New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-05-10
The Presidenr,s Message.

The Philadelphia Telegraph, speaking of
the Presidents late message to the House
of representatives, says: ti
On motion of Mr.. Blackburn, the House,
on April 3, adopted . resolution requesting
the President to inform the House whether,
since March 4, 1869, any executive Offices,
acts or duties, and, If any, what have been
performed at . distance from the seat of
government established by law. Yesterday
the President sent q message in reply - the
resolution. The Clerk commenced to read
it Just as the House was preparing to ad-
iourn, but had not proceeded far before the
confusion which always precedes adjourn
ment ceased, and members who were about
leaving the hall returned to their seats.
When that portion Of the message was
read in which the President denies the
right Of the House to ask for euch in
cratic side; and when that portion was
read in which the President says that if the
information is desired for the purpose of
preparing articles of impeachment, he
claimed the constitutional right guaranteed
to every citizen not to be required to fur
nish evidence against himself, that side
broke out in derisive laughter. As the
reading proceeded, however, all traces Of
merriment among the Democrats were dis
sipated, and they sat grim aaA silent be-
meath the we'll merited rebuke contained
in every line Of the message. "If the efforts
of those recently in rebellion had been
successful in driving the late President
from Washington, it 10 manifest that he
must have discharged his functions, both
civil and military, elsewhere than at
the place made by law as the seat of gov
ernment" The Republican side spplaudei,
and the force of the argument was ac
knowledged by q melancholy smile on the
Democratic side. When the reading was
concluded, Springer and Randall arose, but
the latter was recognized, and moved to
print the message and refer it to the Com
mittee on the Judiciary. 1t was generally
supposed Springer had prepared bel
ligerent resolution in reference to the dis
position of the message, which would have
intensified the blunder made by Blackburn
IN introducing the resolution of inquiry,
and the Democrats were pleased that Mr..
Cox, the Speaker pro tem, refused to give
him an opportunity to bring additional hu-
initiation upon them. The Republicans are
it the cleverest hit President Grant
ever made. The Democrats admit the
force of the Presidents arguments
and the correctness of his con-
clusions. Most of them freely acknowl-
edged that he has completely outflAnked
them, and that he has successfully driven
absenteeism out of the coming Presidential
campaign Accompanying the message
there was q paper showing an unbroken
line of precedents, from Washington to
Buchanan, for the performance of execu-
tive acts and duties by former Presidents
while absent from the seat of government.
The Democratic side seemed to be satisfied
with the reading of the message, and were
disposed to have the accompanying memo,
randa passed over in silence, but the Re-
publicans insisted upon having it read, and
thus the House was forced to listen to the
numerous illustrations which will be bound
up and issued with the Presidents message.
The comments of the Democrats on the
message were amusing. One remarked:
First Clymer made great mistake in the
Davenport and trouble upon the Democ-
racy, next Springer. gave Morton a chance
to make terrible raid, and now Blackburn
has exposed us to this deserved castiga-
ton" Reagan, of Texas, thinks the mes
sage proper and dignified reply to an i'm
proper inquiry. and valuable as q historical
paper. Ex-Governor Thomas, of Maryland,
thinks the Democratic side deserves the
rebuke SO admirably administered for per-
mitting the inquiry to be made. The reso-
luton is conceded to have been an impu-
should have united to suppress.
Speaking of the same matter the Wash
ington correspondent of the New York
Herald says:
The President has been, during his whole
administration, very careful on one point.
He has never travelled out Of the boundaries
of the United States. During his visits to
Niagara Falls he has even refused to cross
to the Clifton House. When visiting q
friend at Thousand Islands he woald not
cross to the Canada shore. When, in 1871,
he was present u the opening of the Eu-
ropean and North American railroad, he
stopped at marlborough, near the Canada
line. He carefully refused to cross even
the little river St. Croix, which forms the
boundary line there. So far as is now re-
membered here, there is but one instance
of q President of the United States going
into foreign country. Mr.. Van Buren,
went to Kingston, in Canada, in 1889, and
he was much criticised for his journey at
the time.