The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-07-23
THE DEBATE ON THE VETO.
THE &c. iEFIANT" MESSAGE.

| Mr.. johnson (Md.) called for the reading OF the
message, and it was read by the Chief Clerk, MT.
| McDouald. .
At the conclusion of the reading, Mr.: Trumbull
| (Rep. ILL., rose and said: The extraordinary posi-
tions assumed in that message, and, as thlnk'
ndefensible positions, might well call for reply.
I think most of the pos .tions assumedIlndeeo,
all OF them, so far as We know-.denying the au-
thority of Congress topass this bill, are indefensl-
BILE; but there indisposition In the Senate 70
have it's time occupied with this discussion.
it be the pleasure Of the Senate to vote upon IL az
once, 1 shall forego any remarks that under other
circumstances, should feel inclined to make. II
it be the pleasureof the Senate, I will not detam
Cries of "Question" from several Senators. -,
The Chair then put the question: shall the Dill
pass the Presidents objections notwiths tanding ?"
| The result was as follows Democrats itahc; John-
sonites small caps): -,,,.-
YEAs.Anthony, Cattell Chandler C9nkhng' nhtlg'
| Cragn Edmunds, Fessenden, Fowler, Frelnghuy-
| sen, Grimes Harlan, Henderson, Howard, Nor
gan, Morrill, (Me.), Nye, Patterson IN. Il. Pome-
roy, Ramsey Ross, Sherman, Sumner, mayer
Upton, Trumbull, Van Wnkle, Wade, Wiley, Will
son, Yates-30.
NAYs-Bayard, Buckalev, Daois, Hendricks,
johnson, PATTERSON Tenn. )-6.
ABSENT Oh NOT voTNG-Cameron, Cole, Conness,
Corbitt, DIXON, DooLITTLE, Drake. Ferry Gutlrae,
Howe, Morrill, (Vt.l Morton, NohToN, sawsou'y'
The Chair announced that the bill having been
passed over the veto by q vote OF tWo-thlrds OF
eeeh House, was law. -
The reading of the veto message having been
concluded, the Speaker stated that the objections
of tho President would be entered at length on the
journal in compliance with the Constitution
Mr.. Stevens (Rep., Pa.) roee and said that ne
was disposed to have the vote on the quesnHon az
| once. He was not aware that there was any dispo-
sition to discuss it, and presumed the House was
prepared to vote on the arguments OF the Presl-
dent. II. there was any such desire, he did not
know but few moments might be very well spent
in that way. IA general desire was here manifest
ed on the Republican side for the vote to be taken
| at once.1 Mr.. Stevens said he preferred that tpe
previous question should be caled-lA, VOICE,
s.Take the vote land that the bill be sent to tho
Senate, and passed, so that members could go
home, and leave the Judiciary Committee behind
to perform its dirty diligently for the impeachment
Of the President This last remark was uttered
ironically, and caused some laughter.
M. Boutwell, (Rep., Mass.) asked MIR. stevens
TO Weld the floor to him. Mr.. Stevens complied,
and Mr.. Boutwell, addressed the House. He said
this message is so extraordinary in some OF its
declarations that it ought not to go to the country
and the world without some declaration OF the ef-
feet which it has on at least ono mind here. 1t
convinces me, indeed, Of that of which had but
little doubt BEFORE that there is no relief for this
country from the oppression which, through tn the
instrumentaiity of that man has rested ON l2UOO-
600 Of people, and which has been only temporarily
removed by the measures against which he, IN his
document yainly protests except in the assertion OF
that great oyef which resides in this House, andis
nowhere else and for the neglect TO exercise which
the people OF this country will hold us to account,
and posterity which will not be inundated by the
fears that seem to control us, We hesitate to ar
ray this man for the crimes Of which he is accused
before the country, and, IN my Judgment, gmiEy;
and to ascertain whether that provision OF the
Constitution which gives the power OF Smpeacns
to this House is now and forever to be dead pro
vision. This President OF tho United Sta tes in this
document ,ys; While hold the executive
authority Of the United Statea, willie the obhga-
tion rests me to see that all the laws are faith
fully executed, can never willingly surrender that
trust, or the power given for it's execution" In
that sentence he speaks Of the law which he now
opposes, and the law Of March 23d last which
Congress- passed over his veto, and made the gu.
never WILLINGLY surrender the au.hority Of the
Chief Executive of the country, it resting on him
to see that all the laws are faithfully executed.
