The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-06-17

execution Of The Military bill is an infamous
one. BY means of legal quibbles the law is to
be evaded. A sharp practitioner is secured as
Attornsy-General, and all his legal invention
has been for months directed towards seeing
how the bill may be defeated and its true
meaning perverted.
In his two decisions the spirit Of the law is
laid aside as a useless thing, and its letter is
so perverted that IL really means nothing at
all. Yet by means of this evasion the aims
Of the law have been defeated. It is a new
idea in our political system, that a Cabinet
officer can nullify an act of Congress. The
value of the opinion of Judge stanbery is just
as valuable as that of any other acute lawyer,
but the military commanders are to be Judges
of its application to their cases; yet he has
assumed to turn the law from its true intent
and the Executive has declared he has the
power; and unless the strong arm of legisla-
tion intervene, we are in danger of having all
the work of a year crumble away before the
sophistry of a sub.lieutenant of the Execu-
tive. 1t is therefore emphatioally necessary
that quorum be present on July l. There is
great work to be done. The Hon. Thaddeus
Stevens, one of the wisest statesmen of the
age, with all his faults, presents his views in
forcible letter, in which he says:-
81 think 1t is proper to suggest the propriety
of having q quorum In Congress on the first
proximo. The opinions of the Attorney. Gene
raj seem to require some explanatory or sup
Elemental acts. A mistake more Objectionable
than either is the fact OF usurpation by the
tion, and treating his directions as binding
officially. The Attorney-General has no more
right to interfere than the President had to re-
Construct which pretension Congress has set
tled since it has been adjudged that the con-
quered States are to be treated as subdued terri
tory, and TO be rebuilt without reference to
their former condition by the legislative power
alone. 1t is to be supposed that Congress alone
is to be appealed TO in case of difficulty"
Here is the question fairly stated. The
wings by which this occupant of Cabinet
seat seeks to soar above Congress must be
clipped. Supplemental acts are necessary,
which will at once and forever set at rest the
pretenses of the Attorney-General and the
hopes of the Rebels based thereon.
In order that anything can be done, it is ne
cessary that quorum be present, and that
quorum must consist of Republicans. We
cannot count on the absence of any Democrat,
in order that the required action may be Sc
cured. They will probably all be in their
seats, hut will refuse to answer to their names
if by so doing the session can be prevented.
We therefore urge upon every member the
absolute necessity of his being present. The
people will hold all delinquents to a strict
responsibility. The public exigency demands
their presence; it is criminal to shirk the duty
because of the temperature of the weather.
We feel confident that when our delegation
. at least sixteen of the twenty-four men,
bers from the Keystone State will be in their
seats, sacrificing their personal ease for the
national good.