National Republican., 1881-09-10
The President.

Aht hNHANNhAs
Mrs. Garfield said on Thursday that IL
is her husband that is sick, and not the
President. There is more in this express
sion than is at first seen, and in all its
meanings il is true. In one sense IL is
the wife asserting her claim TO some con-
sideration in the matters connected with
her husbands welfare. In anothersense
it is reminder to some over-anxious
people who desire to have her husband
superseded MS President that the man,
and not the officer is sick. II is the evil
dcnce of the best witnessin this world that
the President isnot as sick as the husband
He cannot rise from his bed and travel
about the country with his wife. But let
any one of all the abstractionists who
insist upon his inability to perform
the duties Of his Office name some one
act required of President by the exist
ing or any probable situation which he
cannot perform. Is il to execute the
laws? The President sees to it only that
the laws are faithfully executed. That is
to say, if the execution of process by mar
shals is obstructed beyond the power Of
the local posse TO overcome, then he must
proclaim an instruction and deal with it
If it does not subside. lie has no recon-
mendations to make to Congress, no bills
to approve or disapprove, for Congress is
not in session. He can make appoint
ments and grant reprieves or pardons in
the regular beaten way of following the
recommendations a,,I
order his name to be signed by
his private secretary TO any document.
This is all beaten ground. THE NATIONAL
REPUBLICAN, went over it all on the 18th
of July. But every day it is drearily as
serted that great interests demand that
the inability of the President be acted
upon. What are these great interests
Not the peace or welfare of the country
No public demand exists. a search war.
rant would not be able to discover q
power TO be exercised or duty to be
performed by the President to-day if he
were able to turn handspring. His
own great interests do not demand that
he shall be stripped of the dignities with
which the people so lately invested him
or that his pulse shall be quickened oil
his temperature raised by the un.
called-for discussion of such Il
! theme. The Cabinet and the
Vice-P President agree that il is wholly un.
necessary to agitate the question. Gen
eral Arthur has no wish to usurp author
itv which the President has not found il
necessary to exercise, and which it cannot
therefore be said he is unequal to. The
Cabinet have no wish to patronize the
President and Vice President both by
going outside of their lawful authority tc
attempt passing the presidential office
back and forth between the two rs they
may deem the former able or unable tC
do what is not required of him by any
existing circumstances.
We hope that, whether Mrs, Garfield
intended to say it or not the disputant'
over this question will realize that, while
her husband is indeed very sick, the Presi
dent, speaking from the standpoint o
what is required of him, is not.
The Presidents new deal is apparently
bringing forth good fruits. lie has brac
ing air, the oXhilarating sight ofthe ocean
II minimum of surgeons and attendants
and new will of his own to decide on
some matters connected with his own
comfort. He is now blcst with the best
possible fayoring conditions. So much
for his friends. His enemies are the
blood-poison, great exhaustion, ant
u stomach given to weakness. There il
one great influence in his favor not men
toned, and that is the desire for life
Country and family call loudly to him
and hope is the child of desire rs it often
is the parent of recovery. The pros
pect at the end of the first week ut Long
Branch is good.