Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1867-01-18

I
! ernors, to regulate their municipal institu
tons, until the law making power of the
! cOnquerer should fix their condition and the
law by which they should be permanently
governed True, some of those governors
were illegally appointed, being civilians. No
one then supposed th those States had any
governments, except sueh as hey had form
ed under their rebel organization. No sane
man believed that they had any organic or
! municipal laws which the United States
were bound to. respect Whoever had then
asserted that those States had remained un-
| fractured, and entitled to all the rights and
/ priv negcn which tnSy UnJoycd b0rOEc IIc
rebellion, and were on a level with their 10y
al eonquerors, would have been deemed a
| fool, and would have been found insane by
any inquisitiou dc tuHatieo jaqaareado. y
In monarchlcal governments, where the
| sovereign power rests in the crown, the king
would have fixed the condition of the con
quered provinces. He might have extend
| ed the laws of his Empire over them; allow
ed them to retain portions of their old in
| stltutlons or, by conditions of peace, have
/ liked upon them new and exceptional laws.
! In this country the whole sovereignty rests
with the people, aud Is exercised through
| their Representatives in Congress assem-
bled. The legislative power is the sole
! guardian Of that sovereignty No other
| branch Of the Government, no other depart
ment no other officer Of the Government,
| / possesses one single particle of the sover-
/ eighty Of the nation. No Government off
| cial, from the President and Chief Justice
down, can dc any one act which is not pre-
! scpbed and directed by the legislative pow
/ er. Suppose the Government were now TO
/ be organized for the first time under the
! Constitution, and the President had been
| elected, and the Judiciary appointed, what
| could either do until Congress passed laws
/ 10 regulate their proceedings
! What power would the President have
over any one subject of government until
| Congress had legislated on that subject? No
] State could order the election Of members
until Congress had ordered census and
made an apportionment Any exception to
this rule has been a work of grace in Con
| gress by passing healing acts, The Presi-
| dent could not even create bureaus or de-
| partments to facilitate his Executive opera
| tions. He must ask leave of Congress.
Since, then, the President cannot enact,
alter, or modify a single law cannot even
create petty Office within his own sphere
Of duties; If, in short, he is the mere ser
want of the people, who issue their com
mands to him through Congress, whence
/ does he derive the constitutional power TO
| create new States to remodel old ones !;
! TO dictate organic laws 10 fix the qualIiiGl-
| tiOns Of voters to declare that States are
republican and entitled to representation,
and to command Congress to admit their
representatives? To my mind it is either
Ee s ds @ R6f TIE most it brazeR and la1as l u
usurration of power. 1t is claimed for him
| by some as the Commander in Chief Of the
army and navy How absurd that a mere
executive officer should claim creative pow
| ers. Though C0mmander-in Chief by the
| Constitution, he would haze nothing to
command, either by land or water, until
! Congress raised both army and navy. Con-
gress also prescribes the rules and regula-
| tions to govern the army. Even that is not
| left 10 the Commander.in-Chief
Though the President Is Commander-in-
| Chief, Congress Is iscommauder ; and God
willing, he shall obey. He and his minions
shall learn that this is not a Government of
kings and satraps, but Government Of the
| people, and hiGt CcqgresS Is dls people.
There is not one won IN the Constitution
| that gives one particl Of any hing but Judi
cial and executive power to any other de-
partment Of Government but Congress.
a
| power to compel reconsideration. What
can be palmer? "AH legislative powers
herein granted shall be vested in Congress
of the United States Such shall consist Of
a Senate aud House of Representatives, "
| IArt. /, sec. |, Con. u. S.
| To reconstruct the nation-t0 admit new
States-to guarantee republican govern
ments to old States, are all legislative acts
| The President claims the right TO exercise
| them. Congress denies 1t and asserts the
right to belong To the Legislative branch.
| They have determined to defend these rights
against all usurpers, They have determin-
ed that while in their keeping the Constltu
| ton shall not be violated with lmpunity,
This | take to be the great question between
the President and Congress. lie claims the
right to reconstruct by his own power Con-
grcss denies him ak power in the matter,
except those Of advice, and has determined
to maintain such denial My Policy" as
| serts full power in the Executive. The pol
! icy Of Congress forbids him to exercise any
power therein.
Beyond this do not agree that the
policy of the parties are defined. To be
sure many subordinate items Of the policy
of each may be easily sketched. The Presi-
dent Is for oXoueratlng the conquered rebels
hOm all the expense and damages of the
var, and for compelling the loyal citizens to
uay the whole debt caused by the rebellion.
dc insists that those Of oar people who
we're piundcred and their property burned
or DESTROYED by rebel raiders shall not be
indemni6ed, but shall bear their own loss,
while the rebels shall retain their own pro-
perty, most of which was declared forfeited
| by the Congress of the United States lie
| desires that the traitors lhaVing sternly exc
| cuted that most important leader rightly
mergcs as high example lshould be exempt
! from further fine, imprisonment, forfeiture,
| exile, or capital punishment, and be declared
entitled to all the rights of loyal citizens. lie
desires that the States created by him shall
be acknowledged as valid States, while at
! the same time he inconsistency declares
/ that the old rebel States are in full existence
and always have been and have equal rights
with the loyal States He opposes the
amendment TO the Constitution which chan
ges the base of representation and desires
the old slave States to have the benefit Of
| their increase CT freemen without Increasing
| the number Of votes; 10 short, he desires to
make the vote Of one rebel in South Carolina
| equal to the vote OF three freemen In Penn
] sy1yania or New York He is determined to
/ force solid rebel delegation into Congress
| from the South, and, together with Northern
| Copperheads, could at once control Congress
and eject all future Presidents,
! In opposition TO these things portion o I
| Congress seems to desire that the conquered
! belligerent shall, according to the law OF