The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1886-03-06
THE PRESIDENT SPEAKS.
Message to the Senate Upon a
Much Mooted Subject.
The President Defines His Understanding
of the Nature of Correspondence Re-
ceived by Him in Relation to APP
pointments and Removals.

ground that the papers regarding suspen-
sion are not official, and says for that
reason he has refused to furnish the in
formation "aganst the transmission OF
such papers and documents" The Pres
ldent says 81 have interposed my advice
and direction. This has not been done
upon the assumption on my part that the
Attorney General, or any other head of
department, is the servant OF
the President, and is to give
or withhold copies OF docu-
ments in his Office according to the
will of the Executive, but because l re-
gard the papers and documents withheld
and addressed to me or intended for my
use and action, purely unofficial and pri-
vate, not infrequently confidential, and
having reference to the performance OF
q duty exclusively mine. | consider
them in no proper sense as upon the files
of the department, but as deposited
there for my convenience and remaining
! still completely under my control. | sup
| pose if desired to take them into my
custody l might do so with entire propri-
ETY.. Even the committee, in its
report" the President says,
"appears to concede that there may be
with the President or in the departments
| papers and documents which, on account
of their unofficial character, are not sub
! iect to the inspection of Congress. A re-
ference in the report to instances where
the House of Representatives ought not
to succeed in a call for the production OF
papers, is Immediately followed by this
statement: THE committee feels autho-
rized to state, after careful research,
that within the foregoing limits
there is scarcely in the history
of this Government until now any in
stance of a refusal by a head of de-
partment or even of the President him
self to communicate official facts, and
information as distinguished from pri-
vate and unofficial papers, motions,
views, reasons and opinions to either
House of Congress when uncondition-
ally demanded To which of the classes
thus recognized do the papers and docu-
ments belong that are now the objects OF
the Senate's quest? They consist of let
tiers and representations addressed to
the Executive, or intended for his inspec-
ton They are voluntarily written and pre-
sented by private citizens who are not in
the least instigated thereto by any official
invitation, or at all subject to official con.
troll. While some of them are entitled to
executive consideration. many of them
are so irrelevant, or in the light of other
facts, so worthless that they have moi
been given the least weight in determine
ing the question to which they are sup
posed to relate. Are all these, simply be-
cause they are preserved, to be consid
cred official documents and subject to the
inspection of the Senate? If not, who Is
to determine which belong to this classi
Are the motives and purposes of the Sen
ate, as they are day by day de
veloped, such as would be satisfied
with my selection? Am l to submit
to theirs, at the risk of being charged will
making a suspension from Office upon evi
dence which was not even considered
Are these papers to he regarded officia
because they have not only been present
ed, but preserved in the public offices
Their nature and character remain tn
same, whether they are kept in the Exec
utive mansion or deposited in the depart
ments. There is no mysterious power o
transmutation in departmental custody
nor is there magic in the underlined an
sacred solemnity of department files.
the presence of these papers Il
the public offices is stumbling
block in the way of the Performance
of Senatorial duty, it can be easily re
moved. The papers and document
which have been described derive no off
cial character from any constitutional
statutory, OF other requirements, maxim
them necessary to the performance of tn
official duty of the Executive.
at will not be denied, suppose, tina
the President may suspend public off
Ger in the entire absence of any papers O
documents to aid his official judgmer
and discretion, and am prepared to avov
that the cases are not few in which sus
pensions from office have depended NOR
upon oral representations made to me b
\ citizens of known good reputC
( and by members of the House of Repre-
3 sentatives and Senators of the Unite
r States, than upon any letters and docU
ments presented for my examination.
have not felt justified in suspecting tn
veracity, integrity and patriotism of Sci
ators or ignoring their representation
: because they were not in party atliliatio
with the majority of their associates, an
: recall few suspensions which bear tn
3 approval of individual members identifie
politically with the majority in the Sci
ate.
. "Whle. therefore, am constrained
deny the right of the Senate, to the papeI
and documents described, SO far as Il
right to the same is based upon the clai
i that they are in any view of the subje
e official, am also led unequivOcally
dispute the right of the Senate by the a
e of any documents whatever, or in al
+ way, save through the Judicial process
/. trial on impeachment, to review or rever
r. the act of the executive in the suspenSic
during the recess of the Senate of FEEDER
- officers. l believe the power to remo'
or suspend such officials is veSt'
in the President alone
o the Constitution which in expre
terms provides that the Executive pow
d shall be vested in a President OF Il
b United States of America and tn
IS he shall take care that the laws
I. faithfully executed"
81 think it will be found" the Pre-:
dent continues, "that in the subseque