The Anaconda standard., 1896-02-07
The Duty OF Congress in the yens zueIan
Crisis,

My reasons for not considering our hon
or involved i'm the Venezuelan contro-
vorsy are based upon the following con-
sio,ration: our country is republican, not
only in form. but alos I'm principle. the
nation. and not the president or congress,
is sovereign. This Sovereignty of the ma
tion reposes on constitutional safeguards,
and the paramount honor OF the nation
consists I'm guarding its own sovereignty
by preventing a violation of its constitu-
ton by it's own constituted agents. All
acts done by those agents outside the
scope Of their constitutional authority
cannot involve the honor of the nation
any more than the act OF the humblest
servant. contrary TO the scope Of his au-
thorty. can affect the honor Of his mas
ter. Therefore the act of the president.
even though approved by congress, In so
far as he threatened war-such threat be-
ing I'm violation of that most important
constitutional safeguard of the nations
sovereignty. which entrusts the power OF,
and responsibility for. declaring war
solely 10 Congross-no more involves our
honor I'm the dispute than IL the threat
had been made by the humblest citizen Of
the land. Otherwise the war-making pow
er will have been devolved from a DELHI
crative body TO the eNecutive-a single
indiNidU"l. and we shall then suffer most
OF the ills inherent in an autocratic gov
orumcut without any Of its benefits ANY
cal riyious trascihle or theatrical presi-
dent may without a moments notice
send ultimaiums right and left and keep
the country iD a constant state Of unrest
10 an extent that "A czar Of Russia would
not venture Under any theory by which
congress is pledged TO war by the presi-
dents act. II IS the president himself who
has declared il. leaving 10 congress no
further r'sh, than to register his decree.
And under such theory We have ceased to
le republic as truly as Rome ceased 10
10 one long before the Consuls ceased for
Wally to register the viii Of the Cmperors
I'm the present contingency, as I'm every
other. We have. as a sovereign nation.
one paramount duty. from which no
sophistry ana no passion can relieve us:
we must ant righteously As for congress,
each member. mindful OF his oath 10 sup
port the constitution, must cast his vote,
" for war, full of consciousness that
nothing can relieve him from his own
awful responsibility. II is therefore the
plain duty Df every member TO divest
himself entirely Of any feeling OF obliga-
ton ON account OF the passage Of the
commission b'l. II must he borne I'm
mind that that bil was passed without
6olihCraiion. under an apparent patriotic
Impulse similar to that which stampoded
the French legislative body into the dis
astrous war against Germany. II must
he remembered, too. that the commission
owes its creation TO the president. who
has threatened war and that therefore
its mombcTs-h however eminent and how
ever impartial-are nevertheless acting
under tho stress Of saving from criticism
him 90 whom they owe their own official
existence. and are prone 10 he apologet-
ir. even if unbiased. For these reasons
% will ug manifestly the duty Of congress
10 refrain from a declaration Of war on
their report unless they not only be
unanimous hut also that their conclu-
sions bc entirely free from doubt or quail
lfcation, FOR. II there be any doubt or
any qualifications. our country should
have the benefit thercof.-Mr. Isaac L.
Rice iH the February Forum