Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1886-06-25
WAS Not the President Right!

Our esteemed contemporary, the West
munster -Adcocate, commenting on the &C
ton of The President in recently declining
a wedding pres mt to his bride from the
Sulla of Turkey, arrives at the conclu-
sion that the President was over conscen
tious in the matter and should not have
declined a present So offered. The -I2rO-
cote says:
''President Cleveland is what lie should
be, a conscientious public servant. He Is
governed in all things 10y strict regard
OF his powers and duties, as prescribed
by the constitution and laws In one in
stance, it is probable, he has overdone the
matter, in that he has refused to permit
the Sultan of Turkey to present we'd
ding gift to his BRIDE. 1t is better to err
on the side of duty than to violate, even
indirectly. a fundamental or statutory law
| but in this instance there does not seen,
room for doubt The ruler of a friendly
power desired to signify his friendly feel
ing by preserving token to the bride OF
the President, but the President, through
Secretary Bayard, declined the gift, feel
ing that its acceptance would be a viola
ton of the spirit of the constitution If not
the letter thereof.
| After quoting the provision Of the Fed
eral constitution, interdicting the accept
ance by any person holding office under
the United States of any present, &c, from
any king, prince or foreign state, our con
temporary insists that Mrs. Cleveland doe.
not come within the srovision, because
she does not hold any office created b,
the constitution. 1t says she may bt
mistress of the White House including the
/ President himself, but that is not the Of
/ fee created by the constitution" Reason
/ ing with close logic, our contemporary
maintains that the President could have
had no ownership of the protfcred gift
because what is his is hars, too, and whs'
is hers is her own"
| While coRcediug the force OF our con
/ temporsry's logic still We believe that The
/ President was right, and the iiroeIte iol
once, is wrong. The President is n law
! yer and he knows that the cons tuition !:
( interpreted by the rules OF the Englist
common law as they existed at the time o
/ its adoption. One Of these rules, IS ex
| pounded by an eminent sage, was TO Tho
effect that husband and wife are in law
one person and the husband Is that person
Under the application of that rule III,
wife and all that pertained t. her belong
ed to tbs husband absolutely. and henc.
I the correctness Of Mr.. Clevelsnd's decision
F.. Although the progress OF modern chiv
airy and enlightenment in gradually re
modelling our legal and social system Ia.
operated to entirely revolutionjz. tha
harsh old rue, as il regulated the domes
( tic relations of our sturdy ancestors, ant
produce the present order Of things ic
which our contemporary refers; yet tbs
new state Of affairs does not operate t,
sever the unity OF the welded pair, f.,
THE twain" are still lone flesh" Is only
effect is TO shift the iudividuaIity Of th,
two-made one from the wosser 10 the bet
ter half, and still the acceptance Of pre-
seat by one is essentially an acceptance by
both
| Besides, the reasoning Of the i 'sarute !.
essentially detective in ore particular 1
overIenks the fact that Mrs. Cleveland il
the First Lady OF the Land" N office
which, though not expressly created ;,
the letter of the constitu' ion, Is cleasly i'm
plisd from hat great charter Of our liter
ties and that as such il would be hight,
improper for her 10 acceP; 4 prescott ton
any foreign prince or pc entA q.