The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-06-24

gether. when a short conference saves long
letter." (Jefferson's Works. vol. S, p. 1917
letter to the Secretary Of War few days
before august 28) shows how the heads OF
departments were scattered:-"1 send this
letter open to the Secretary of Stale, with
desire that with the documents it be forwarded
to the Secretary of the Navy at Baltimore,
the Attorney General at Wilmington, the Sec
rotary of the Treasury at New York, and
finally TO yourself"
President John Adams, who was accus.
toned to spend about five months of each
year at Quincy, likewise defended the prac-
toe in his correspondence. He said, in q
letter to Uriah Forrest dated Quincy, May Is.
1899 :-'sThe people elected me to administer
the government it "a true, and do administer
it here at Quincy as really as / coulddo at Phil
adelphia. Nothing is done without my advice
and direction when am here more than when
am in the same city with the heads of de-
partments." In foot note to this letter his
editor, Charles Francis Adams, remarks -
sin absentng himself from the seat of gov
eminent during the recesss Of Congress Mr..
Adams did no more than his predecessor,
George Washington. II President Grant is
violating the law by spending his summers at
Long Branch his transgression is excused by
great weight of respectable precedents
The law cited in condemnation of Presi-
dent Grant Is this;-"All Offices attached Ia
the seat of government shall be exercised in
the District of Columbia, and not elsewhere,
except as otherwise expressly provided by
law" This is wide of the mark, for the rea-
son that the Presidency is not an Office sat
tached to the seat of government" If IL
were every temporary absence of the Presi-
dent from Washington would devolve his du-
ties on the Vice President. There is nothing
either in the constitution or any statute max.
ing provision for the Presidents absence; but
the statutes do carefully provide for the alb,
sence of the heads of departments by pre-
scribing who shall perform their duties when
they are absent. These Offices are attached
to the seat OF government" and the law re-
quires them to be kept open at Washington
o prescribed number of hours daily through
out the year, except in prevailing epidemics,
when the President may cause them to be
removed temporarily to some other place.
But the office Of the President is not thus To-
Called by any statute, and could not be cons
sistenuy with the constitution, which makes
the President Commander-in-Chie Of the
Army, and thereby authorizes hun to direct
It's operations in the field IN person
whenever he thinks proper. The Presi-
dency Is an Office created by the consttus
ton, and no mere statute can limit
or localize it by attaching it to the seat Of
government The Vice President can dis
charge its functions in case Of removal" or
Of death" or of resignation" or of 'ina-
bility to discharge the duties" but there ia
no provision for the case Of absence, because
the military powers of the President may bs
exercised in person wherever there is an army
to command.
The example OF Jefferson should satisfy
democrats that Grant has not violated the law,
for the law on this point has not been changed
since the beginning Of the century. Our
democratic friends are barking up the wrong
tree this time.