Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-05-10

The President Sends the House
q Message In Answer to
'st q Resolution.

"
te . kesolutien,
In which he Insimates that
He's GNfmg to Travel Around
4 as Much ~ he Pleases.
And she Csnssasrasss - sAe aasu.s
Get . Terrlble GDscksss.
WASHINGTON, May 4.-Thc Presi-
dent to-day sent the following mes
sage to the House, in reply to Repre-
sentative Blackburn's resolution:
TO the House Of Representatives.
I have given very attentive consid-
Grafton to the resolution of the House
OF Representatives, passed ON the Sd
of April, requesting the President Of
the United States to inform the
House whether any executive Offices
acts or duties, and if any what have,
within specified period, been per-
formed at q distance from the seat Of
Government established by law, &c.
have never hesitated and shall
not hesitate to communicate to Con-
gress and to either branch thereof all
the Information which the Consti-
tuition makes it the duty of the Presi-
dent to give or which my judgment
may suggest to me, or request from
either House may indicate to me may
be useful in the discharge of the ap-
propriate duties confided to them.--
l fail, however, to find in the COnsti-
tuition of the United States, the au-
thority given to the House Of Repre-
sentative, one branch of Congress, in
which is vested the legislative pow
er of the Government, to require of
the Executive, an independent branch
of the Government, coordinate with
the Senate and House of Representa-
tives, an account of his discharge of
his appropriate and purely executive
offices, acts and duties, either as to
when, where or how performed
What the House of Representatives
may require as right in its demand
upon the Executive for information
is limited to what is necessary for the
proper discharge Of its powers of Leg
islation or of impeachment. The in
quiry in the resolution of the House,
as 10 where the Executive acts have,
within the last seven years, been per-
| formed, and at what distance from
any particular spot, or for how long
a period at any one time, does not
necessarily belong to the province of
Legislation. 1t does not profess to be
asked for that object. If this infor-
nation be sought through an inquiry
Of the President as to his Execu-
tive acts in view or in aid of the pow
er of impeachment vested in the
House, it is asked in derogation of an
inherent natural right, recognized in
this country by Constitutional guar
antee, which protects every citizen,
the President as well as the humblest
in the land, from being made wit
ness against himself.
During the time that I have had
the honor to occupy the position of
President of this government, it
has been, and while continue to oc-
cupy that position, it will be my earn
est endeavor to recognize and to res
pect the trusts, and duties, and the
powers of the coordinate branches
of the government, not allowing en-
croachments on the proper powers of
the Office i'm which the people of the
United States have confided.
But aiming to preserve in their
proper relations the several powers
and functions Of each Of the cO-ordi-
nate branches of the Government
agreeably to the constitution, and in
accordance with the solemn oath
which have taken to protect and
defend that instrument, in the MAIN
tainance Of the rights secured by the
Constitution to the Executive branch
of the Government. am compelled
to decline any specific or detailed an
swer to the request Of the House for
''information as to any Executive off,
GERS acts or duties, and if any, what,
have been performed at q distance
from the seat of government estab-
lished by law, and for how long q
period at any one time, and in what
part of the United States"
If, however, the House of Repre-
sentatives desires to know whether,
during the period of upwards of sew
Ell years during which l have held
the Office of President of the United
States have been absent from the
seat of Government, and whether du-
ring that period l have performed or
neglected to perform the duties of my
Office, freely inform the House that
from the time of my entrance on my
office have been in the habit, as We're
all my predecessors,-with the excep-
ton of one, who lived only one month
after assuming the duties of his Office,
and one whose continued presence in
Washington was necessary from the
existence of a powerful rebellion
of absenting myself at times from
the seat of government, and that du-
ring such absences ! did not neglect
or forego the obligations or duties of
my Office, but continued to discharge
all of the Executive officers acts and
duties which were required of me as
President of the United States.
The necessity of the performance of
the executive acts by the President of
the United States exists and is devol-
we'd on him wherever he may be
within the United States, during his
term of office, by the Constitution of
of the United States. His civil pow
ers are no more limited, or capable of
Limitation, as to the place where they
shall be exercised, than are those
which he might be required to dis
charge in his capacity of Commander
in Chief of the Army and Navy,
which latter power, it is evident, he
might be called upon to exercise, pos
sibly, even without the limits Of the
United States. Had the efforts of
those recently in rebellion against the
| Government been successful in driv-
ing the late President of the United
States from Washington, II is mani
| rao I,ok I, ho- Il l.
functions, both civil and military,
elsewhere than in the place named by
law as the seat Of government.
No act Of Congress can limit, sus-
pend or confine this constitutional
duty. am not aware of the exist
ence of any act of Congress which as
snmes thus to limit or restrict the
exercise of the functions of the exec
utive. We're there such acts, l sho'd
nevertheless recognize the superior
authority Of the constitution, and
should exercise the powers required
thereby of the President. The act to
which reference 10 made in the reso-
luton of the House relates to the es-
tablishment of the seat of government
and the providing of q suitable build
/ AhS ustN tuC SACACtO ok tlle
Offices attached to the government,
etc. 1t was MISUNDERSTOOD at its date by
Gen. Washington to confine the Pres.
ident in the discharge of his duties
and powers to actual presence at the
seat of government.
am not aware that q failure oc.
CURED in any one instance Of my ex.
ercising the function and powers OF
my Office in every case requiring their
discharge, or of my exercising all the
necessary executive acts in whatever
part of the United States ! may the
time have been. Fortunately rapid
ty of travel aud of mail coMmunica
, ton, and facility of almost instanta.
neous correspondence with the officers
at the seat of government which the
telegraph affords, to the President IN
whatever section of the Union ht
may be, enable him In these days tl
maintain as constant and almost a.
quick intercourse with the Depart
+ mants al Mas him utnn a c mo " h, m N &,