The sun., 1906-12-26
TIE ALLEGED DEFIANCE.

From ns Washinet0n Post Of DsesmOsr ~
In view Of the Presidents recent declara-
tion that no interview or reported con-
versation with him should be accepted as
genuine unless officially given out. the hber-
ties taken with him yesterday by number
OF leading newspapers are astounding. lt
IL true that he in not directly quoted, but
certain statements are made without quail
hcation, upon the highest authority,
which can mean nothing il IL does not mean
that the authority is Theodore Roosevelt.
These statements are that he will veto
any bills passed. by Congress seeking to
restore TO the army the discharged negro
soldiers OF the Twenty-fifth Infantry, or
any bills attempting to correct" their mill
tary records that il Congress passes such
bills over his veto he will pay no attention
to such laws unless they are affirmed to
be constitutional by the United States
Supreme Court, and that .even were i'm
peachment proceedings instituted he would
cheerfully await their outcome"
IL these statements were published in
newspapers given to Misrepresentation OF
the President they would carry their own
denial on their face. But they are printed
in journals which are represented in Wash
men, who are not given to reckless speech.
IL is this fact which will probably prompt
the President to make correction of the
stories which picture him as being ready
70 ignore laws which do not meet his ap-
proval. and as daring Congress to impeach
him for such violation of his oa tn OF Office.
The President is intensely in earnest in
the Brownsville matter. This is made evil
ia k,xxk -. H..
evidence, il possible, in support Of the wis
dom OF his action. He realizes that his
adversaries intend to prove. il possible,
that he has inflicted grievous wrong upon
innocent men in his efforts 10 punish certain
murderers and those who have shielded
them. Possibly the President may have
expressed himself in an impulsive fashion
regarding the criticism which his action has
aroused in the Senate. But il is utterly
inconceivable that the President Of the
United States has indicated 10 any one his
deliberate intention TO refuse 10 execute
the laws Of the land. and to face impeach-
ment proceedings rather than to execute
such laws merely because he does not be-
lieve they are constitutional. Such an atti-
tude cannot even be in the Presidents
thoughts. for it would mean that he intends
to violate in the most fragrant manner his
oath TO preserve, protect and defend the
Constitution" which requires that ~he shall
take care that the laws he faithfully exc
cuted." The laws enacted by Congress
over the Presidents veto are valid until
declared otherwise by an authority other
than the President and no President Of the
United States has ever constituted himself
an authority as to the constitutionality Of
laws he is called upon to execute. These
facts are 30 self-evident that il is prepos-
ferrous to assert that Theodore Roosevelt
has indicated in any way his intention to
swerve from his duty as executor Of the
laws.
The statements, published apparently
upon the authority of the President himself.
appearing in journals of known reliability,
are OF such an astounding character as to
call for prompt Official denial. The Presi-
dent cannot afford to permit any newspaper,
however friendly. to place him in such a
false position before the country.