The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1867-03-06

the first heat Of it's subsidence, words
were proper to be said which would be
utterly improper in time of peace. "
put a broken limb in splints to hold II
quiet whether the patient will or no; but
to insist on holding thc splints there when
the limb is restored, or when further
examination shall Have proved that the
wounds, though deep were only flesh
wounds leaving the bones uninjured
would not be wise surgery, but cruelty ;
not craftsmanship, but barbarous usurra-
tion. -''
81 am accused of usurping power, when
my whole life has been one continual bat
tie against the tendency of Bureaucracy
or aristocracy-the concentration of pow
er in the hands Of the few. ! was accu-
scd of usurping power for my veto OF
the first Freedman Bureau bill, although
that veto was voluntary putting. away
from rue Of u patronage and power more
unlimited than was ever previously offer
ed to. any President! | am for holding
all possible power in the hands OF the
people permanently; Lam in favor of nj
" Ways IS finding the minimum of power nc
cessary to be delegated to any officials, or
to the General Government, and only al
lowing that minimum to be given.
"But look, even at this bifl Of Senator
tShcrman's, and see what it does, or pro-
poses doing? 1t is only less objectiona-
BILE than the House BILL in that il Goes
not openly supersede the President, rep
resenting the civil power, i'll favor Of the
General commanding the armies of the
United States. But it violates the con-
sttutional provision guaranteeing a re-
publican foru of government, &hd sub
stitutcs a military despotism over the
lately, revolted States. 1t DISTINGUISHES
nearl J allthe intelligent whites, and gives
universal suffrage to the ignorant blacks,
thus overriding the provision That each
State shall determine who shall be enti-
tied to its suffrage. l., 1t also nullifcs the
constitutional amendments, by practically
declaring the existing governments OF the
Southern States illegal, SO that their adop-
ton Of the amendments must be without
validity.
"Evcrywhcre there is q tendency to
substitute the government as the. source
of power, instead Of the people,; and it
is against this tendency l am at issue.
The Sherman bill denies the writ Of haJe-
as corpus, whenever such shall be the
pleasure of an arbitrary military COM
mandcr, in whose power to rule over
them the people Of the subjugated district
shall have no voice. 1t also strikes down
the right of early trial by a civil court,
and by nuy of the peers of the accnsod.
In fact, ID fundamentally tproots all those
popular and constitutional guarantees Of
freedom which. .wcro .oxtcrrcd from King
John by the Barons of England in. the
signature Of Magma CtartG-that basis
Of our common law 49, e.. 49, ...
"It,is for the, principles of our common
law and common justice, and for the
rights of the whole people as against
what is called the government that |
am to-day eontcnding. it is for this I
am called q 'usurper, while the fact is, it
is because l will not usurp power, nor
have excessive power thrnst upon me, if
1 can help it, that this War has been made
upon me. l challenge the production Of
a'single act in my whole administration
which has aimed toincrease authority
as President. Even in constructing pro-
vsional governments for the Southern
States-also denounced as one eof my
'flagran tusurpations the object evident
ly was to divest the national government
Of it's ccntralizing power, and restore that
power as aearly and promptly as circum-
stances would permit, to the people of the
various ex-rebel States. ...
'The South is to-day in Our hands, Il
beaten, helpless, well nigh hopeless coun-
try, and the power we WELD should be
held as sacred trust. We should not
use it vindictively. l will not argue be-
cause we profess to be- Christians, and
these men are our brothers; but, if on nc
higher ground. then upon the ground of
seifinterest. All the Legislation proposed
for the South, proposes to multiply Offices
at, the expense of the General Govern
ment, while not adding tho productions
| of Southern industry to the general stock
tor the redemption of our national debt
and the support Of our annual burdens:
My object is to reduce the assumed and
really usurpational powers forced on the
General Government dtirihg the war,
powers that were then essential to meet
desperate emergency; but which can
not much longer be continued without
vitiation to tho whole fabric and theory
of our representative and popular system.
"What Congress in its wisdom may see
fit to do, 1 cannot say; but my own
course is clear I shall exercise every
function Of my Office in defence of the
people ind their rights; according to the
best judgment that Heaven, has endowed
me with [ shall exercise all laws scru-
pulously, and perhaps most scrupulously
those which have been passed against my
judgment and over my veto. Hut for all
such legislation, Congress must bear the
undivided responsibility; and the day can
not be lar distant in which the terrible