Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-02-24
A Criminal offence to Accepi
Office from the President.

A Criminal offence to Accept
Office from the President.
Never before in the history of the world
was there man arrested for accepting an
appointment from high Government
functionary. This was done at Washing
ton on Saturday. General LORENZO
THOMAS, for accepting from President
JOHNSON the appointment of Secretary of
War, ad interim, was arrested on a warrant
sued out before Chief Justice CARTIER, OF
the Supreme Court of the District of Co.
lumbia, and was held to bail in the sum of
five thousand dollars for his appearance
this morning at 10 o'clock before one of
the Judges of that Court. This arrest,
strange as it may appear, is not in violation,
of law. There is law called the
Tenure of office Bill" passed by Con-
gress for the purpose of divesting the Pres
ident of all control over his Secretaries
and subordinates. This law is clearly in
violation of the Constitution of the United
States. inasmuch as that instrument, while
it holds the President responsible for the
faithful discharge of his Executive duties,
confers upon him authority over his Cabi
net-the right to select, suspend or remove,
as he may consider the public good to re-
quire. Section of the Tenure of Office Bill
provides that "if any person shall, contrary
to the provisions of this act, accept any
appointment in any Office, or shall hold or
exercise, or attempt to hold or exercise,
any such Office or employment, he shall be
deemed, and is hereby declared to be guilty
of high misdemeanor, and upon trial and
conviction thereof, he shall be punished
therefor by fine not exceeding ten thou
sand dollars, or by imprisonment not ex-
ceeding five years, or both said punish
ments, in the discretion of the Court"
This bill became law March 2, 1867, and
was passed over the veto of the President.
For seventy eight years the Government un-
der the present Constitution-from the 4th
of March, 1885, to the I'd of March, 1867
was administered without such a law, or
without any department of the Govern
ment suffering in consequence of the nom
existence of such law. At times party
feeling ran exceedingly high, and the
President was unsupported by major
ity in either branch of Congress !;
but that body did not transcend the limits
of the Constitution so far as to presume
upon the enactment of law that would
make the President mere cypher in the
Government. That usurpation was reserved
for Congress that came into power upon
the high-sounding pretension OF being in
favor of Free Speech and Free Press, and
of taking the Government back, in the
form of its administr alton, to its primitive
simplicity and austere virtue. A crime to
accept office from the President! Alas,
for Constitutional Liberty in the United
States.
EcOnOmy i'm the Administration of
the Federal Governments.
Around In various places-in State and
local Conventions-the Republicans are
resolving that there should be economy in
the administration of the Federal Govern
ment. That is to say, there is none now in
the administration of Federal affairs worth
speaking of. They are driven to the adOp-
tion of such resolutions because the thiev-
ing and corruption on the part OF the Re-
publican officials has been so conspicuous
and audaciOus, that they must make some
sort of show of opposition to it. This same
party that is now resolving in this way
in State Conventions and in the Con-
vention held at Chicago wherein LIN
COLIN was nominated resolved in favor
of retrenchment and reform. And
we have conclusive evidence from Republi-
can Senators and Representatives, that
never before, in the annals of time, was
there such stealing and corruption. DOM
PIArT, who is high authority in the Re-
publican party, says that from the time of
LINCoLN's first inauguration until the day
of his death ''the thieves were allin Office"
and that it made no difference if you turn
ed any Of them out, because those appoint
ed to take their places, stole just as badly
and just as bare-facedly. 1t didn't make
any difference. If the Republicans are
really in favor of economy, why don't
they practice it little, just for appear
ance sake? They are in power.
They have been in power since the 4th of
March, 1861, and if they could only point
to one instance of real econ omy its rarity
would be SO extraordinary that it would
deserve to be classed with the miracles. 1t
seems rather cool for the Republican
party, after its members who have
been in office have plundered the peo-
Pile so outrageously through stealing, cor
ruption and lavish expenditure, since
March, 1861. to resolve in favor of economy
and ask the people to continue them in
power. 1t would not be any more cool for
highwayman to resolve against highway
robbery, and then ask to be put in charge
of the funds OF some banking or mercan-
tile house.
The Democratic National COnven.
tfOn.
The Democratic National Committee, at
its session in Washington City, on the 22d
inst, fixed on New York City as the place,
and the 4th of July as the time, for the
holding of the Democratic National Con-
vention. We should have preferred the
Convention to have been held in some
o.