The herald., 1896-06-23
MORGAN'S DELIRIUM

|
'em again-his Cleveland delirium ire
mems. Periodically the Alabama solon
gets into state of mind about the pres
ident of the United States which is
wonderful to contemplate and must be
fearful to experience. For this rack of
mind and strain of system the senator
enjoys but one compensation - he is
thereby saved from engulfment by the
remorseless sea of oblivion. Thus his
sufferings are not absolutely in vain.
Senator Morgan is moved to tears, la
mentations and other evidences of COM
mingled and incurable grief and pain
by the awful thought which seems to
have terminated in the thick of his de-
caying gray matter that the president
has in mind armed intervention in Cuba.
1t is true that neither the president nor
| any responsible official of the admins
tration has given out the slightest inti-
nation of any intention of the sort i'm
! puted to the executive by tIeAlabaman.
| That is immaterial. The mere absence
| of a basis for thought will not prevent
| Mr.. Morgan from thinking thoughts.
Mr.. Morgan's thoughts possess the bird
on nothing other than the unsubstantial
atmosphere; they have stood thus be-
fore, as the observant American citi-
zen must have noted. To a rare degree
the distinguished gentleman possesses
the creative faculty.
But the senator should yank himself
out of his dangerous and distressing
condition. A great deal of evidence has
accumulated to the effect that the pres
ident has reasonably fair knowledge
of the federal constitution, and that he
IS willing to abide by it almost as lov-
ally as a man wo is not a member of
the upper house of congress can be ex-
pected to. That the president is suffi-
GENTLY versed in the federal constitu-
ton to know that he cannot take any
action of warlike nature without au
thority of congress, his course in at least
two notable instances shows. One of
these was when after a partisan senate
this occurred during his first term
had rejected the treaty by which
the fisheries disputes between this
country and Canada were
adjusted, he asked in special message
to congress for permission to adopt re-
taliatory measures in encouragement of
the abuses to which, by the rejection of
the treaty. American fishermen were
left open. These measures of retaliation
he regretted to ask for yet he deemed
them under the circumstances neces-
sary, but as they might have led to hos
tile results he sought the authority for
them of congress. The other instance is
found in his messages regarding the
Venezuelan boundary differences. In the
conduct of foreign affairs as in that of
domestic affairs. Mr.. Cleveland has ever
been mindful of the limitations imposed
on his office by the constitution. He
has been much more mindful of consti-
tutional limitations than the present
congress. The latter arrogated to itself
the right to deal with the questions of
Cuban independence and Cuban insur-
gent belligerency, matters that are dis
tinctly within the province of the execu-
tive department of the government.
Governments act only on official ad-
vices. Official advices relative to the
status of affairs in foreign countries are
transmitted by the diplomatic represen-
gress, but to the department of state,
and by that department they are sent
when not incompatible with public inter-
ests so to do, to congress. When con-
gress passed it's recent Cuban resolu-
lions it had received from the state de-
partment no advices on which to base its
action and therefore acted on subject
that, officially.it was in blissful ignorance
of. And if 1t had possessed abundant
official data it would have no warrant in
the constitution for the resolutions it
passed. the recognition of independence
or belligerency being, as said before
purely an executive function.
But" says Senator Morgan in his
fever, "he has already acted unlaw-
fully. He did so when he refused the
polite request of the senate sub-commit-
tee for full information in regard to the
Competitr case. In section 2001 of the
Revised Statutes you will find that the
president is required, whenever it comes
to his knowledge that an American citi-
zen is unjusty deprived of his liberty to
demand of the government holding him,
the reason for his detention and to de-
mand his release if it appears wrongful.
"A clause in this section prescribes
that all the facts and proceedings rela-
tive thereto shall, as soon as practical
BILE, be communicated by the president
to congress- Did the president lay the
facts before US in this Competitor case?
Has he done so in this whole Cuban af-
fair, when American citizens have been
unjustly detained? No. The only way
Isl
facts is through the columns of the
press"
When the statesman gone-to-seed
from Alabama talks as quoted he is in
dulging in hallucination or peg'version
The president has not violated section
POOL Of the revised statutes in the Com
petitor case. The state department has
been from the earliest notice that it re-
ceived of the matter diligently inquiring
into the merits of the cases against the
Competitors crew. it has insisted that a
fair trial be given the accused men for
the express purpose of ascertaining
whether they are unjustly deprived of
their liberty, and this government will
not be in a position to demand the pris-
onerS' release until such a trial is,either
refused or is had and develops their in
nocence. And even Senator Morgan