Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-11-21
THE POWERS OF CONGRESS AND
OF THE president

The Radicals are beginning to see that
their acts Of usurPation in dopriving the
President OF his constitutional powers,
may return to plague the inventors. 1t
interesting to witness the changed tone
in which they discuss the duties and
powers OF Congress and of the President,
now that they have succeeded in electing
Gen. Grant. It is remarkable that so
soon after the result Of the election is
known, they discover that the President
has great powers under the constitution,
and that as the head Of a coordinate
branch of the government, he is not
subject to the control Of Congress, and
that Congress is not the supreme power
in this country. This is advancing quite
rapidly, considering that these same Radi-
Gals have hedged round President John
son with one law after another, until
they have completely denuded him Of
every power conferred upon him to enable
him to protect the people and enforce the
laws. President johnson is powerless to
remove a corrupt official from any depart
ment Of the government. He may
suspend for malfcasance in Office, but
the Senate may restore such officer,
as it has done. These laws will
place Gen. Grant when he be =.
comes President in a very awkward
position, and those who clamored loudest
for the laws which practically struck
President johnson down, are now ear
nest in demanding that the future Presi-
dent be left free to act as the constitu-
ton intended he should The Boston
Traveller is one Of the Radical journals
that has soltcned down very materially
on this question Of the relative powers
Of Congress and the President. That
journal declares that the President IS
not a nOneutity, but an officer who IS
clothed with great powers, and who is as
independent Of Congress as that body Is
OF him" This is an assumption that
could not ha9c been extorted from a
Radical journal six months ago, vet it IS
no more = fact to-day than it was then,
but it Is simply an illustration Of how
success will open the eyes Of partisans.
| The TrarCYer refers TO well known
incident in the history of Washington's
administration, in support Of the position
that a President can carry through
measures to which Congress is opposed,
and which are not liked by the country,
thing that was done by Washington,
but could not Sc done 10y johnson
under the same constitution. Presid-
dent Washington carried through
the British treaty negotiated by Mr..
Jay, though it was perhaps the
most unpopular measure that was ever
presented to the American people when
it was first published. When this treaty
was pending before Congress, the House
Of Representatives requested Of the Pre-
sident copies Of the instructions to Mr..
jay, and the correspondence and other
papers that related to the treaty, by a
vote Of 81 to 81; but Washington refused
to comply with the request Of the House.
| The vote in Committee of the Whole on
the resolution in favor Of the treaty was
a tic-49 70 49-and it was carried only
by the casting vote OF the chairman,
who voted against the party and it
finally passed the House by vote
Of IL to As. 1t was the power Of
the President that pushed the treaty
through in the face of the hostility Of a
majority Of the House Of Representa-
tivcs. II it be correct TO say that the
President is nothing but an officer TO
execute the will Of Congress, Washing