The Portland daily press., 1867-07-24

President johnson desires to have II uhder-
stood that the construction naturally put up
on the passlaa in his veto message, declaring
that "anv attemp. on the part of the President
to assert his constitutional power may under
pretence of law be met By official insubordna-
ton" is incorrect. We are glad to have the
Presidents Interpretation of his own words
No authority less than that of the writer could
explain them in any other than their obvious
sense-as threat TO interpose his authority in
the very matter which Congress had deliber-
ately and finally Withdrawn from his hands
Not only was the Presidents language APP
parently unmistakable, but the tenor of his
message had been clearly foreshadowed. On
Monday he had in structed the Senate that II
they disturbed his provisional governments
they must assume the debts of the Southern
States On Tuesday it was reported that he
was in violent rage and his friends were
afraid he would commit some folly. On We'd
nesday when the drift of the veto message had
become known to those who were in the Presl-
dents confidence, there was prepared in the
Office of the Executive organ in Washington
the National Intelligencer-an elaborate argu-
ment in favor of multiplying the new law. "The
questiOH, lno
it, lis whether the President has the right TO
treat as laws, in any actual instance, the sew
eral provisions of this bill that contemplate
their execution without his authority" The
purport Of the following paragraph is still
palmer: 7pt' y ''f '.'h a' aa'Hf
~ Ifenactments purporting to be in force in
the United States as law of the land,
which cannot be, because not executable by the
only iua wi ~ ny a
put into practical operation by persons pre-
tending to be their executives, and the opera
ton of these persons contravene or hinder in
any degree other laws really in force, nobody
cay pretend to doubt what the case is, what
the Presidents duty is, and " hat are the con-
sequences OF any ialtering or hesitation on his
part. When such q collision between the laws
and the unwarantabie authority of insurgents
or revoutionists Tor what are the same things,
executive officers not agents of the only execu-
tive,) actually arises, be the abstract merits OF
the controversy what they may, and be the
motives of the parties good or evil, it is certain
that public order is brought to the fearful ex-
tremfty of dependence for the time ON tile
courage, prudence and fidelity of one mantle
general magistrate OF the Union. .e.ga
p This seditious language appeared in the In
telligencer ON Thursday. Its meaning is toe
plain to admit of dispute. 1t means that if, in
the exercise ofthe powers conferred upon them
Wy OoH5ACSo,-- 1hc LiihtaIy ictl
compelled to set aside MIR. Johnson's provis-
ional officers, it will become the Presidents
duty" to interfere. On Friday came the veto
message, in which the President says, whilst
10 the obligation rests on me to SEQ that all the
laws are faithfully executed, L. can never
q soilaagly surrender the trust or the powers
given for its execution" 1t is the word twill
ingly"J which Mr.. johnson would now have
emphasized; but under the circumstances, nc
without his subsequent commentary, it was
natural to suppose he intended to assert and
maintain his right to execute the very laws
which Congress had decrced he should not ex-
ecute.- AE s'l lei'e4l- 7oi aHizl 2.h !
We have steadily maintained that so grave
step as an impeachment of the President
ought to be justified by the sravest reasons
Not for his opinions, not for his words, not tor
technical irregularities, ought this last remedy
to be invoked. But if proceeding from words
to acts, the President should place himself not
merely in opposition but in tdwless opposition
to Congress, as the Intelligeneer lastweek sug-
gestel there is not a Republican in the land
who would longer doubt how such an officer
should lie dealt WITH Hll4oA @19afpH aoA