The Portland daily press., 1876-05-05
THE PRESIDENTS ANSWER.
A Cool Reply to an Impudent
Question.
EEle Executive MOI Restricted 10
..-.. Washington.

WASHINGTON, May 4.-The PRESIDENT TO-DAY
sant the following message to the House In
reply to Representative Blackburn's resola.
ton:
To the House of Representatives Il have
given very attentive consideration to a resolu-
ton of the House of Representatives passed on
the Sd day of April, requesting the President
of the United States to inform the House of
Representatives whether any executive offices,
acts or duties, and if any, what have within
specified period been performed at distance
from the seat of the government established by
law, etc. l have never hesitated and shall not
hesitate to communicate to Congress and to
either branch thereof all the information which
the Constitution makes it the duty of the
President to give, or which my Judgment
may suggest to me or request from either
House may indicate to me will be useful in
the discharge of the appropriate duties confided
to them. fail, however to find in the Con-
stitution OF the United States the authority
given to the House of Represe natives Zone
branch OF the Congress in which is vested the
legislative power of the government) to require
of the Executive, an independent branch of the
government coordinate with the Senate and
House of Representatives, an account of his
discharge of his appropriate and merely execu-
tive offices, acts and duties either as to when,
where or how performed. What the House of
Representatives may require as a right in its
demand upon the Executive for information is
charge of its powers Of legislation or impeach-
ment.
The inquiry in the resolution of the House as
to where executive acts have within the last
seven years been reformed, at what distance
from any particular spot or for how long
period at any one time, ETC., does not necessar-
ly belong to the province of legislation. 1t
does not profess to be asked for that object. If
this information be sought through an inquiry
Of the President as to his executive acts in
view or in aid of the power Of impeachment
vested in the House it is asked in derogation
of an inherit natural right recognized in this
country by a constitutional guarantee which
protects every citizen, the President as we'll as
the humblest in the land, from being made
witness against himself.
During the time that have had the honor
to occupy the position of President of this gov
ernment it hassbeen, and while continue to
occupy that position, it will continue to be nv
earnest endeavor to recognize and to respect
the several trusts and duties and powers of the
coordinate branches of the government, not
encroaching upon them, nor allowing encroach
ments upon the proper powers Of the office
which the people of the United States have
ccnhded to me- but aiming to preserve in thei,
proper relations the several powers and tunc-
tions of each of the coordinate branches of the
government agreably to the Constitution. and
in accordance with the solemn oath that 1
have taken, to preserve, protect and defend
that Instrument. In the maintenance of the
rights secured by the Constitution to the exec
utive branch of the government l am com.
PEELED to decline any, specific or detailed ans.
wer to the request of the House for information
as to "any executive Offices acts or 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 United States"
Ii, however, the House Of Representatives.
desires to know whether during the period of
upwards of seven years during which have
held the Office of President of the United States
have been absent from the seat of govern
ment, and whether during that period have
performed or have neglected to perform the
duties OF my office, | freely inform the House
that from the time of my entrance upon my
office have been in the habit, as were all of
my predecessors with the exception of one
who lived only one month after assuming the
duties of his office. and one whose continued
presence in Washington was necessary from
the existence at the time of powerful rebel.
lion), of absenting myself at times from the
seat OF the government, and that during such
absences did not neglect or fOrego the obliga.
tions, or the duties of my office. but continued
to discharge all the executive offices, acts and
duties which were required of me as President
of the United States. Applause from the Re-
publican side l am not aware that failure
occurred in any one instance of my exercising
the functions and powers of my office, and
performing al necessary executive acts in
whatsoever part of the United States at the
time may have been. Fortunately rapidity
of travel and of mail communication, and the
facility OF almost instantaneous correspondence
with officials at the seat of government which
the telegraph affords to the President
IN whatsoever section of the Union
ne may be. enables him in these days
him to maintain as constant and almost as
quick intercourse with the departments atWash-
lngton as may be maintained while he remains In
the capital The necessity of the performance
OF executive acts by the President of the Unit
ed States exists and is deyolved upon him
during his term of office. By the Constitution
OF the United States his civil powers are no
more limited or capable of limitation as to the
place where they shall be exercised than are
those which he might be required to discharge
IN his capacity as commander-in-chief OF the
army and navy, which latter powers it is evil
dent that 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 Success
ful in driving late President of the United
States from Washington, it is manifest that he
must have discharged his functions. both civil
and military, elsewhere than in the place nam
ed by the law as the seat of government. No,
act OF Congress can limit, suspend or confine
this constitutional duty. 1 am not aware of
the existence of any act of Congress which as
sumes thus to limit or restrict the exercise of
the functions of the executive. Were there
such acts should nevertheless recognize the
the superior authority of the Constitution and
should exercise the powers required thereby of
the President
The act to which reference is made in the
resolution of the House relates to the estab-
lishment of the Sc at of the government and the
providing OF suitable buildings and the removal
thereto of the offices attached to the govern
ment &c. 1t was not understood at its date.
and by General Washington, to confine the
President in the discharge of his duties and
powers to actual presence at the seat of the
government.
On the 30th of March, 1871, shortly after the
passage OF the act referred to, General Wash
ington issued an executive proclamation having
reference to the subject of this very act, from
Georgetown, place remote from Philadelphia,
then the seat OF government, where the act re-
ferred to directed that "all officers attached to
the seat OF government should 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
evinced by the hundreds upon hundreds of such
acts performed by my predecessors in an un-
broken line from Washington to Lincoln,
of the general nature and charac-
ter OF some OF which acts is submitted here
with, and no question has been raised as to the
validity OF these acts, or as to the right or pro.
priety of the executivefto exercise the powers
Of his s Office In any part of the United States.
(Signed) U. S. GRANT.
II will be perceived that the message is dated
Washington, without the usual prefix of Lex
acutive Mansion" Accompanying the mes
sage is memorandum of the absence of Presi-
dents of the United States from the National
Capital during each of the several administra-
tons and of the public and executive acts per-
formed during the time of such absences.
This memoranda show that nearly all the
Presidents have been absent from the seat of
government frequently and for long periods.
Washington was absent ISL days during his
rem, and performed many important acts while
q four years, Jefferson 1856 days, Madison 708
lays, John Quincy Adams 222 days, JACKSON
O2 days, Van Buren, 131 days, Tyler 1853 days,
Polk 81 days, Taylor 31tdays, Fillmore 80 days,
Pierce 81 days, Buchanan 81 days.
TIL NHTNECE ATTECMTnN