Year: 1864

TO THE SUPPORTERS OF THE GOVERNMENT.


We have read without surprise, but not
without indignation, the proclamation oil
the Presidents OF the 8th Of July, 1864.
! The supporters of the Administration
are responsible to the country for its con
duct; and it is their right and duty to
check the enCroachments of the Executive
on the authority of Congress, and to re-
quire it to contine itself to its proreI
sphere.


1t is impossible to pass in silence this
proclamation without neglecting that duty
and, having taken as much responsibility
as any others in supporting the Admins
tration, we are not disposed to fail in the
other duty OF asserting tho rights of Con
gress.


The President did not sign the bill ITO
guarantee TO certain States whose Govern
menes have been usurped a republican
form Of Government" passed by the sup
| porters of his Administration in both
Houses of Congress after mature delibera-
| ton.


Tne bill did not, therefore, become d
lGO, and il is, therefore, nohing
The proclamation is neither an approval
nor q veto Of the Gill it is, therefore, q
document unknown to the Constitution
Of The United States.


So far as it contains an apology for not
signing the bill, il is a political manifesto
against the friends OF the Government.
So far as il proposes TO execute the bill
which is not law, it is grave Executive
usurpation.


1t is fitting that the facts necessary to
enable the friends of the Administration
to appsec late the apology ard lhe usuypa
;ion be spread before them.


The proclamation says;
| And whereas the said bill was presented to the
| Pro sident of tho United States for his approval
| lees than one hour before the sine die adjourn
| ment Of the session, and was not signed by him
Jf that be accurate, still this bill was
presented with other bills which were
signed.


Within that hour, the time for the sme
| die adjournment was three times post
poned by tho votes of both Houses and
| the least intimaton of desire for more
time by the President 10 consider this
bill would have secured further post
ponement.


Yet the committee sent 10 ascertain II
| the President had any further communi-
cation for the House of Representatives
reported that he had none; and the
| friends of the bill, who had anxiousIy
waited on him to ascertain its fate, had
already been informed that tLe President
had resolved not TO sign it.
The time of presentation, therefore,
had nothing 10 do with his failure to APP
prove it.


The bill had been discussed and consid-
cred for more than q month in the House
of Representatives, which it passed on the
4th of MAY; it was reported to the Senate
on the 9th of May without material
amendment, and passed the Senate ab.o.
lutely as it came from the House on the
I'd of July.


Ignorance Of its contents is out Of The
question.


Indeed, at his request, draft of bill
substantially the same in all material
points, and identically in the points OBJ
Iiected to by the proclamation, had been
tlsid before him for his consideration in
the winter of lSG2-63.


There is, therefore, no reason to sup
pose the provisions OF the bill took the
President by surprise


On the contrary, we have reason to be-
lieve them to have been so well known
that this method of preventing the bill
from becoming a law without the consti-
tutonal responsibility Of a veto, had been
resolved on long before the bill passed the
Senate.


We are informed By gentleman en-
titled to our entire confidence that before
the ODD Of June, in New Orleans, it was
stated by member Of Gen. Banks staff,
in the presence Of other gentlemen in
oficial position, that Senator Doolittle
had written letter to the Department
that the House reconstruction bill would
be STAYED off in the Senate TO a period Toe
Iloieto REQUIRE the President TO veto it il
order to defeat it, and that Mr.. Lincolr
would retain the bill if necessary, ant


thereby defeat it. .


The exrerience OF Senator Wade, in hi
various efforts to get the bill considered
in the Senate, was quite in accordance
with that plan, and the fate of the bil
was accurately predicted by letters receiv
cd from New Orleans before it had passeC
p the Senate.
=. Had the proclamation stopped here, )
= would have been only one other defeat o
the will of the people by an Executiv,
0 perversion Of the Constitution.


But is goes further. Tho Presiden


says:


? And whereas the said bill contains among othe


things, plan for restoring the States in rebellion
: to their proper practical relation in the Union
- which plan expresses the sense of Congress upol


that subject, aud which plan it Is now though


ct to lay before the people for cir considera
ton


BY what authority of the Constitution


In what forms? The result to be declared
, by whom' With what effect when ascer
, tainedH


/ Is it to be law by The approval Of tht


people without tie approval of Congress


at the will of the President' ......
, Will the President, on his opinion o


fhe popular approval, execute it as lawf