Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1876-05-09
THE PRESIDENT DECLINEs TO
COMMIT HIMSELF.


COMMIT HIMSELF.
Oar readers will remsmberthat some
weeks ago the House of representatives
passed 3 resolution calling upon the
President for information as TO the de-
tails of any executive duties that had
been performed at a distance from the
seat OF Government. On Thursday
last the full tex OF the Presidents
rely to the resolution was telsgraphed
ali over the land and appeared in our
San Francisco exchanges of Friday
morning. The condensing fend in
Virginia City did not. however, con-
sider this important document worthy
Of even a passing notice. Our dis
patches on that day, if we recollect
Alright, were principally devoted to the
details of a foot-race in California, a
horse-race in New York, a family
quarrel in Cincinnati, and Steinberg-
er's difficulties in Samoa. To-day is
the first opportunity we have had Of
alluding to the Presidents message.
We regret that we can not give the
document in full.
The President commences by de-
claring hat he knows of no authority
tor the lower branch of Legislature to
call in question the acts of a co-ordi-
nate branch of the Government. He
assumes, first, that the object of the
information sought for can only be for
purposes of legislation or impeach-
ment, and then discarding the legislat-
i've hypothesis u that it can
OILY be asked for with a view to lay
Ing a foundation for impeachment.
Holding to this view, he refuses to
give the information asked for, and
says:
If this information be sought through
inquiry of the President as to his ex-
ecutive acts, in view or in aid of the
power of impeachment vested in the
House, it is asked in derogation of the
inherent natural right recognized in
this country by the Constitutions
guarantee. which protects every citi-
zen, the President as well as the hum
blest in the land, from being made a
witness against himself.
The President then goes on to say, in
~extenso, that he has ever sought
whether in or absent from the Capital,
to perform his whole duty as Execu-
tive; and argues from the necessities of
the case, and from numerous prece-
dents, established by his long line of
predecessors, from Washington to
Buchanan inclusive, the right of the
President to perform his executive
functions at q distance from Washing
ton.
Accompanying the message is a
memorandum Of the absences OF Presi-
dents of the United States from the Ma
tional Capital during each OF the sever
al administrations and of the public
and Executive acts performed during
the time OF such absences. Washing
ton was absent ISL days and did some
of the most important official business
in u history at a distance from the
capital. John Adams was absent $50
days; Jefferson, 796 days; Van Buren,,
l31; Tyler, 163; Polk, 81; Taylor, 81;
Fillmore, so; Pierce, 81; Buchanan, 81.
No mention is made of the absences OF
President Lincoln or johnson.
Gensral Grant has made a strong, If
not 9 convincing, argument in support
OF his position, and there are but two
points in his message to which excep-
ton should be taken. These, however.
are OF almost vital importance. They
Arc: first, that he has entered upon an
elaborate defense before he has been
charged with wrong; and second, that
be has assumed, as it appears to us,
unwarrantably, that the House desired
to obtain facts from him with a view to
his own impeachment. The object of
the House may have been to learn
whether the exercise of Executive func-
tons at . distance from Washington
had not led-owing to the lack of the
personal supervision of the President
and his Cabinet-to abuses; and to
learn this, with a view to provide by
against the future recurrence
Of the evil. II this were the intent of
the House, the Presidents refusal to
give the information is without prece-
dent.
WHAr's In A NAME?-The proper