The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1866-05-03

lG UnC DeSlHniHS y! luc UOVcrIluicuG.
And where does that power lie? The
Constitution declares in express terms
That each house, the Senate and House OF
Representatives,, each acting for ITSELF
shall be the Judge of The 'retufhs of cleo
ton and qualifications of it's own mem
bers. 1t is for each house to settle that
question under the Constitution, and
-uhaer Che solemn sanction efan oath and
can we believe that either House would
admit any member'into its body to ;par-
'ticipate in the legislation of the country
who was not qualified and fit to sit in
that body and participate i'll it's proceed
ings? They have the potrer-not the
two houses, but each house for itself.
The Constitution further declares that
no State shall be deprived of it's equal
suffrage in the Senate of the United
States without its consent. Then where
do we stand? All that is needed to finish
this great work of restoration is for the
two houses respectively to determine
these questions. "OhP' but some will
say, ga traitor might come in!" The
answer to that is: Each house must be
the Judge; and, if a traitor presents him
self, cannot either house Know that he is
a traitor, and if he is traitor, can they
not kick him out of the door and send
him back, saying to the people who sent
him, "You must send us loyal man z"
Is there any difficulty about that I?
If traitor presents himself to either
house, cannot that house say to him, "No,
you caffnot be admitted into this body.
Go back. We will not deny your people
of the right of representation, but they
must Send q loyal representative" And
when the States do send loyal representa-
tives, can you have any better evidence
of their fidelity to the Constitution and
laws? There is no one learned in consti-
tutional law who will say That if a traitor
happens to get into Congress tire body
cannot expel him after he gets in. That
makes assurance doubly sure, and COM
forms The action of the Government to
the Constitution of our fathers. Hence,
I say, let US stand by that Constitution,
and in standing by it the covenant will
be preserved.
While I have been contending against
traitors and treason and secession, and
the dissolution of the Union, | have been
at the same time against the
consolidation of power here. think the
of power here is equally
dangerous with the separation of the
States. The one would weaken us and
might run into anarchy, while. the other
would concentrate and run into mon
archy. o, but there is an idea abroad
that one man can be q despot; that
one man can be usurper, but that a
hundred or two hundred men cannot.
Mr.. Jefferson, the apostle of liberty,
tells us, SO does common sense, that ty-
ranny and despotism can be exercised by
many more vigorously and more tyran-
nically than by one. What power has
your President to be tyrant? What
can he do? What can he originate p
Why, they say, he exercises the veto
powerl What is the veto power
Who's your PresidcntY Is he not
elected by the people through the cleo
toral colleges? The President is nothing
moro than, the tribune of the people. His
office is tribunal in it's character.
In oldcn times, when tribunes were
first elected in the Roman Republic, they
stood at the door of the Roman Senate,
which was then over-reaching on the
popular rights, and putting the heel of
power on the necks of the people. The
people chose a tribune and placed him at
the door of the Senate, so that when that
body ventured an oppressive act he was
clothed with the power to say "veto'-l
forbid. Your President is now the tri-
bune of the people, and, thank God, | am,
and intend to assert the power Which
the people have placed in me.
Your President, standing here day after
day, and dischafging his duty, is like q
horse on the tread-wheel and because he
dares to differ in opinion in regard to
public measures, he must be denounced
as usurper and tyrant. Can he origin
ate anything under the veto power? |
think the veto power conservative i'll its
character ALL that can be done by the
veto power is to say, WHEN legislation is
improper, hasty, unwise, unconstitutional,
"Stay, stop action. Wait till this can be
submitted 10 tne people, anu le6 CncAh
consider whether it is right or wrong"
That is all there is in it. Hence say
that tyranny and power can be exercised
somewhere else than by the Executive.
He is poweflsss. All that he can do is to
check legsation-to hold it in state of
abcyance till the people can consider and
understand what is being done. Then,
what has been done? I have done what
I believed the Constitution required me
to do. I have done what believed duty
and conscience required me to do. So
believing, 1 intend to stick to my posi-
ton, relying on the judgment, the integ-
ritv and intelligence Of tho masses of the
American peoplc-tho soldiers and sailors
expressly.
Then, for my life, cannot see where
there is any tyranny 1t is very easy to
;n,,,urn motives and susDect the purity