days Of the rule Of that party
THAT be was such fool that he believed in his
party principles
Mr. TEUNBULL, tof Illinois, in reply to Mr.
Poland said, be vas surprised that the Senator
from Vermont should have risen in tie Senate
to deuouncea measure which he and majority
Of the Senate had voted for; 10 call il political
quaekery, az Indirect and sinister way of legis-
lating; and, TO ask the question, why not act
in an open and honest way - Does the Sena-
tor from Vermont mean to impute to a majority
Of this body dishonesty "a It's action, and TO say
thst II Is governed - sinister motives, and that
: it does not act openly and fairly | will mo-;
suffer myself to be betrayed into such reply TO
these remarks a. | think they deserve, in a body
where we are equal, and where the motives Of
persons al z hot TO be assaed; where one Is pre-
sumei to be as h0uest as another have new
er myself INDUCED in any remarks claiming
for myself greater honesty, nor have imputed