Bloomsburg democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1867-1869, 1867-12-25
THE PRESIDENT,

| puDh8heu sn0uld 10 read with care aUd r6
8setion and especially, it should be read b,
Democrats, that they may learn Andrew
ichnson'a view Of the powers and duties ol
his office from, his own words. An exaniipa
ton Of his reasoning in this paper has, to
our mind brought strong conviction oil a
most unFathful course Of duty on his part,
and We shall yindicate this opinion by his
own arguments
FSyt-In speaking Of his duty to uphold
the Constitution he says:
How far the duty of the President ia
preserve, protect and defend the Constitu.
iion, requires him to go, in opposing an I'M
constitutional act Of Congress, is u very &c.
rious and important question, on which
have de'iberatcd much, and tolt extremely
anxious to reach proper conclusion. Il
y is true that cases may occur in which the
Executive would be compelled TO stand on
its rights and maintain them regardless of
consequences II Congress should pass an
act which is not only in palpable conflict
with the constitution, but will certainly, il
carried out, produce immediate and irrepar-
able injury TO the organic structure Of the
government, and if there be neither judicial
remedy for the wrongs it intlicts, nor the
| power in the people 10 protect themselves
Nithon. the official aid of their elected de-
fender; il, for instance, the legislative De
pertinent should pass an act, even through
oil tho forms Of law, to abolish = aco-oriinate
branch OF the government in such cases
the President must take the high RESPONSE
billie Of his office 10 save the life Of the
nation.
Now, ii seems to us, that ths obligation of
his oath, TO preserve, protect and defend
the Constitution OF the United States is
the measure Of his duty, AMI, if without
opposing Congress, he had not issued the
requisite orders to place the army in control
of the Southern States, the reconstruction
acts would have been imperative. In plain
terms, if Andrew johnson had kept the
sacred pledge he gave the people, on erter-
ing his Office, he would aot have o, dered the
Federal lorces to enter the South to carry
out the destructive policy Of the Radicals,
and the faction iu Congress might have
era, ted laws even moro infamous than tho2e
now in the books, but they would have been
powcr!ess 20 lo mis:hef. The ryal respoa.
at5tity Is miM The H'e$;asni NB Is e.cca-
ting these Unconstitutional i7ms qf Coa ?yess
There ~os 'aetJ.rJio,'@ialreme.!y' nor wps
IL IN "Nls rows' Of tie people, to sare clecea
sorere'Gn Stpice, parts g'he organic Lo1y
efMe Eaico. "ond tiar elected dcjcm3er"
did not .WeN his aid, ,pIish ,coata hare been
c6;ttuu' 10 p.'eserre he tnioH. Had he
done this duty, Congress would have been
rowerless, Lat to impeach him, aud we
know, now, thai such step would have fail
ed What would Andrew johnson What
would any true man have done
.Ssooaa-ln referring ,c pubic corruption
and to hi: duty TO see that the laws are faith
fully executed and to the restrictions put
upon him ~ the Tenure Of Oaice Bill,"
he says
''lt Is well trown that enormous f.auis
bay ,5cn HerpG'rateG an .he Trcasuly, and
that colossal fortunes have been made ut the
Nuiltii, nSlGGSc :
| am entirely persuaded that under such a
rule the President caunct p.Itg:w t,,c gIea!
duty "s>is"ed - na.ii .i. f,at it 'asaties i,T MIN
most especially irom enforcing that rigid nc.
coun!abliity which is necessary TO the due
execution Of the revenue laws. The Consti
tuition invests the President with authority
to T. dee decide whether removal shall bc made
II The Constitution makes him sole Judge III
The forced retention in Office Of a single dis
honest person may work great injury to the
public interest The danger to the public
service comes not from the power to remove,
but from the power to appoint Therefore
Il was that the trainers OF the Constitution
lett the power OF removal unrestricted, while
they gave the Senate the right to reject all
the appointments which in its opinion were
not fit to be made.
Has such condemnation ever bcf,ro fal. !
EN- from c maas own lips? Ike country
!ull Of corrupt oilicials, and the power to
remove them, one Of the Constitutional
powers Of the President given to him to pro-
lect the country, not exercised! 4 pa!tw !
nanceuvre Of a faction Of the Radical Lesis-
ature in making Il law to restrict power
given to the President by the Constitution, |
prevents the Chief Magistrate from perform
ng one o. his highest duties The ,nind
'cvQ.ts at such ahoainabla nohteasance.
Such is the exhibition which Andrew
Johnson has made in The administration Of
be government, and we feel that it will re.
Give the unbrohen condemnation of the
}emocracg; and let them look to it, that
heir candidate for this high Office shall be
nan who will he faithful to his oath ito
reserve, protect and defend the Constitu-
ion Of the United States" and who will
ave'the norvc to Go his duty at all hazards.
= -Luzer,as Union.
ss%es
NOAH p. SMITH ARREST Ed. will be
ocolected by our readers that upwards of
wo yoars ago--in February, lS65--one
amcs HcSic, an ofiicious character, employ
i as deserter catcher, was shot While
tempting to arrest deserter in Newton
ownship, Lnzcrne County. A reward of
y IL n