Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1869-03-25
The EcMNr> -,f-Oliicc Act.

on account ~ tn. hyS.t.,n"S az the
Senate 30 ,e,e"l the TeHu, o..')ttice
act, NJ the dictation 81 In. Aforesaid
journals. These journals assume that
the President desires the repeal OF
this law. With this assumption they
presume that for the Senate to hest.
tate is to distrust the President elect.
They accuse the Senate of disloyaity
to the Republican Party, and of down
right contumacy, and williul disregard
OF the wishes OF the President. These
Journals talk on the presumption that
the President is the central figure in
the party and, outside Chicago, en-
bodies all the good sense and virtues
Of the party, il not the country. The
President should dictate the laws and
not Congress. When the Presid. Mt
wants law repealed, the Congress
should make haste to render obedience.
When he desires law enacted he has
but to hint the fact and Congress must
hasten in servils obseouiousness to
crafty his wishes,-in each case, with.
out inquiry into, and consideration OF.
the reasons calling for such repeal or
enactment.
1t is assumed that t..,s law was mac.
ted, solely, to restrain Andrew johnson
iu his efforts to plunge the country in
to civil war. Bus the tact 10 patent
that very many OF the best and wises,
men in Congress aud out OF Congress
advocated the law on general princi-
ples--from a belief that the Senate
was invested by the Constitution with
coordinate power III the removal Of OF.
ticers, ~ well as i'll the appointment OF
them. These men, Of course, now OBJ
jsct 10 the surrender Of this constitu-
,ionsl power, and the very undigni-
fed and disrespccttul tone in which
these Chicago journals discuss this
question csnnot aid them except ..
mong = class. The merits Of tho law
as . law, receives no notice. The great
cry is, the law hampers the Presiden,
in the work Of cleaning out the Au.
gcan stables. The assertion 10, that
the President cannot remove ofic.rs
unless he first prefers charges agains,
them and gives them jury rial, or
something to that effect. Andrew
Johnson, with hostile Senate, " as
never compelled to this course. but in
frequent cases the Senate confirmed
his appointments to places which he
had sumnarily made vacant. Will
the Senate be less respectfully and len
lent to = President in accord on all
party questions with the dominant
majority OF that body: To argue At.
frmatively is to argue oneself into in;.>>
suspicion of beng insane. And yet
this is the practical position which
those adv coating the repeal Of this law
take.
We said above that these journals
assume that the President desires this
law repealed. Where is the evi-
dence, put in tangible form? Has he
sent y special message to the Congreas
asking the repeal? We have not heard
OF it. He desired the law imposing
disabilities upon one OF his appoin-
tees repealed and sent special mes
sage to Congress asking it. It is al
legged that there is law which imposes
disabilities upon h,msey, and he does
not ask Congress by special message
TO repeal it. Without such message,
Is Congress justified in taking it tor
granted that h. wau,s athe law repeal
cd!
The Chicago Post has the following
telegram, in regard to the matter from
its Washington correspondent:
The Presidents course with Sens.
tors is said to have uniformly been
when applied to by them tor appoint
ments, to answer, in substance, that he
WAS waiting tor them to do something
tor him, by repeating the law which
stood IN his way. 1t is also said that
be has told number OF persons that
he wanted to see who his friends we're
in this matter, and should govern his
actions accordingly.
Aud > dispatch, to the same paper,
! tew days ..etsr, represents the rresi-
den, ~ yer, indignsnt At the senatss
delay.
II these statements Az true, Grant
is already on the read which Frsnk +.
Blair predicted he would take. vs.
do MT credit these dispatches for we
remember those noble words which
Grants Inaugural contained: Il shall
on oil subjects have policy to recon-
mend, xo~e to enforce against the will
OF the people" and We cannot believe
that he would SO soon forget them,
and forget the grateful applause with
which they were echoed in the heart
OF every true lover OF his country. TO
attribute to President Grant the stoop.
ing to any such ignoble and UNIV orthy
Johnsonion plan to coerce Congress
into a measure which It's reason did