The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-05-05

III tHe uupltt ub HeEe RL VI
my predecessors with the exception o
one, who lived only one month after as
suming the duties Of his office, and on'
whose continued presencei in Washington
was necessary from the existence at the
time Of a powerful rebellion) OF absentinl
myself at times from the seat Of govern
ment, and that during such absences
did not neglect any OF the obliga'
tions or duties OF my office, but con.
tinued to discharge all OF the ex-
ecutive Offices, acts and duties which
deyolyed on meas President OF the United
States. [Applause on the Republican
side. am not aware that failure oc-
CURED in any one instance Of my exer.
cising the functions and powers Of my
office in every case requiring their dis
charge, or OF my executing all necessary
executive acts in whatever part Of the
United States may at the time have been.
Fortunately, rapidity Of travel and OF
mail communication, and the facility for
almost instantaneous correspondence with
officers at the seat OF government which
the telegraph affords to the Presi-
dent, in whatever section Of the Uni
ted States he may be, enable him in
these days to maintain as constant and
almost as quick intercourse with the De.
partmcnts at Washington as may be main
tained while he remains in the city. The
necessity for the performance Of executive
acts by the President exists, and is de-
volved on him wherever he may be with.
in the United States, during his term OF
Office, by the Constitution OF the United
States. His civil powers are not more lin
tied or capable OF Limitation as,to the place
where they shall be exercised than are
those which lie might be required to dis
change in his capacity Of Comman-
der-in.Chief OF the army and navy.
which latter powers, 1t is evident he
might be called upon TO exercise possibly
even without the limits Of the United
States. Had the efforts OF those recently in
rebellion against the Government
been successful in driving the President
OF the United States from Washington, ii
is manifest that he must have discharged
his functions, both civil and military,
elsewhere than din the place named by law
us the Seat Of Government" No act OF
Congress can limit. suspend or conine
this constitutional duty. lam not aware
Of the existence Of any act Of Congress
which assumes thus 10 limit or
restrict the exercise OF the functions of
the Executive. Were there such acts ]
should nevertheless recognize the super
ior authority Of the Constitution, and
should exercise the powers required
thereby OF the President. The net to
which reference is made in the resolution
OF the House, relates to the establishment
OF seat OF government and the provid.
ing. Of suitable buildings, and removal
thereto Of officers attached to the Govern
ment, &c. It was not understood at its
date, and by General Washington,
to confne the President in discharge Of
his duties and powers 10 his actual
presence at the seat OF government. On
the S0th OF March, 1901, shortly after the
passage OF the act referred 10, Gen. WASH
ington issued an executive proclamation
having reference TO the subject of this
very act from Georgetown, place re-
mote from Philadelphia, which then was
the seat OF government, where the act re-
ferred TO directed that all officers at-
tachCd to the seat OF government should
for the time remain. That none Of his
successors have entertained the idea that
their executive Offices could be per-
formed only at the seat Of government,
is evidenced by hundreds upon hundreds
OF such acts performed by my predeces-
sors in an unbroken line from Washing
ton to Lincoln, memorandum OF the
general nature and character OF some Of
which acts is submitted herewith, and no
question has been raised as to the valid.
ity OF those acts or the right or propricty
OF the Executive to exercise the powers
OF his office in any part OF the United
States. [Signed us. GRANT.
Washington, D. G., May 4, 1876.
ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTS.
twill be perceived that the message is
dated Washington, without the usual
prefix OF Executive Mansion. Accom-
panying the message is memorandum
Of the absence OF Presidents of the United
States from the national capital during
each OF the several administrations, and
Of the public and executive acts perform
ed during the time OF such absences.
This memorandum contains the follow:
ing information, and much more OF
the same general character, only the most
important OF the acts recited in the MEM
orandum being selected. AS aforemen'
toned in this abstract, President WASH
ington was frequently absent from the
Capital, he appears TO have been thus
absent at least isl days during his term.
In March, 1901, the seat Of government
being then at Philadelphia, he issued a
proclamation dated ut Georgetown
in reference to running the boundary
for the District OF Columbia. He signed
at Mt. Vernon an official letter to the
Emperor Of Morocco, and from the same
place issued the commission OF Oliver
Walcott as Comptroller Of the Treasury
and his proclamation respecting the
whisky insurrcction in Pennsylvania;
also the proclamation Of the treaty OF
1905 with Spain and the executive order
OF August 4, 1902, in relation TO du.
ties on distilled spirits, &c. When
at Germantown he signed sundry
commissions. lie proposed to have Mr..
Yrujo officially presented to him at MI.
Vernon as Envoy Extraordinary and
Minister Plenipotcntiary from Spain,
and Mr.. Yrujo went there Tor that pur.
mao hut tho ceremony of presentation
was prevented by an accident, the omis-
sion Of The Minister to bring his creden-
tials.
President John Adams was absent from
the Capitol during his term offour years
on various occasions SS5 days. He dis.
charged official duties and performed
the most solemn public acts at Quincy,
Mass, in the same manner as when ut
the Seat OF Government. Several OF them
are recited and il is also specified that
on the 2Stll OF September 1907, he for.
warded to the Secretary Of State COM
mission for n Justice of the Supreme
Court, signed in blank at Quincy, with in.
structions 10 fill in the name OF John
Marshall, II he would accept, and il not,
that OF Bushrod Washington. President
Jefferson was absent from the scat Of gov.
ernment during his two terms Of office, 100
DAYS or more than one.quarter Of the
whole official period; he signed and isSu.
ed from Monticello among other things
seventy five commissions. President
Madison was absent G37 days, and Presi.
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