Ellsworth American., 1876-05-11

PRESIDENT GRANT 5 REPLY TO BLACKBCRS's
pEsoLuTroN ASKING WHETHER Hs HAD
BKES ABSENT FROM WASHINGTON.

| olutlon calling on freeiuent Grant 10 IN
form that body il he had ever been absent
from Washington, and performed Official
duties elsewhere. The President on Thurs
dsv sent IN cool message in reply to the
inpudent call. which message. 1t I. said,
was received in contemptuou. silence by
| the democrats. and with much satisfaction
by the republicans. The message is as
| follows
To n. House Of Resresentdtires:-I hsv.
| given very attentive consideration to . resols
tion of the House Of Representatives passed on
the 81 day of April. requesting the Pres dent OF
| the United States TO inform tue House of Repre-
sentsiiNe> whether sny executive Offices, acts
or duties. and II any. what have within a speci-
| fed period been performed at q distance iron
| the seat Of III. government established by law.
| etc. | have never hesiisted snd shall not hest
tate 10 communicate TO Congress and 10 either
| branch thereof all the information which the
Constitution makes It the duty Of the President
TO give, or which my judgement may suggest
| 10 rpc or request from either House msy iu-
dicste to me will be useful in The discharge Of
| the appropriate duties conhded TO them.
| fail. however. To fnd in IN. constitution Of
| the United States the authority given 10 the
House Of Representatives tone branch Of thr
| Congress in which i vc.tcd the legislative
power OF the goyrrnmentl 10 require Of the TX
| crutiNe. an iependcnt branch of the govern
ment, coordinate with the Senate and House of
Representative, an account of his discharge Of
| ht, appropriate snd merely executive Office.
sets snd duties either a. to " hen, WHERE or
how performed. Whist th. House of Rcprcscn-
| iSiiNc- may require riEht in IT. dcmasd
| uPon The Executive tor information ]. limit Il
TO what : necessary Tor a proper d. hargr Of
| its pow.rs Of legislation ~ impeach meut
| The inquiry In the resolution uf the House
\. 10 where executive sct> have " It'll the ls-t
| seven hsar- been pcrfo med. at " hat distance
from sny particular spot or for how long peri
Cd At any one time etc, does not necessarily h.,
on: 10 he prov iuce OF legislation. Il docs rot
| vrofc., 30 he asked for ihNt object. II thu IN
| formation be sought through an inquiry OF the
! President ~ la his executive act, in view or Ia
aii Of the power 81 impeachment vested IN the
| House. It i asked IN derogatlou of an iuh, rcut
natural right rccogn Zed IA tn, country tT
| constitutional guarantee which protects every
| cliizen.ihc President ~ well a. the humss>t in
the land, from being made wi;ucs, sg.in.t
| himself.
during the time ths; hav. had the honor 10
occupy the position OF President of this govern
! mcnt. it has been. And while oltinu. to occu-
| ~ that position. II viii continue 10 be my EARN
! ct CnseaNor 10 rccogulZa aud respect the sey-
| eral trusts and duties and power, Of The co-sr-
| dinaic branches Of the government. not cncrosch
! IuS Jon them nor allowing eucroschmeHi.
| upon The proper power, Of he oticr which The
/ people Of the United States have coufd~i 20 me
| bat aiming 10 preserve in their PROPER relation.
tue luHtktbilN 'iA u ffl tlle
! coordinate branches oi the government aSr-ea-
| ? y 20 the Constitution. auI IA accordance with
| tA' solemn oath thai have taken TO preserve,
| protect and drfeud that instrument In IN.
! maintenance OF tn" rights secured by the Con-
stItufiOu to the tNecutlAe hFAnt d Of the govern
| lncui. attn compelled to decline any spcyidc or
! detailed answer 10 the request II The House far
| Information a. 90 ''.uy executive oiice- act or
duiI.,. a.I Il ath wat LAsg been I."U 'pi .l.t -
! distance from the sat Of EoN"tuIa.nt ,,tAb-
nod las - h.t srfr
I one time, aud IN what IArt Of the United
state"
II. however. the House of Representative,
desires 10 know whether during the period u
! upwards Of seven YEAR, during which have
held the office Of President Of the | niie,l state,
| have bccn absent from the seat of goScrnme Mt
| and whether during that period have perform
| ed or have neglected to perform the dutic- Of
| NV on'ce. ! freely inform the House that from
The time 81 ms entrance upon Int Office have
| been IN the habit. A. were all Of my pr,dccc>-
| sors with The exception Of one wbo lived only
| one month after assuming the duties OF HI Of
nre. and one Whose continued presence in ash
| iuEtou "a necessary from the cNl~tsnC. n the
| time Of powerful rebellion . of ab.cniIng nv
| sc.t al tlmy- from the seat Of the governments.
