Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-03-03
ADVERTISING kATEa
4AI.S INCH ON LEss.
wEDNESDAY........MARCH 3, 1886.
The Presidents Message.


The message Of President CLEvE'
LAND is a candid, unsDswerable defence
of bis right TO suspend Federal officers
At his discretion. and to keep his rea-
sons for so doing to .imself. The mes
sage is q long one. but not too long.
1t could not we'll have been made short
er. 1t argues the questions at tissue with
marked courtesy and ability. or course
be consulted his constitutional advisers
and other persons, and received from
them suggestions which are embodied
in the message but the message as
whole is, we doubt not, Mr.. CLEvE-
LANDS own work. 1t reminds us of
the State papers Of another Of New
Yoik's great statesmen. We refer to
WILLIAM L. MARCY, OF course.
The merits of the controversy are
well epitomized in the following single
sentence. The President says;
Upon the refusal to confirm, | shall
not assume the right to ask the reason
for the action Of the Senate, nor ques-
ton its determination"
This is modest way of suggesting
that the Senate has no more right to
demand the President reasons for Sus-
pending an officer than he has to de-
msnd their reasons for refusing to adj
wise and consent TO the suspension.
They may have acted upon information
not in the possession of the President,
and their reason for their action may
have been such as would, if he pos
sessed it, satisfy him that the suspen-
sion ought not to have been made and /
yet he would have no right to cause
that information to be communi- /
Gated to him. So also, on the
other hand, the President may have
acted upon information which, if the
Senate bad possessed it, would have sat-
isfied them that the officer ought to have
been suspended, and yet they would .
have no right to cause that information
to be communicated to them. If all the
Presidents private letters and contiden-
tial conversations are to be exposed in
the manner proposed by Mr.. Ed
MUNDs's committee, Mr.. CLEVELAND
will soon be reduced to the necessity Of |
acting without due information, or not |
acting at all. This last would please |
Mr.. EDMUNDs and his band Of con-
spirators, but would not be conducive !
to good government, nor find favor in
the eyes of the people.
Let Mr.. CLEVELAND take ANDREW /
JACKSON for his example, and he will .
soon find the people at his back. They
are not blind. They cannot be
deceived by the specious argu-
ments Of Mr.. EDMUNDs and Mr..
SHERMAN, both Of whom are on
record on the Presidents side so
far as the merits of this con-
troversy are concerned. They in
stinctiyely side with the man
that is in the right, and against the
men that are in the wrong. They may
not all of them know the reasons for
their preference, but they all know a
leader when they see him. This is Mr..
CLEvELAND's opportunity. This is the
Democratic psrty's opportunity. Let
us bring on the fight as soon as posi-
bic, and keep it up until the control OF
the United States Senate shall pass into
the hands Of the Democratic party.
PATRICK HENRY, in his most |
famous speech, alluded to CHARLES |.
Mr.. EDMUNDs stole PATRICK HEN !
RVS thunder. But Mr.. EDMUNDs
forgot to say that he and his Cocoon
spirators represent the star.cham-
Der" Of CHARLEs's reign. 1t was
the doings Of the star-chamber "
that were intolerable to the British
people. Read history:
at is doubtful whether the nation
would nothave submitted 10 Wentworth
aud endured military despotism had
not the rebellious tyranny Of Laud
gosdcd the people into rebellion.
Wentworth revived the court OF the
Star.chamber, and organized the coun-
ell Of York, by which the whole adj
miDistration of justice was put under !
arbitrary control, while the high COM |
mission exercised a similar tyranny in |
ecclesiastical matters"
Yes, like our British ancestors, we
can submit to anything except the star
chamber. Mr.. EDMUNDs and his con.
spirs,ors represent, we repeat, that
They 81, in secret con-
clave. Their deeds are done in the
dark. The light of day is never al
lowed to shine into an executive ses-
sion Of the Senate. The President, on
he contrary, sits always in the " fierce
light that beats upon a throne" His
lcts are known and read nj all mon