The daily gazette., 1881-09-06

From the New York Herald.
Cabinet GOv0rmmemt.

From the New York Herald.
Cabinet Gevernment.
The country knows by aa experiences
now of more than two months duration
that the President of the United States
10 incapacitated for the ordinary dis
charge Of the duties Of bis Office, and 1t
has assurances from the medical staff
who are IN custody of the President's
person that in the most favorable aspect
Of his case there 10 not the leas. likli-
hood that he will bs restored TO complete
capacity for . long time to c"ms.
The maintenance of such q situation
amounts to practical usurpatioD Of the
chief executive power BY Secretary
Blaine and his colleagues, who consti-
tue what Is called the Cabinet. There
10 no use In mincing language on this
subject. Mr.. Blaine, Mr.. Window, Mr..
Kirkwood, Mr.. Lincoln, Mr.. Hunt, Mr..
James and Mr.. Macy eagh, now for two
months have every day and every hour
been doing acts uncontrolled, in respect
to which the President, were be In Suf-
fclent health, might exercise an adverse
control, extending to the extremity Of
their dismissal from Office. For exam
ple-and we select the illustration with
out any intentional disrespect to the
gentlemen We name-it is conceivable
that The Secretaries of War and of the
Navy might be daily issuing orders
which the President, In bis capacity Of
Commander.in Chief Of the Army and
Navy, would not sanction. There 10 .
memorable case of recent occurrence In
which on the detection Of certain 0rders
issued by Secretary Of War . Pfesi-
dent peremptorily demanded his instant
resignation. We do not believe that
there is q probability OF the repetition
Of Secretary Belknap's improprieties in
either the War Department or the Navy
Department under the present secretar-
les. Nevertheless we repeat that gov
ernment is not intended TO be conducted
with reference to probabilities alone. It
Is not intended that Cabinet officers shall
exercise any powers save under the su-
pervision of President competent to
"take care that the laws be faithfully
executed" and competent also to duly
consider s'the opinion In writing" which
be is IL constilutionally entitled
at any instant to require "of the priDci-
pal officer In each Of the executive de-
parts upon any subject relating to the
duties OF their respective Offices" The
country has q right to the safeguard OF
such supervision by the Vice President
II the President is disabled, and Mr..
Blaine and his associated, - men Of
honor, should hasten to escape from the
attitude Of avoiding such q supervision.
An unnecessary delay on their part to do
80 subjects them to suspicious which no
human beings character is pure enough
TO warrant defying.
An immediate official explanation is
due to the people from the Cabinet
why they continue this usarpation.
Secretary Window is reported as init
mating that the reason is because tC
effect a change of the situation 1t will
be needful 'to broach the subject to
the President himself" and there ia
danger to his health in doing so.
"There may be-" says Mr.. Window,
| IL he is correctly reported, s'some diff
| ference of opinion as to the timo when
he will be able to give 1t consideration
without exciting him and imperilling
the progress Of his recovery" But in
q matter of such Importance as the
lawful conduct Of the executive gov-
ernment Of great nation something
more formal is required to appease the
just jealousy of the people with regard
to patent usurpation than such an
unofficial conversation with one of the
usurpers. It does not fail to suggest
itself to every thoughtful man whether
the Presidents present knowledge Of
the existence of q Cabinet usurpation,
in defiance Of the constitutional pro-
vision concerning his inability. is not
q source of much greater excitement
to him and q far more serious pc II to
the progress of his recovery, and
whether he would not And relief In
transferring the burden of responsi-
bility to Congress, where 1t belonRs.-
| 1t appears to us that any other con-
struction of the sraLe of the Presidents
mind is highly disrespsctful to him.
II IL were possible to believe that he
regards the Presidency as q personal
perquisite and not as q public trust,
then indeed we could conceive that he
might be better content to have the
guardianship remain In the hands OF
custodians Of his own selection like
the seven Cabinet officers instead OF
suffering 1t to 20 where the oonstitu-
tion provides, into the hands Of cuss
todian of the peoples selection. But
we scornfully reject such . theory.
No less enphatIcally do we reject the
notion that the custody Of tho Presi-
dency under present circumstances may
be adjusted ~ kind OF tripartite treaty
between the President, the Cabinet and
the Vice President, which alPo 10 intima-
ted by Secretary Window.
1t 10 an alarming symptom OF the per-
sistency Of arbitrary theories OF cxeca.
tive power from the tune OF the civil
war that any body should dare to approve
this plan Of putting an arbitrary con-
struction on the constitutional clause
touching the Inability Of President TO
discharge the duties Of his Office without
seeking q consultation with Congress -
The tight OF Congress to tix by lcgisla-
tion the limits, methods and details Of .
substitution Of tho Vice President In
case of the Presidents Inability would be
peremptorily excluded by such plan
and denied existence. But, to say the
least OF the proprieties OF the occasion,
Congress has claim to be heard on the
subject before the question 10 decided
There are legislative prer0gativos ~
we'll as executive prerogatives. and the
same constitutional principle by which
every citizen enjoys right to be heard
In his own defence before being subject
ed to q forfeiture Of life, liberty or prop
| artv eutitlas a legislative BODY to be