The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1867-12-12

stead OF being, rs II ough, TO be, a source oil
wealth and power, IL will become an iutole-
tAtt burden upon the rest Of The nation.
Another pasOn for IetractiDg our sttps will,
doubtless, be seen by Congress in the late
Manifestations Of public opinion upon this
subjnct. We live in a country where the pom
ulRr will always %eniotces obedience 10 Itself
sooner OF later. II lie vain to think of oppos-
lug il with anything short Of legal authority
backed by overwhelming force. 1t cannot
have escaped your attention that trom the day
90 which Congress fairly and formally PIE
sented The proposition to govern the Southern
Ststes by military force, with q view to the
ultimate establishment Of negro supremacy,
every expression Of general sentimen, has been
more or less averse TO IL. The affection OF
this generation cannot be detached from the
institutions OF their ancestors. Their deter
minRlion to preserve the inheritance VI fee
governments! 10 their own hands, and transmit
IL, undivided and unimpaired, to their own
posteriiy, is too slror q 10 be successfully op.
posed. Every weaker passion will dis"T.ear
before the love OF liberty and Law, for NLicl
the American people are distinguished above
all others in the world. How far the duty Of
lie President 10 preserve, protect sud defend
ihe Constitution, requires him to 60 IN oppo-
sing m unconstitutional act Of Congre ?. IS a
very serious and important question, Old which
Lave deiiberated much, and felt extremely
anxious TO reach a proper conclusion.
When an act has been passed. according TO
the forms Of the Constitu ton by the supreme
legislative authority Of the country, Execu
tive resistance to il. especially in times Of high
patty excitement, would be likely to prrduce
q violent collision between tue respective nd,
herente OF ihe two BRANCHES OF The Govern
ment.
This would he simply civil war, and civil
war must be resofted to only ss u last remedy
Tor the worst OF evils. Whatever might tend
10 provoke il, should be most carefully avoided
A faithful and conscientious magistrate will
concede very much to honest error, something
even to perverse malice. before he will Gu
danger the public peace; aud he will cot adopt
forcible measures OF such ~ might lead TO
force, % long as chances which are peactable
remain open to him or 10 his constituents.
II is true that cases may occur in which the
Executive would tc compelled 10 s,OLd on its
I,shts aud maintain them, regardless Of con,
EequeLccs. IL Congress should pass an oct
uhIch lie not only in palpnble cor fict with the
Constitution, but will certainly, # carried out,
produce immediate i.iepar-b Bile injury to the
organic structure OF the Government, and il
here be neither Judicial remedy for the wrongs
It i%Dhicls, nor power 10 thc people to protect
themselves without The tficiIl aid OF their
elected defenders. II, Tor Instance the legislo.
tive department should pass an act even though
observing all the forms VI law, 10 abolish a CO.
ordinate department. Of the Government. IN
such o Gaze the President must take the high
responsibilities OF bis Office, aud save The lie
fthc nation at all hOzards.
The so called reconstruction oc's, though
a. plainly uDconsti'u,iona as any that can DC
imagined, were not believed to be within the
class last mentioned. The people we're not
wholly disarmpd OF the power Of self-defense.
10 all the Northern States, they still held in
their hands the sacred right nj the bolloi and
it vas sale 10 believe thai, ia due time, they
would come 10 he rescue Of their own instiS
~iulions.
II gives me pleasure 10 add that the appeal
~ our common constituents was not taken in
vain and that my confidence in their wisdom
aud virIus seems not TO have been misplaced.
IL 10 we'll aud publicly known that enor.
nous fraud: have beer pcrpo,ratld on the
Treasury, nnd Tint colossal fortunes have
been made at public expense. This species OF
corrupuOu nee Iucteased, Is Increasing, aud, il
not diminished. vii! socn hriLg rs Into total
rain aud disgra ce. Public ca editors and tax-
payers are alike interested In an honest I'D,
miuistration Of The finances, ard neither class
will long endure the large handed roberits Of
the recent past.
For this screlitable state OF things there
are several causes. Some Of the taxes are 80
laid ss 10 present an irresistible temptation TO
evade payment. The great sums which Off
Gers may win by connivancu at fraud create
q pressure which is more than the virtue of
many con Withstand; and there can be no doubt
That the open Disregard Of constitutional obli>
m ra..nz aNFAugnl 80 1900. 81 ~ -
mos, Influential VI 10 the country has greatly
w'ekcrrd The mcrel sense Of .hoso who serve
~ a subordinate place.
The expenses Of the United States. irclud-
Ing the interest on the public debt. NE more
than SIX LINES as much 10 they we're seven
years ago. To collect and dishutse this vast
-moust. requires careful! supery ision as well as
Systematic vigilance. The svAtem never per-
fected, was much lisOrg2nizyd by tie Tenure
nt-otilee Lag, which hRs almost destroycd ofi>
cial accountability.
The President may be thoroughly convinced
That an officer is incapable, dishonest, or nm.
faithful to tue Constitution, bat, under the
law which have banned, the utmost Le can
do is TO complain to tie Senate Gnd ak The
privilege OF supplying hia place with q better
mon. If the Senate be regardedas personally
ar practically hostile IN the President, il is
natural, aud not altogether unreusouab,e, Tor
90 officer to expect tLai It will take his part as
far As possible, restore him to his place, and
give bin a triumph ever hi executive SUI
psrior.
lhe officer has other chances Of impunily,
arising from accidental DEFICITS Of evidence,
the mode Of Investigating II, aud the secrecy
Of bearing il. II 10 not wonderful that lniciaI
mslieasHnce should become bold ia proportion
- de,i1quenls learn to think themselves safe.
am entirely persuaded that, under such a
rule, the President cannot perform the groat
duty assigned to him of seeing The laws isilh.
fully executed, md that it disables him most
especially from enforcing that rigid accounta-
bility which is necessary to a due execution OF
the revenue laws.
The Constitution invests the President with
authority 10 decide whether a removal shall be