Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1876-05-11
Tessage from the President.

To the House Of Representatives.:
l have given very attentive considera-
ion to the resolution of the House of
passed on the Sd of April,
the President of the United
States to inform the House whether any
executive offices, acts or duties, and if
any, what have within a specified period
been performed at a distance from the
seat of Government established by law, :
etc.
l have never hesitated, and shall not
hesitate to communicate to Congress, and
to either branch thereof, all Information
which the Constitution makes it the duty
of the President to give, or which, in my
judgment, may suggest to me, OF a re-
quest from either House may indicate to
me, will be useful in the discharge of the
appropriate duties confided in them.
fail, however, to find in the Constitution
of the United States the authority given
to the House of Representatives, one
branch of Congress, in which is vested
the legislative power of the Government,
TO require of the Executive, an independ-
ent branch of the General Government,
coordinate with the Senate and House of
Representatives, an account of his dis
charge OF his appropriate and partly eX-
eeutive 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 up
on the Executive for information, is linn
ited to what is necessary for the proper t
discharge of its powers of legislation, or
of impeachment. The inquiry in the res |
OlutiOn of the House as to where the ex-
ecutive acts have within the last seven |
years been performed, and at what dis
tance from any particular spot, or for
| how long period at any time, etc, does
not necessarily 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 dero-
CATION OF an inherent natural right re-
( eOgnized in this country by a Constitu-
tional guarantee which protects every
citizen, the President as well as the hum
blest in the land, from being made a
witness against himself.
During the time l have had the honor
to occupy the position of the President of
this Government it has been. and while [
continue to occupy that position it will
continue to be, my earnest indeavor to
recognize and respect the several trusts
and duties and powers of the separate
branches of the Government, not en-
croaching upon them nor allowing en-
croachments upon proper powers of the
office which the people of the United
States have confided to me, but aiming to
preserve in their proper relations the
several powers and functions of each of
the coordinate branches of the Govern
ment, amicably to the Constitution, and
in accordance with the solemn oath which
have taken to preserve protect and de-
fend that instrument.
In maintenance of the rights secured
{ by the Constitution to the Executive
branch of the Government, l am COM
, PEELED to decline any specific or detailed
answer 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
V and i'll what part of the United States.-
+ If, however, the House of Representa-
tives desires to know whether during the
. period of upward OF seven years during
5 which have held the office of Presiden
. ! of the United States 1 have been absen
q from the seat of Government, and wheth
er during that period l have performed
or have deglected to perform the. dutie
of my office, freely inform the Hous,
that from the time of my entrance upoI
: my office [ have been in the habit, al
: were all my predecessors, with the ex
!. ception of one who lived only one montl
E after assuming the duties of this office
= and one whose continued presence il
+ ! Washington was necessary from the ex
+ istence at the time of a powerful rebel
/ the seat of Government, and that during
e such absences did not neglect or foreg
: the obligations or duties of my office, bu
e continued to discharge all of the execU
tive oficesg acts and duties which wer
n required of me as President of the Uni
ted States. Applause from the Republi
can side. l am not aware that failur
occurred in any one instance of my excl
cising the functions and powers of m
Office in every case requiring this dis
d charge, or my exercising all necessar
o executive acts in whatever part of tn
At United States / may at the time hay
IS been.
It Fortunately the rapidity of travel an
ID of mail communication, and the facilit
n of almost instantaneous correspondent
n with officers at the seat of GovernmeI
f. which the telegraph affords to the Pres
ID dent, in whatever section of the Unio
he may be, enable him in these days
maintain as constant and almost as QuiC
intercoursewi the Departments atWasl
Il ington as may be maintained while he +
'h mains in the Capital. The necessity
IL the performance of executive acts by Il
President of the United States exist
and is deyolved upon him wherever
may be within the United States, duriI
his term of office, by the Constitution
er the United States, his civil powers are
# more limited or capable of Limitation
al to the place where they shall be eXercist
re to discharge in his capacity OF Comma
i'll der-in-Chief of the army and navy ,whi(
as latter powers, it is evident, he will
- called upon to exercise possibly, eve
-" without the limits of the United State
e Had the efforts of those recently in I
re bellion against the government oeen stl
he cessful in driving a late President of Il
:. United States from Washington, it
~ manifest he must have discharged i
or functions. both civil and military, els
be where than in the places named by t
inf law for the seat of Government. No a
of Congress can limit, suspend or confil
III his constitutional duty. | am not ava
of the existence of any act of Congre
which assumes thus to limit or restri
bt- the exercise of the functions of the EX
nv cutiye, Were there such acts | shOu
l. nevertheless recognize the superior Il
ny thority of the Constitution, and shou
as exercise the powers required thereby
he the President.
-ba The act to which reference is made
:. the resolution of the House relates to t
establishment of q seat. of GOVernmeI
ate and providing of suitable buildings, a
ave removal thereto of offices attached to
in Government etc. 1t was not understO
,i11 at it's date, and by General Washingto
III to cOnfine the President in the dischar
les, of his duties and powers to actual PR
ence at the seat of Government. On t
Both of March, 1871, shortly after t
no passage OF the act feIerfeu TO, Henel
sh- Washington issued an Executive proc
on nation, having reference to the subj'
oI of this very act, from Georgetown, Il pla
lie remote from Philadelphia, which tn
in was the seat of Government, where t
ack act referred to directed that all offices
g. tached to the seat of Government shol
MY for the time remain. That none of
had successors have entertained the idea fl
low their executive offices could be perform
. ia only at the seat of Government is e
denced by hundreds and hundreds of 81
So acts performed by my predecessors, in
are unbroken line from Washington to L
coin.