Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-11-21

who had presided over the labors Of the
convention that made the national con-
stitution, fatty told the House that it had
nothing to DO with the making of trea-
ties, and that he would not comply with
its request which, it should be added,
was very like demand, and had been
made by SO large majority of the Rep
rcsentatives that it was only four short OF
two-thirds of the members who voted.
The Traveller, commenting on this incl
dent, asks very pointedly: "IfWashington
was right in resisting the House of Re-
personalities in 1885, is It not going too
far in 1868, to talk as if the President of
the United States was a sort of consta-
BILE, who can act only by orders of
court called Congress, and who is to reign
for four years only on condition that he
shall never attempt to rule p The
Traveller adds: president jackson ex> /
ercised the veto power on many impor-
tant occasions, and with success, and he
was sustained by the people. If the new
doctrine is sound, he was usurper, and
should have been impeached; but he
was nothing of the kind, for he never
went beyond the constitution, finding
in that instrument ample warrant for all
that he did. A difference Of opinion may
exist as to the wisdom Of his action on
some occasions, but there can be no doubt
that he had acted on all those occasions
with strict regard to his oath. He was
an honest man, and as incapable of vio-
lating the constitution as he was Of be-
having in a cowardly manner" This
defense of Gen. Jackson sounds rather
strangely from journal that has hereto
fore justified the course that the present
Congress has pursued toward President
johnson. The argument of the Travel
Ter against the usurpation of power by
Congress is as strong and emphatic now,
since there is q probability that the De-
mocrats may control the House of Rep
resentatives during the second half OF
Grants administration, as were the argu-
ments of the Democrats when the
President was being deprived OF
his power by an INSCRIPTIONS Radical
majority in the House of Representa-
tives. We give this Radical protest
against this usurpation, for such it is, that
the reader may understand upon what
ground the restoration.of the presidential
Office its power and dignity is made in
view of the fact that it is to be occupied
by a man elected by the Radicals The
Traveller says:
There is one point in connection with
this subject that ought to be duly con-
sidered before men agree to the position
that the President must obey Congress,
and have no opinions that shall not be
acceptable to that august body. 1t he IS
to take law from Congress, he must do SO
under all political conditions. lfhe is to
submit to a Republican Congress, he
must also submit to a Democratic Con-
gress; and the last House of Representa-
tives of President Grants first term may
contain Democratic majority. The next
House Of Representatives will contain a
Republican majority, but its successor
may be placed under Democratic control
Should the Democrats gain in 1901 as
many Representatives in proportion as
they have gained or will gain in lS6S-G9
= the House must be theirs. Then the
reconstruction of Virginia, Mississippi
and Texas, will be very favorable in the
way Of increasing their Congressional
strength. Now, suppose the House o.
Representatives that will come into exist
t ence in 1871 should contain Democratic
, maiority.-must President Grant bow
down before it, and prepare to execute its
, DEGREES, whether he shall believe them
t to be wise or foolish, constitutional or
@ unconstitutional, legal or illegal /
! such should not be his duty, what be-
comes Of the assertion that Congress rules
. the country? No man can have the face
3 to say that, while the President IS bound
0 to obey Congress when his own party
: / CO0lIOA
-. when it is controlled by his political foes
= That would be to assume that our gov.
d eminent exists for parties, and not fol
G the people. If Congress is the supreme
I power of the State, it is so without re
! gard to its party character and
a Republican Congress can command
+ the President, and direct him to Dc
Q or to leave undone certain matters,
: Democratic Congress can pursue the sam
course, and compel him to be its tool II
3D., reversing the work Of its immediate pre-
u decessor. We must take the Congress
II governing position with all its conse
q 0uences, If we take it at all; and to assum
. that Congress will always contain Re
publican majority, would be an asSump
y ton worthy Of Bedlam, and is not to b.
= thought of by sober-minded men. w
Y hope it will be in the power OF the lie
Il publicans ever to maintain ascendency II
. the national legislature, but as 1t Is pos
= sible that they may lose it, they shoul'
| not commit themselves to q position, tn
logical consequences Of which are at wa
i with their purpose-and the practlca
= consequences Of which might prolong thu
y present state Of things almostindeinitely
< While making a wise use Of presen
= power, we should not insist upon doc
. trine that might in a couple OF years
transfer power to the hands of tn
enemy.
n 1.-The President is not the tool Of Con
s gross. He is great and free magistrate
Y and if he be a wise and popular man, n
9 can do anything that is constitutional
- whether Congress like it or not, thougt
Il he may not be able to do it at once, bu
IS must wait for the decision Of the peopl
S when he or Congress make an appeal t.
. them. President jackson was a great
a wise and popular man, and the people
> supported him when he vetoed the bil
It TO create a third national bank, as /
a had previously supported his veto OF al
: internal improvement bill and as 1t sub
seauently supported him when he 81
y boldly removed the nations money from
" the national bank President Johnson j
5. neither great nor wise nor popular, an
n when he assumed tn vctOing PeR-th
-, sword Of Scander6sg in the hands OF q
boy--the people would not support him
n but clothed Congress with such power a.
h enabled it to veto the yctoer, again an
]. auain. But the contest was not
y contest between the President ant
- Congress 1t was a contest between thu
= people and the President, and Congress
n was nothing more than one of the ma
l. chimes, and the chief machine, used by