Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1867-12-19

the region of prophecy, but | believe
we can understand the logic OF prop
ositions, which the President has laid
down in his last message, and else
where lead TO certain conclusions, If
they are acted upon. Whether they
will bc acted upon cannot say. The
first proposition is that, under some
circumstances, measure may be in
his judgment so unconstitutional that
he will violate the law. i say that ia
the assumption of the President
The Constitution authorizes Congress
to pass bills when they have been
passed by or presented to the Presi-
dent for his approval or rejection. If
he objects to the bills for constitution
al or other reasons, he returns it TO
the House where it originated, and
that exhausts his power in the mat
ter. If both houses afterwards pass
it by two-thirds vote it becomes a
law, and until it is repealed or anullcd
by the Supreme Cout, he has but one
duty, and that is to obey it.
1.-THE same law applies to Boutwell, 4 Col
Mr. Boutwell, referred TO Mr.. John.
sons opinion that black men have no
right to vote, and intimates that sol
diers would be used at the polling in
the South to prevent their voting. If
that logic were followed, the next
Presidential election would be, in his
judgment, held amid the horrors of
civil war, aud the next Inauguration OF
a President would take place amid
the blaze of cannon. Referring to
the tenure-of.office act, he said that
under the law it was substantially i'm
possible 20 collect taxes and that the
essential provisions of it might be
changed.
In conclusion he said am pre-
pared to accept the judgment of this
House apatriotc judgment. | shall
wait for the teaching Of events. do
not despair of a great people. They
can endure great trials they can
overcome obstacles. If we err, they
even through the suffcrings caused,
will assert finally the authority of the
justice and the majesties of the law.
Let nothing be done under the in
huencc of passion, prejudice, or polit-
ical excitement; but the vindication
of the laws is duty, and it often
falls to the lot of a party to perform
it. My own convictions are clear. /
see my country just emerging from
civil war, distracted, torn, and bleed
ing her people heavily taxed and
the public revenue plundered; her
credit impaired, so that in the market
of Europe she is associated with Aus
tria, Turkey, and Spain. Millions of
her people, but recently in rebellion,
still, bold, defiant, and aggressive; and
millions more loyal, dutiful, and hope
ful, too, even when peril menaces, af-
ter two years Of struggle, still with.
out security and all this, / believe,
in consequence of the doings and de.
signs of the President of the United
States. Can / hesitatey z Can / yield
my Judgment to circumstances which
in the nature of the case, must be tenn
porary z ! will not ask this House to
do its duty. That would be indeco.
rous in me. 1t will do its duty, and
its duty will have been equally per
formed whether the result harmonize
with my Judgment OF not; but | may
look beyond the present, and assume
that that will be. done which in my
Judgment and conscience, think
ought TO be done. Consider how all
the affairs of the country would be
changed andimproved. Civil govern
menG would be restored speedily TO
ten States the civil rights of all the
people would be recognized and made
secure the loyal would exercise the
great principle of selfgovernment
safe in their own ground, and in the
benign protection of the National
Government those recently in rebel.
lion would soon be restored 10 all their
political privileges; industry would
be honorcd and well recompensed
production, consumption, and trade
immensely developed; the revenues
of the country collected public plum
der no longer fostcred as an art tax.
es reduced; the public debt so re-
duced that the question depending
upon the value of our currency would
be settled without disturbance or vi.
olcnt legislation the army reduced
and the power of the nation so aug
mented and everywhere respected, as
that a single ship Of war would pro
tect the commerce of the Mediterrane.
an and the Gulf of Mexico. These
things are not and cannot now be, be.
cause the President is not clear in bis
high Office, disrogarding ne he does.
the injunction of the Constitution
which requires him to take care that
the laws be faithfully executed. Sc
mighty is the machinery of the Gov
ernment that the weight of the Prcsi-
dents hand upon the central lever af-
fects the fortune of every citizen.
With a hundred and fifty millions in
the Treasury, and unlimited power to
SIMULATE or disburso, a nod of his
head makes his friends prosper while
his enemies perish. In the presence
of this power, and surrounded as we
are with evidences of the evil results
of policy which we have so long toll
Grated but never approved, are we "a
hesitate, TO delay, TO abandon the
field, in the hope that by other means
and by other agencies the final re
demption of the nation is to be Sc
curcdg
Believing that Andrew Johnson is
guilty of high crimes and misdemean
ors, | have asscnted TO, and by the
direction OF a majority Of the Commit
tee on the Judiciary reported reso-