Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1876-05-05

branch of the eoyerlfsaent, am com
peeled to decline any specific or de
tailed apswcr To- the request 'of the
house DrlHtosa,A sion As to any esecu
tive a S66pr duties; and if any
what ~ performed, At = dis.
tnsc IN ~ s6It Of, the government
- ~ ~ = =, and for how long
ssiod n any ons time, and in wha,
part Of the Uaited States.
If, however the house OF represent
atives desires to know whether during
: period Of upwards of seven years,
during. which have held the Office Of
president of the United States, have
been absent from the seat Of govern
ment, aud whether during that time l
have performed or have neglected to
perform The duties 81 any Office, free
y inform the house that from the time
OF my entrance on the Office, i have
been in the habit, As were all of my
predecessors. with the exception Of
one who lived only ono month after
assuming the duties Of his Office, sffd
one whose continued presence in
Washington vas necessary from the
existance at the time Of powerful
rebellion of absenting myself from the
seat Of government, and that=vduring
such absences did not neglect or
forego the obligations or duties Of my
Office, but con,inued to discharge all
ofsthe executive Offices, acts and du-
ties, which were required of me As
president of the United States. Ap-
plause from the republican side.
am not aware that \
failure occurred in any one
instance OF my exercising the func-
tions and powers Of ,he Office in every
case requiring their discharge, or Of
my exercising all the necessary e1ec-
utive acts in. whatever part of the u.
ST. may, at the time, have been.
No act Of congress can limit or sus.
pend or confinc, this constitutional
duty. ! am not aware of the exis-
tehee OF any net ofscongress which as
sumes thus to limit or restrict the ex-
ereise Of. the function Of the executive.
T Where then auch arts. ! should ne
vertheless recognize the superior au-
thority OF the constitution, and should
exercise the powers required thereby
of the president.
The act to which reference is made
I'm the resolution of the house relates
TO the establishment of the seat OF
the government, and the providing Of
suitable buildings, and the removal
thereto Of the otfi .ers attached to the
government, &c. II was not under
stood At its date, by General Wash
ington to con6ne the president, in the
dischar re Of his duties and powers, to
he actually present at the scat Of the
government.
The necessity OF the performance Of the
executive acts by tho president or the
United States exists and ia deyolved upon
him whene yer he may be within the United
States during his term Of ofice, by the con
situtinn of the United States. His
/ civil POWERS ARE NO MORE LIMITED
or capable of limitation as TO the plact
where they shall be excused thsn are those
whic he might be rexuired TO discharge IL
his capacity of commander 10 chief Of th.
army and navy. which latter powers II i
|evidept he might be called on To examine
1 possibly without the limits of@the Unitef
States
Had the efforts OF those recently In re.
! belion against the government been suc
| cessfni, II Is manifest that late president o
i've limited States nnet hava disr hn rped tn,
functions OF the civil and military depart
ments elsewhere than In the place namec
by law as the servant of the government