Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-01-12
THO Preaident's Views.

IfeSiuent Gfant has OF late aban-
doned his usual habit of reticcnce,
and quite freely expresses his views
and purposes, with regard to the
Presidential muddle. The ol.ow.
ing report of conversation with
him last Monday, is contained in a
special dispatch to the Chicago Tlb.
me:
WASHINGTON, d. c., Jan. 9.-The
President to-day, in the course of a
very earnest conversation, gave ex.
preston to important opinions re-
speeding the Presidential complied.
tons. He defined his position in
these words, which he permitted to
be reported: "When all the poll,i
cal power and responsibility vested
in me by the sutfiages of the people
shall have expired by constitutional
limitation, which will be on the 4th
OF March, | shall be ready to will.
ingly surrender this responsibility;
bur until then | shall execute the of:
flee OF President, and protect and de.
telId The Constitute II. 1t is not my
province 20 determine the question
at an election, but to execute TIL,
laws. Whoever is declared to be nv
!. constitutional successor,to him will
surrender the reinS of Government
To me ii is mol Coy. Hayes, ncr Coy
Tilden, but who is President, and
whoever is SO declared will be place,
iii possession of the Executive pow
ers."
The President has examined the
statutes respecting the District OF
columbia with view to ascertain
ing his duties as Executive and
lrdstcc of the Nations property i'll
the event OF trouble. The President
deprecated the sth of january meet
lngs. He Thought they would un
necessarily intlamc public opinion
! were unpatriolic, and miSchrveouS
If intended as incipient revolution
he s;lid they would fail Of their pur
pose and he diScuun,cuanced by mel,
of business and conservative senti
mentS. II designed to overawt
Congress, they would be alike futile
The President could see in then
only an attempt ut il mi>chievou>
agitation OF the public mind. IL,
sharply rctuted those ho have sug
gesjcd that Til,lcn would he inaueu
rated whether he WAS declared elect
cd or not, and strongly int
mated that that could not b" done II
Washington, where alone he though
IN inauguration legal. He said ther,
could not be two legal Presidents.
He discussed 1T length the organi,
acls of the District of Columbia, ant
maintained that the President couI,
not c"nSlitu;ionalIy make the sea
of Government elsewhere. He sai,
Ill his own official acts had been OK
eculcl and dated at WASHINGTON
Notwithstanding occasional absence
I he President distinctly aud posi-
lively said that he should consiae
aIr Inauguration 1T any other p lac,
than Washington void; that any at
tempt to exercise OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
undrr Slch circumstances, could moi
Oe recognized, and any recognitio,
of such assumed authority by an,
officer of the Government would b,
treason.
The President ended in suhstanc,
us follows, and this statement is o
momentouS Importance to the coun
try: "l'he Presidents authority
exercised in accordance with law, i:
rs supreme in the District of Colum
bia as if it were Il garriSoned fortress
and any demonstrations or warlikt
concentration Of men threatening the
peace of the city or cndangering the
security Of the public property OF
treasure Of the Government could bt
>unlmarily dealt with, should the
public safety demand, by II dcclara
/ lion of martial law.
I The president said that he coult
not thin. that any nolitiral party
Wuuli d>>nne such a grave reSponsi
blllty rs would neccS>itatc such III
. extreme exercise of Executive AN
lhorily, for he belics ed that part,
would be condemned to lasting OBJ
lvion by the almostunanimous voice
of The people.
The President said that he yet fell
assured that the will of the people
wonll prevail, and had yet conf
drmce in wiser counSels than threats
and intimidation.