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

the nation.
Another reason for rctrncing our
steps will doubtless be seen by Con.
gress in the late manifestations Of
public opinion upon this subject. We
live in country whore popular will
always enforccs obedience to itself,
sooner or later 1t is vain to think
Of opposing il with anything short of
legal authority, backed by overwhelm-
ing force Ii cannot have escaped
your attention that, from the day on
which Congress fairly and formally
presented the proposition to govern
the Southern States by military force,
with a view TO the ultimate establish
ment Of negro supremacy, every ex-
preston Of the general sentiment has
been more or less averse 10 it. The
affections Of this generation cannot be
detached from the institutions of their
ancestors. Their determination 20
preserve the inheritance of free gov
ernment in their own hands, and trans
nit it undivided and unimpaired TO
their own pOstcrity, is too strong to
be successfully opposed. Every weak
er passion will disappear before that
love Of liberty and law for which the
American people are distinguished
above all others in the world.
How far the duty Of the President
"to preserve, protect and defend the
Constitution" requires him to 90 on
in opposing an unconstitutional act
Of Congress, is a very serious and inn
/ portant question, on which have de-
/ liberated much and felt extremely
anxious TO reach n proper conclusion.
Where an act has been passed accord
ing TO the forms Of the Constitution,
by the supreme legislative authority,
and is regularly enrolled among the
/ public statutes Of the country Execu-
tive resistance to it, especially in time
Of high party excitement, would be
likely TO produce violent collision be-
tween the respective adherants of the
two branches ofthe government. This
would be simply civil war. and civil
war must be resorted to only as The last
remedy for the worst Of evils. What
ever might tend to provoke it should
be most carefully avoided. A faithful
and conscientious magistrate will con
cede very much TO honest error and
something even to perverse malice,
before be will endanger the public
peace, and he will not adopt forcible
measures, or such as might lead to
force, rs long as those which are peace
able remain open to him or to his cou
stituonts.
II is true that case may occur IN
which the Executive would be com.
PEELED TO stand on it's rights, and main.
tain thsm regardless OF all conseque n
ces. If Congress should pass an act
which is not only inpalpable confic,
with the Constitution, but will Ger.
tainly, if carried out, produce immedi-
ate and irrcparable injury to The or
ganic structure of the government,
and if there be neither judicial rene.
dy for the wrongs il inflicts, nor power
IN the people to protect themselves
without the official aid OF their elected
defender if, for instance, the Legis-
lative Department should pass an
act, oven through all the forms ofIaw.
TO abolish coordinate department of
the government, in such a case the
President must take the high respons.
Utilities of his Office and save the life
of the nation ut all hazard.
The so-called Reconstruction acts.
though plainly unconstitutional as any
that can be imagined, were not believ
ed to be within the class last mention.
cd. The people were not wholly dis
armed OF the power of self defence. In
all the Northern States they still
held in their hands tho sacred rights
Of the ballot, aud it was safe to believe
that in due time they would come TO
the rescue of their own institutions.
1t gives me pleasure to add that the
appeal to our common constituency
was not taken in vain, and that my
confidence in their wisdom and virtue
seems not to have been misplaced.
Ii is well and publicly known that
enormous frauds havo been perpe.
trated on the Treasury, and that co,
lossal fortunes have been made nj
the public expense; this species of
corruption hasinereascd is Increasing
and, if not diminished, will soon bring
us into total ruin and disgrace. The
public creditors and the taxpayers are
alike interested in an honest admins.
tration Of the finances, and neither
class will long endure the high-handed
robberies thSt have recently occurred.
For this discreditable state of things
there are several causes. Some of the
taxes are so laid as to present an irro-
slstible temptation TO elude payment.
The great sums which officers may
win by eonnivance at fraud, create a
pressure which is more than the viz
tue Of many can withstand, and there
can be no doubt that the open dis.
regard Of constitutional obligations
avowed by some of the highest and
most influential men in the country,
has greatly weakened the moral sense
of those who serve in subordinate
places. The expenses of the United
States, including interest on the pub
lie debt, are more than six times as
much as they were seven years ago.
To collect aud disburse this vast
amount requires careful supervision,
as well as systematic vigilance. The
system, never perfected, was much
disorganized by the "Tonure of Office
bill" which has almost DESTROYED
official accountability. The President