The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1867-07-24
Latest by Telegraph.
Congressional,


bill, allowing negroes to serve OH jurics,
was adopted
JOINT resolutions from tho House,
nuftlfyins the DEGREES Of the Court Of
Cialms, were severely denounced by
Tr,mbuH.
Sumner introduced bill to strll;o the
word "whitc" from the naturalization
laws. Referred to the Judiciary Com.
mt'cc.
The veto e the Supplemental Recon.
SLrnc,ion bill was then read and tho bill
" TTsscl Notwithstanding. Ayes 30
nays 6, viz: Bayard, Buckalcw, Da.
Wis, Hendricks, johnson and Patterson
OF Tennessee, and the Chair announced
that the bill was law.
The Reconstruction Appropriation bill
was then passed over the veto.
The Senate passed resolution to
adjourn tomorrow at 3 O'Clock to meet
again ON the first Monday in December
Ayes %, nays, Is. The latter number
representing the impeachment element
in he Senate. Adjourned.
HOUSE, Tho Assassination Commit.
tee was allowed to take evidence by
'ND-SOiiltulltCSS, u!ll 10 administer inc
oath
The veto was received. Tho mes
sage covers three columns, and argues
chboratc'y the inconsistencies. uncons'i
tutionality and tyranny Of the act. Al
.uding to the declaration that the State
governments arc illegal, hc SAYS:
ga singular contradiction IS apparent
hcrc-Congrcss declares these local
State governments to be illegal govern
mcnts, and then provides that these illc.
gal governments shall be carried on by
Federal officers, who arc to perform the
very duties imposed on its own officers
by this illegal State authority. 1t would
certainly be a novel spectacle If Congress
should attempt to carry Oh Il legal State
government by the agency of its own
officers. 1t is yet more strange thnt
Congress attempts to sustain and carry
on all Illegal State government by the
same Federal agency.
With regard to title by conquest he
says: "lt is Il new ulc acquired by
war. IT. applies only to territories; for
goods or movable things regularly cap.
tnrcd in war arc called "bootv," or if
captured by individual soldiers, plundcr
There is not a foot OF land in these ten
States which the United States holds
by conquest, save only such land rs did
not belong to either Of The States, or to
amy individual owner. l mean such
lands as did belong to tho pretended
Government called the Confederate
States. These lands we claim to hold
by conquest. AS to al other land,
whether owned by States or individuals,
the Federal Government has no more
right or title to it than it had before the
rebellion.
The message concludes, "Within a
period Of less than a year tho legislation
OF Congress has attempted to strip the
Executive Department Of the govern.
mcnt of some Of its essential powers
The constitution and the oath provided
i'll it dcvo!vc upon the President the
power and the duty to sec that the laws
arc faithfully executed. Tho constitu-
ton, IN order to carry ont this power,
gives him tho choice OF the agents and
makes them subject u i,ls control and
supervision, but in the execution OF
these laws the constitutional obligation
upon the President remains, but the
power to execute that constitutional
duty is cicctual'y taken away. The
Military Commander IS as to the power
OF appointment made to take tho place
of the President, and the General OF the
Army the place Of the Senate, and any
attempt on the part Of the President to
assert his own constitutional power may,
under prctencc Of law, be met by official
INSTRUMENTATION. 1t is to be feared that
these military officers, looking to the
power given by these laws rather than
to the letter Of tho constitution will re.
cognizc no authority but the Command.
or OF the District and the General OF the
army. K there wclc no other objection
than this to the proposed legislation it
would be sufficient Whilst [ hold the
chief executive authority of the United
Statcs,- whilst the obligation rests upon
mo to see that all tho laws are faithfully
executed, | can never willingly snrrcn.
der that trust, or tho powers given for
its execution. I can never give my
consent to be made responsible for the
faithful execution Of laws, and at the
same time surrender that trust and the
powers that accompany it, to any Other
executive officer high or low, or TO any
number OF executive officers. If this
executive trust vested by the conslitu-
ton i'll the President is to be taken from
him and vested in u subordinate officer
the responsibility will be with Congress
III clothing him with unconstitutional
powA$ond with the olliccr who assumes
its exercise. This authority Of the OK.
ecutivc department Is an evil that will
inevitably sap tho foundations OF our
federal system, but it is not the greatest
evil of the legislation. 1t is great
public wrong to take from the President
powers conferred upon him alone by the
constitution but the wrong is more IA
grant and dangerous when the powers
so taken from the President arc conferred
upon subordinate executive officers, and
III