American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1867-10-09
The Main Question.

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ed to answer. He calls his will the
Constitution, aud his persistence obedi-
ence to the Constitution. But by what
authority does the President insist that
his view of the Constitution shall prevail
after Congress has declared against his
view in the manner which the Constilu.
tion prescribes When Congress has
passed law of approved a policy TO
which the Presipeut objects that, in his
judgment, it is not constitutional, Con>
gress must reconsider its determination,
and can not max it lawful except by a
majority Of twothirds But when that
is done the President has but two con-
stitutional alterDaatise,- is resigna-
ton, and the other is faithful exocu
tion of the law.
These are the most elementary truths
of our political system, aud the inten>
ton of the Constitution is evident 1t
is to avoid conflict of authority 1t is
to con6ne the President to purely ex-
ecutive function when his objections
have failed to defeat the law. An hon
orable man of profound convictions, who,
as President, had yainly opposed what
he deemed fatally unconstitutional and
perilous to the country might resign, and
by his resignation impress upon the
country, as nothing else could, the gray
ity of the emergency. But no ho1ora'
able m an, who, as President, had object
ed in vain, and who dill nor resign,
would attempt, either directly or iidi.
rectly, to thwart the will of the people
in Congress constitutionally expressed.
To do that would be to attempt a revo-
luton, and that is precisely what the
President is now attempting. He has
not, indeed, as yet technically violated
the law, but he is hedging and tempo
rizing so that the law my be violated
and he is responsible, with the Demo
cratic party supporting him for the par
alysis which has fallen upon the subject
of reconstruction. Let MS Sc how.
Congress has passed law providing
for registry and election in the late rebel
States The President vetoed the law.
He declared that he thought it wholly
unconstitutional aud destructive of civil
liberty. Congress passed the law over
his veto. Instead of resigning or faith>
fully executing the law in its spirit and
for its declared purpose, the President
began to prevaricate, to perplex, and to
denounce. He repeats in public and in
private his conviction that Congress is
virtually reasonable to the Constitution,
and appeals, as he says, to the people
against Congress that is to say he ap
peals to the people against their repre~
sentatives. Such course plunges the
whole country into confusion. The Pres.
ident arrays himself against a law con-
enacted issues proclama-
tions and makes removals of officer in
tended to defy and delay the will of the
country as expressed by Congress, upon
the ground that Congress does not rep
resent the people, aad that he, elected
two years before Congress, does represent
them. This brings him into an attitude
of hostility to Congress, which the Con
does not contemplate, and which
no honorable officer would assume. So
long as that hostility lasts it is impossi
BILE to iorsee its issue 1t will depend
very much upon the personol character
of the President whether it will not end
in violence. Meanwhile it is impossible
for the the country to become Tranquil.
Industry and trade are both disturbed.
The States in question are universally
agitated Immigration ceases. Capital
refuses to invest The spirit of rebell-
ious hate to the Government and the
Union is kept awake. a true loyalty is
discreGited and depressed, and the so.
cial disturbances of the war are reindefnite
ly prolonged.
This is precisely the situation into
which the President has thrown the
country. Instead of resiguing he has
chosen to remain and TO evade the exc.
cution of the law, hoping that reaction
might arise which would justify him in
his opposition to the law. In other
words, he erects his will as law, aud de
fics Congress and the Constitution. Now
what onePresident does another President
may do. IF upon difference between
the Executive and Congress the Execu-
tive may defeat the operation of law,
the whole government is substantially
concentrated in him. Do the people of
this country mean to approve such a
view On the contrary, if the present
situation it fairly understood by them,
there is no conceivable doubt that they
would express themselves as they have
during the war and in the last years
election.
1t is to this point that we would draw
public attention The State elections,
locally important as they may be, are, of
necessity, in the present situation of the
country, mainly significant in their ma
tional relations. This may be matter
of Iegret, but it is nevertheless a fact,
and we must deal with it, If The party
which does not agree with the President
that Congress is "a body hanging upon
the verge of the Government" should be
defeated even upon the local State issues
the President would not fail to regard it
as popular decision in his favor, and he
would wage his war with Congress more
fercely than ever. The one point, then,
which should be plainly kept in view by |
the country, and constantly and earnest
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