The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-12-03

"very reasonably desire" his persona
counsel; but the evidence OF the
invitation, the evidence even Of tn,
desire of the Allies to have him phys
ically present Mt the conference, Is
by no means so definite as might bt
wished. And even II the invitation
were unanimous and the desire super
heated, there would still remain thu
fact that Mr.. WILSON can crafty II
only by abandoning for a time the
duties and functions imposed on him
alike by the Constitution and hi!
oath Of Office His paramount duty
Is defined not by the desires Of the
foreign Governments, not by his own
inclination and decision, but by the
Constitution and his oath to execute
faithfully the Office Of President and
TO the best Of his ability preserve
protect and defend the Constitution
of the United States.
The faithful execution Of the office
Of President and the preservation, pro-
lection and defence Of the Constitu-
ton include certain functions which
he admittedly cannot perform during
an absence Of indefinite duration at
distance Of three or four thousand
miles. He offers no opinion from any
jurist or jurisconsult. not even from
his own Attorney General, that his
absence will not constitute that dis.
ability which automatically devolves
the powers and duties Of the Presi-
dent upon the Vice-Pfesident, just
as surely rs when the President dies.
He has the boldness, or confidence in
the supremacy Of his individual will,
to tell the Congress that he will not
be Inaccessible; that he will keep
In touch" with It by cable and wire
less; that wherever on the face Of
the earth he may be he will yet be
available for any counsel or service
you may desire of me-" A President
conscious of approaching dissolution
might similarly refuse to turn over
his powers and duties to his deslg-
mated successor on the ground that
he would still be able, through expert
and swift spiritual mediums, to COM
municate his views and exercise his
official functions from the other side
of the dark river.
As to the Wilson fourteen, in the
interest Of whose promulgat ton and
fulfllment he abandons some of the
most distinctly defined duties of the
law over him and the oath he has
taken. he adds not the slightest bit
Of information to what the public
already knows. A policy which may
be so shaped In the process of nego-
tiation as virtually to bind this repub-
lie to responsibilities revolutionizing
our entire system he now holds al
most defiantly as his private and per-
sonal secret, double locked in his
own head against acquisition by the
coordinate department Of the Gov
eminent. Disclaiming any private
thought or purpose" OF his own In
performing his concealed errand, he
gets no nearer to definition Of that
errand than TO describe 1t as trans
lating into action "the great ideals
for which America has striven," as
making good what they four SOL
diersl have offered their life's blood
to obtain" as interpreting 1.-THE prin-
ciples and purposes Of the country
we love" This Is mere rhetoric gld
unsubstantlal.
All other features Of The address.
considered as an annual message by
the President to the Congress on the
state of the Union. fade into COM
paratlve insignificance beside this un-
paralleled assumption of almost au-
tocratlc powers. Since our national
history began there has been nothing
like the theory of a Presidents
powers and duties here by him dis.
closed. His departure under, such
circumstances, and with so bold a
defiance Of the prevailing sentiment
Of the country so plainly expressed
at his own invitation in the recent
Congress elections, creates the most
important issue and raises the great
est question now before the American
republic-namely, the question MS to
who Is legally the republics Presl-