Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-07-24
JOHN CoBGAN.
The Presidents Veto Message.


.ou the 10th, the President sent in to both:
house ot Congress his vetoof the suppletnen-
tary Sli, but which was Immediately passed
in the Senate, over his veto, BY a vote of 80
ayes to S nays, and in the House by 100 ayes
to % nays.
The message covers three columns and ar
CUES eIaborately' the Inconsistencies, unoona
stitntionaEty abd tyranny Of the act. Allud.
ing to the declaration that the State govern
mentS are illegal, he says: A singuarcontr
diction is apparent here Congress declares
these local Stae governments to be Illegal
governments, aud then provides that these IL
legal governments shah be carried on by Fed
eral officers, who are to perform the yery'du-
ties imposed On its own officers by this i!ie-
gal State authority. 1t certainly would be 8
novel spectacle If Congress should attempt to
carry on alegal State government by the
agency of its own oficer4 1t is yetmo
strauge that Congress attempts to sustain aud
carry on an illegal State govern :nent by the
same Federal agency.
With regard to title By conquest, he says !:
It ia new title acquired BY war. It applies
only to territory or goods or movable things
regularly captured in war-afe called "booty," !"
or if taken by individual soldiers, "pinnder." "
There is not foot of land ip any one Of
these ten States which the United States
holds by conquest, save onlysuch land as did
not belong to either of these States Or apy
individual owner. l mean such hands as did
belong TO tie pretended Government called
the "Confederate States" These lands We
may claim to hold BY conquest As to all
other land or territory, whether belonging to
the States or to individuals, the Federal Gov
ernment has now no more title or right to it
than il had before the rebellion.
The message concludes: Within period
less than year the legislation of Congress
has attempted to.strip the Executive Depart
ment Of the Government OF some ofits essen.
tial powers: The Constitution and the oath
provided IN it devolEe upon The President the
power and the duty to see that the laws are
faithfully executed. The Constitution, in Or
der to carry out this power, gives him the
choice Of the agents and makes them subject
to his control and supervision. But IN the
execution of these laws the constitutional
obligation upon the President remains hntt
the power to exercise thas constitutional duty
is effectually taken away. The military. com.
msnder is, as to the power of appointment,
made 10 take the place of the President, and
the General of the army the place Of the Sen
ate and any attempt on the part OF the Pres.
| ident to assert his own constitutional power
may, under pretence Of law, be metby official
INSTRUMENTATION. 1t is to,be feared thatthese
military officers, looking to the authority
Gig sfpe RS th Es1 hfscdEnzs 10 aabeFs
but the commander of the district and the
General of the army. II there were no other
objection than this to this proposed legisla-
ton, it would be sufficient. Whilst hold
the chief executive authority of the United
States, while the obligation rests upon me to
see that all the laws are faithfully executed
/ can never willingly surrender that. trust.er
the powers given for ts execution; can new
er give my assent to be made responsible for
the faithful execution Of laws and at the same
time surrender that trust and the powers
which accompany it, to any other executive
officer, high or low, or to any. number of eI-
ecutive officers. If this executive trust vested
By the Constitution in the President, is to be
taken from him and vested in subordinate
officer, the responsibility will be with Con-
gress in clothing subordnates with uneonsti-
tuiona power, and with the officer who Us
| sumes its exercise. This interference with
the constitutional authority of the Executive
Department is sn evil that will inevitably sap
the foundations of our federal system. But
il is not the worse evil OF this legislation. IL
+. .isa great puslic wrong to take from the
President powers conferred upon him alone
by the Constitution but the wrong is more
hagrant and more dangerous when the powers
so taken from the President are conferred
upon subordinate executive officers, and es-
pecialy npon military officers, over nearly
cne-third OF he States of the Union, Military
power, regulated by no fixed law, rules su-
preiac. Each one of these five district conf
maho.rs, though not chosen by the people or
responsible to them, exercises at this hour
more e2acutiye power, military and civil,
than the 7eopie have over heen willing to
confer upon the head Of the Executive De-
partmeht, thugh chosen by and responsible
TO themselves. The remedy must come from
the people theuselges; they know what it is,
and how it is to,e applied. At the. present
time they cannot, according to the Gonstitu-
ton, repeal these la>s. They eannot remove
OF control this ,nilitay despotism. The rem.
edy, nevertheless, is il aheir hands lt is 10
be found in the ballot, md is q sure one If
not controlled by fraud, oerawed by .arbitra-
ry power, or, from apathy u their part, tco
long delayed. With abidik confidence In
this patriotism, wisdom and Integrity, am
stiff hopefal of the future, and Ast in theend
the rod of despoiism will be broken, the
armed rule Of power be lifted from, the necks
| of the people, aud thepriucipies Of. violated
Constitution preserved.