| and that during such sh>cucc- | did not neg .cct
| or fprcgo the obligations or the duiic. OF nv
! Office, hu; continued to discharge all the cNccu-
| tive Office act, and duiic, which were required
| Of me A. President Of the [ nii.d States. Az
! p'ansc from the republican side.
am not aware that failure occurred in any
| one instance Of my exercising The functions ami
| aud powers of my Office. sud performing al
necessary executive sets IN whatsoever part 81
| the nlied >,str- at ihe time may have b,-'u.
| Fortunately, raildtty Of travel lnt Of mail COIN
| muniCAuun, aud the facility oi almost iu,tIuiA-
neous correspondents. with officials ~ the seat
| Of the gov Ncruineui which the telegraph affords
| 10 the Pre- d,ni IN Whatsoever section of the
| | niou he insy te. enables him in ihe>e dtl- 10
maintain u constant snd almost quick inter
| cJar-e iih the depart nents at " a-hington a,
| may be maintained while he remains IN Ia %
caIi:a'. The necessity Of the Performance II
! executive acts by the president Of iae United
state, exists AMI i deyolvcd upon him " h.rcV-
cr b" mas BE- within the United States during
hi- term OF office
BY the Constitution Of the United state, hi
| civil powers are no more limited or captblc 81
limitation a. to the place where they shsll BE-
exercised Than are those which he might b. r.
quir"i Il discharge in his capacity d, com
mAndcr-iu-chiei Of the army and navy. which
iAticr powers IL i evident that he IN ght be- ,i =
ed upon TO exercise, possibly even without the
limit. Il the United >iaies. Had the cff1r,s Of
those recently IN rebellion against the govern
ment been successful in driving 4 late President
Of ihc United States from Washington Il i
manifest that he must have discharged his func-
tons. both civil and military elsewhere than ~
in the place named by the law the seat oi
government. No act Of Congress can limit.
suspend or confine this constitutional duty.
am not aware Of the existence Of any set Of Con
sre>. which assumes thus 10 limit or Tt-tri I
| the exercise Of the functions OF the executive e..
Were there such act, should nevertheless rec
OcnlZs the superior authority Ofthe COn.:itu-
tIOn and should exercise the power, the r.by Of
the President.
The as to which reference i made in the
resolution Of the House relates TO the establish
| ment Of the seat Of goNeTnme nj and The prov ID
ing Of suitable buildings and the remos al there
TO OF the Office attached 10 the government etc.
II wa, not understood at IT, date, and by Cen
eral WashingtOn,t to confine the president In the
discharge OF his duties and power. 10 uctual
presence at the seat Of the government.
On the Both of March. 1891. shortly afl.r the
| passage Of the act referred 10, General Wash
ington Issued AN executive proclamation haS-
ing reference 10 the subject Of thi. very act
| from Georgetown, place remote from Phlla-
| delphiI, then the seat Of government where
the act referred 10 directed that ail officer. At
tached 10 the seat OF government should re-
main" That none Of hi. successors have en-
tertained the idea that their executive oficv.
could he performed only at the seat of govern
meni j. eyinced by the hundreds upon hundreds
Of such acts performed by my predece.-ors in
AN un broken line from Washington TO Lincoln
memoranda of the general nature and charac-
ter Of some Of which acts is submitted herewith
and No question has been raised the validity
of the se acts, or as 10 the right or or propreiy
Of the executive TO exercise the powers OF hi
Office in any part OF the United states.
(signedD L.. 5. GRANT.
Washington, without the usual prefix OF .'Ex
ecutiye Mansion" Accompying the message j.
memorandum fthe absence of Presidents o.
the United States from the National Capita
during each OF the several sdminlst rations aud
of the public and executive acts performed dur
ing the time of such absences.
Thi. memoranda shows that nearly all tn,
presidents have been absent from the seat OF
government frequently and for long periods
Washington WAS absent Isl days during his
, | term, and performed many important acts while
thus away. John Adams was absent 3s5 day.
in four years. Jefferson 1876 days, Madison 70c
days, John Quincy Adams DID days, Jackson
5o2 DAYS, Van Buren l3l days, Tyler 1853 days
Polk 81 day, Taylor 81 DAYS, Fillmore 90 days
: Pierce 81 days, Buchanan 81 days.
Happy Doork eeper.
The following is letter from the doorkeepel
of the House of Representatives to friend a
Sherman, Texas:
ID. c. Deer Is, 1875.