The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1867-07-27
The Last Presidential Message.

Essss u i.as- =. siit1ts stse5
a,The Veto Of the s, second Supplementary :, Act,
after repeating the objections previously urged
against the conssitutionality of the Reconstruc-
ton programme df Congress, concludes .sith
the following remarks:s .t5.49g
fssWithin aspcrioda less than year the logisa-
tionFofe Congress has attempted to strip the
Executive department. of the .Governments;oi Of
some Of, it's essential powers. The Constitution
land the oath provided in it, deyolyes upon tho
President the poweriand the dutysso sec that
the laws are faithfully yscxccutcda; The .Consti,s
tuition, in order to carry out this power, gives
him the choice of the agents, and inaies them
subject tos his control apd supervision. But ia
| tho execution of these laws the constitutional
obligation upon the President rcl.lains, but the
power to exercise that constitutional duty is cf.
tcctually taken away.
The military commander is, as to the power
Of appointment, mudc to take the place Of the
President, and the. general of the army the
place of the Senate, and any attempt on tho
part OF the President to assert his own .consti-
tutional powers may, under pretcncc of law, be
met by official ainsubordination. Il is to be
feared that. these military officers, looking to
the authority given by these laws, rather than
to the letter or the constitution, will recognize
no ;apthe erity but the commander of tho district
end the general of the army.
!, IF there were no other objection than this to
this proposed legislation it would be sufficient.
Whilst hold the chief executive authority Of
the United States, whilst the obligation rests
upon me to see that all the laws arc faithfully
executed, ] can never willingly surrender that
trust, or the power given for its execution.
|. I can never give my, assent to be made re-
sponsible for the. faithful execution of laws and
at the same time, surrender that trust and the
powers which accompany it to any other execu-
tive officer, high or low, Or u any number Of
executive officers.
If this executive trupt, vested by the consti.
tuition in the President is to be taken from him
andsyested in a.subordinate officer, the respon-
sihility will be with Congress in clothing the
subordinate with unconstitutional power, and
with the officer who assumes its exercise. This
interference with the constitutional authority
of.the executive department. is an OWL that
will inevitably sap the foundations of our fedc-
raj system but it is not tho worst evil of this
legislation. 1t is great public wrong to take
from the President powers conferred upon him
alone by the constitution, but the wrong is
more fragrant and more dangerous when tho
powers 80 taken from tho Presidort are confer
rcd upon subordinate executive officers. Over
nearly one third lof the States of the. Union
military power regulated by no 6xod law, rules
supreme.
Each one Of these five district commanders,
though not chosen by tho people or responsible
to them, exercise at this hour more executive
power, military and civil, than the people hayo
ever boon willing to confer upon the head of
the executive department, though not chosen
by and responsible to themselves, j, The remedy
must comeipfrom' the people themselves.
Fhoy. know what il is, and how tits to applied.
Attic presont time they cannot, according to
the constitution, repeal these laws, they
cannot remove eaorstontrsl this military dcspo.
tism The remedy, nevertheless, is in their
hands iait ID to besfound in the ballot, and is
sure one, If not controlled by fraud, overawed
by arbitrary power or from. apathy-on their