He holds that his version Of the Constitution is.
the supreme law, binding on him, and that ne WILL
set at defiance those acts Of the Congress- Of the
United States, and set at defiance this bill, which
now but asHits the constitutional sanction OF the
two Houses to make i the law Of the land The Fl
Constitution has made it his duty TO see that tho
rogative, declares TO be Law, is law to him, as
we'll as to the lumblest citizen Of the Republic,
until by the'Suppeme C0pFtit has been declared
otherwise he has taken an oath to suPport, I :, tho
provision OF which is that the President shall
Zee That the laws are faithfully executed II
there be any meaning in the document just read,
it is that he viii not execute this law, although We
Rs RwSeh IS x s sSs
and with which it is as much o law as though ne
had willingly and freely given ithis ascent Now,
then, say, once fof all, that man who, by the
exercise unconstitutional epth9rty for sTelyo sslH
sled throughout ten or eleven States OF the Qo9=
federacy-a man who has declared on the public
record that he will set at naught your law, which
declares that no. man shall be appointed TO- office
a5s tssss @ sssSg5sa BY tine stasq1e
tentionaly set aside that law. and appointed men
to Office and given them compensation for their
services who did nottake that oath, but who, ss
hsf we'll knew, when he appointed them, could
tine crime that Lthsn rested on their souls,
cannot be freely intrusted with power. do
not go over: the -atguments contained. IN the
Message, We are here sentinels on the watch-
towers of Freedom We see the principle Sf Of ao
Ieals to the people to assist him in the struggle.
The people Will stand by the constituted authors
ties Of the country; but, whether we stand or
fall in this contest it is our duty to resist the usur,
carry the country through eighteen months lens
ger, possibly. The English people might have
lived under James .If.-the American colonies
might have longer rested under George I'LL, but
for themselves and their posterity they demanded
the constitutional rights OF ireemen, and those
rights they secured. We see here an executive
usurpation through period Of twenty-four
months, Setting at defiance the law, and doing
acts in violation Of the constituted authorities OF
the country, and all with impunity, and we set
here questioning whether we will devote few
months time to the examination of tho grave
charges that have been made against this offender,
against liberty, and law, and Justice, and the Con-
stitution, and the Union. While We debate here
So H., nofd dar
and delay, precedents are established by
which men mob worse than this man will find au.
thority for invading popular rights in other years
and other ages. Our duty as we represent hls-
tory and ancestry -our duty, as We contemplate
the demands which posterty will make on us, in
my judgment, is here to investigate fairly, fully,
faithfully and without delay, the charges that are
made against the Executive Of the country, and il
they be, in the judgment OF the House, well
founded, to arraign him deliberately, but prompt,
ly, prosecute the trial according to the forms OF
proceeding, and If but by one day his constitu-
tional term be shortened by the judgment OF the
Senate, liberty will be preserved, and tho country
through coming ages, and mankind through cen
turies, will bless that people and the representa-
tiyes Of that people who had the courage, as they
merged from great war, to demand JUSTICE TO
preserve the Constitution, to protect liberty, and
to transmit popular rights to other nations,
Mr. Randall (Dem., Pa would like the chance
to meet the impeachers before the people, He
should like to meet them face to face, right In the
enemy's camp. He asserted that they did not
mean to impeach the President; they. did not dare
to do it. What had the President done taal he
should Be impeached2 Had he not been honest,
faithful, diigent and correct in every particular
Let them, then, il they dare, attempt to impeach
the President.
MIR. Butler (Rep., Mass. ~ would not ask the
House to pause in what we all understand to be
our primary duty, if the message which VIC have
just heard did not seem to me to require single
remark or two, first. upon its tone and second as
to some assertions OF fact. do not propose to
protest. IN the name Of the people, and in the
name Of The House of Representatives., against
the Executive slandering tho Congress Of
the United States, by declaring to rs
in an official paper that we have put upon
more intolerant than ever was borne by any other
people give the exact meaning, if not the exact