The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-09-02
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1867.
The Powers of the President - Their
Dangerous Growth.

alarmed at the growing tendency in our coun-
try to diminish the powers Of the Executive
We are treated to declamatory leaders IN some
of the public journals upon the dangers of
the exercise of too much power by Congress.
We confess that we do not share these
apprehensions. On the contrary, aside from
all temporary considerations, we regard the
disposition to check and restrain the powers
of the Executive as one of the most healthy
indications of our times. 1t has for long
time been apparent to our best thinkers and
observers, that the great and growing danger
in 0ur Government was from the expansion
of Executive power and privileges far beyond
any limit that was contemplated by the trainers
of the Constitution, and far too much for the
safety of our free institutions, The mere
growth of the country alone has extended the
patronage of the President to an enormous
degree, while under the rule of the slave
power which so long cursed the country there
was a constant augmentation of Executive
influence to accomplish the sectional ends of
that hateful oligarchy. 1t was undert that rule
that the dangerous and unconstitutional prac-
IlOo VI EA6CuLlN0 W ulI6Ob duu
control the legislation of Congress grew up.
During the administration of James Bu-
Ohanan this was carried to such an
unblushing extent, that in the great Lecompton
controversy the agents of the Executive
might be found regularly in the halls of Con-
gress directing the movements of their parti-
sans, and with their hands and pockets full of
bribes in the shape of commissions for lucra-
tive Offices wherewith TO buy up the members
of easy virtue. The Executive was generally
reported at that time to have boasted that he
would put the Lecompton Constitution, pure
and simple, through Congress within given
number of days. During the years which
marked the rise and growth of the Republican
party, it was a common occurrence for the
President to pension off with good fat Office
every recreant member of Congress who by
selling himself out to the slave power had in
CURED retribution at the hands of his out
ragged and indignant constituency. Andrew
Johnson was brought up and politically edu-
Gated in this corrupt school of politics. Indeed,
he was one of its bright and shining lights.
Hence, when, by that terrible tragedy which
time seems only to shroud in deeper mystery,
he suddenly found himself in possession of the
Presidency, he at once began to put in prac-
tice all the maxims and precedents which the
slave power had given him. Unfortunately,
the tremendous exigencies of the war had tenn
pOrarily blinded the people to the use of ex-
traordinary powers by the Executive, or
Andrew Johnson's very first attempt to
arrogate to himself the sett lement of
the vast problem of reconstruction would have
aroused the nation instantly to its danger.
The awakening, however, soon came, and it was
seen to what fearful extent Executive usur-
patton had grown up and fortified itself. With
the downfall of the slave power the national
sense was quickened and its perceptions en-
lightened. The unparalleled treachery of the
present Executive, his attempts to defraud the
nation of the just fruits of its victories over
treason and rebellion; his persistent refusal to
execute the laws, and his general attitude of
defiance to the popular will, have brought
this whole question OF the dangerous growth
of Executive power prominently before the
people. It should now be forever settled.
And it should be done, in our opinion, by re-
ducing that power to the very lowest possible
constitutional limits. 1t is the sheerest non
sense to talk abeut danger from Congress. 1t
is like talking about the people being in dan
ger from themselves. If self-government is
safe, then Congress is safe, for Congress is the
direct representative OF the people. Every
two years the lower House and One-third of
the upper come from the people. 1t is, there
fore, impossible that Congress should endan-
ger the liberties Of the people. II is the su-
preme power in The Government, made so by
the Constitutional necessarily so in a re-
public. But we have found, in our experience as
a nation, this Executive, one-man power
growing far beyond its constitutional limits
We now behold it deSying the will of the people,
II is time that it were restrained and brought
into proper subsection. twill be fully power
full enough when it exercises only those func-
tions with which the plain letter of the Con-
stitution endows it. The Tenure of Office bill
was a step in the right direction, but it was
only step. The Executive should be stripped
of his vast patronage. 1t is terrible instru-
ment of corruption. 1t is unnecessary to the
proper fIllflment of his duties, and is a con-
slant temptation to doing wrong. Under that
clause in the Constitution which empowers
Congress to vest the appointment OF such in
ferior officers as they think proper in the
oourts of law, or in the Heads of Departments,
a. pus;5o,,4 ,,oiobt no striDped almost entirely