Year: 1864

The supporters Of the administration
are responsible to the country for it's con-
duct: and 1t is their right and duty tc
check the encroachments Of the executive
on the authority Of Congress, and to re.
quire il to coO6Ae itself to it's proper
sphere.


It is impossible to pass in silence this
proclamation without neglecting that du.
ty; and, having taken as much response.
bility as any others in supporting the cd.
ministration, We are not disposed to fail
in the other duty Of asserting the rights
of Congress.


The President did not sign the bill Z" tc
guarantee to certain states whose govern.
ments have been usurped, q republican
form Of government"-passed by the sup.
porters of his administration in both
Houses Of Congress after mature deiber-
alton.


The bill did not therefore become law;
and it is therefore nothing.


The proclamation Is neither an approval
nor q veto Of the bill it is therefore a
document unknown to the laws and Con.
stitutiOn of the United States.


So far as it contains an apology for moi
signing the bill, it is q political manifesto
against the friends of the government
So far as it 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
appreciate the apology and the usurpation
be spread before them.


The proclamation says:


"And whereas the said bill was pre-
sented to the President of the United
States for his approval less than one hour
before the sine die adjournment of said
session, and was not signed by him"


II that be accurate, still this bill was
presented with other bills which we're
signed


Within thGt hour, the time for the sine
die adjournment, was three times pOstpon.
ed by the votes of both Houses; and the
least intimation of desire foEemOre time
by the President to consider this bill,
would have secured further postpone.
ment


Yet the committee sent to ascertain if
the President had any further communi-
cation for the House Of Representatives,
reported that be had none; and the friends
OF the bill, who had anxiously waited on
him to ascertain its fate, had already been
informed that the President bad resolved
not to sign it. The time of presentation,
therefore, had nothing to do with his fail
ure to approve it.


The bill had been discussed and con-
sidercd 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 mate
rial amendment, and passed the Senate
absolutely 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. a draft of bill
substantially the same in all material
points, and identical in the points object
ed to by the proclamation, had been laid
before him for his consideration in the
winter Of le62-1s63.


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 we'll known
that this method of preventing the bill
from becoming . law without the consti-
tutional responsibility of veto, had been
resolved on long before the bill passed the
Senate.


We are informed by gentleman enti-
tied to entire confidence, that before the
22d Of June, in New Orleans, it was stated
by . member of General Banks's staff, in
the presence of other gentlemen in official
position, that Senator DOQlittle had writ
ten q letter to the department that the
House Reconstruction bill would be stav.
ed off in the Senate to period too late in
the session TO require the President to
veto it in order to defeat it. and that Mr..
Lincoln would retain the bill, If necessary,
and thereby defeat it.


The experience Of Senator Wade, in his
various efforts to get the bill considered in
the Senate, was quite in accordance with
that plan; and the fate of the bill was &C.
curately predicted by letters received from
New Orleans before it had passed the Sen.
ate.


Had the proclamation stopped there, It
would have been only one other defeat of
the will Of the people by an executive
perversion of the Constitution.


But it goes further. The President
says:


"And whereas the said bill contains,
among other things, plan for restoring
the states in rebellion to their proper prac-
tical relation in the Union, which plan ex-
presses the sense of Congress upon that
subject, and which plan it is now thought
fit to lay before the people for their con.
sideration-"


By what authority of the Constitution
In what forms? The result to be declar-
ed by whom? With what effect when
ascertained?


Is it to be law by the approval of the
people without the approval of Congress
at the will of the President2


Will the President, on his opinion of
the popular approval, execute it as the
lawH


Or is this merelya device to avoid the
serious responsibility Of defeating . law
on which SO many loyal hearts repOsed for
securityP


But the reasons now assigned for not
approving the bill are full of ominous sig
nificance.


The President proceeds:


"Now, therefore, ], Abraham Lincoln,
President of the United States, do pro-
claim, declare, and make known, that,
while am (as l was in December last,
when by proclamation l propounded .
plan for restoration) unprepared, by .
formal approval of this bill, to bo inflexi-
bly, committed to any single plan of res
tofntiun-' ---- ---------- ------


That is to say, the President is resolved
that the people shall not by law take any
securities from the rebel states against a
renewal Of the rebellion, before restoring