National Republican., 1876-04-05
WEDNESDAY MORNING: ls7
WAS INTENDED as AN INSULT!

"Ab IL no an
On Monday last Mr.. Blackburn, of Ken
tucky, introduced in the House, under sus-
pension of the rules, the following resolu-
ton, which was passed
Rcsolrcd That the President of the United
States be requested 10 inform this House, If,
in his opinion, it is not incompatible with the
public interest, whether since the 4th day of
March, 1869, any executive offices, acts, CT
duties, and, if any, what, have been performed
at @ distance from the seat Of Government
established by law, and for how long period
at any one time, and in what part of the Uni
ted States: also, whether any public necessity
existed for such performance, and, if so, of
what character, and how far the performance
of such executive Offices, acts, or duties at
such distance from the seat of Government
established by law was in compliance with
the act of Congress of the 10th day of July,
1870.
In the history of the country there is no
precedent or parallel TO the impertinent and
insulting inquiry proposed by this resolution.
The act of 1890, to which it alludes, was
passed during the first term Of George
Washington, the first President of the
United States, and became law by his ap-
proval. 1t provided for the removal of the
seat of Government from Philadelphia to
Washington, and that the official acts of the
Government should thereafter be promul-
gated from the latter place. Very soon
after its adoption General Washington left
Philadelphia for his home, in Virginia, and
subsequently paid an extended visit to the
State of Georgia. About this time he ex.
pressed the opinion that it should be the
acceptable duty of the President to visit all
the States OF the Union, for the purpose of
gaining information regarding the condition
and wants of the couptry at large. The
second President of the United States, John
Adams, was in the habit Of spending his
''vacation''-i. e., the summer time or
during the recess of Cougress-at Quincy,
Mass. His successor, Thomas Jefferson,
certainly patriotic Democrat, and one with
few imitators among the degenerate De-
nocracy of the present, not only spent his
vacation at Monticello, in Virginia, but on
occasion did not hesitate to express his
impatience at the delay of Congress, when
at the close of long session-March was
a late date for this in those days-something
occurred to postpone adjournment and keep
him in Washington. Andrew jackson was
accustomed to spend his summers at the
Rip Raps, a four days journey, coming
and going, from Washington. Van Buren,
Harrison, Polk and, in short, all of the
occurants OF the Presidential chair down
to Mr. Lincoln's time, inclading Mr.. Bu-
chauan, who spent his summers either at
Wheatland or Berkeley Springs, follovsd
the example of Washington, and sought
recreation during the recess by absenting
themselves temporarily from the seat Of
Government. The major portion of this
"absenteeism, as it is now called, &C.
CURED, it should be remembered. before
the days of telegraph and railroads, and,
when Mr.. Adams was at Quincy, Mass,
he was practically farther away from Wash
ington than President Grant would be if
he were in San Francisco to-day.
The truth is that the only President
who remained in Washington, or
at the seat of Government, during
his entire term Of service, was Mr..
Lincoln. The reason for his so doing is to
be found in the course pursued by Mr..
Blackburn and his friends at the time he
held the Office of President. The weary
years Of war which ensued because the
Southern Democracy, now so ably repre-
scented by Mr.. Blackburn, refused to submit
to the election of Nj. Lincoln, made 1t
absolutely necessary that the President
should remain at the seat Of the mill
tary power OF the Government, as
it also required General Grant to
remain, as he did constantly, at the
headquarters of the army. At the same
time it was unsafe for President Lincoln tc
venture outside Of the immediate vicinity
Of the Executive Mansion, and necessary
that when he did so he should be protected
by military guard.
No doubt Mr.. Blackburn overlooked
these circumstances when he prepared the
resolution in question, or was ignorant ol
the fact that the only precedent Of Pres
ident remaining ;eonstsntly at his .oGlcla,
post during the recessof Congress Wal
established by NJ. Lincoln. who was com
PEELED so 10 remain by force of circum
stances.