Year: 1869

ecutive Power.


which has, through the Committee on the Judi


ciary, been presented to the action of Congress-
can only be classed as an insult to our form Of


government. The Senate by passing it yields


no point in its usurpation of power. The old


act may be called an executive guillotine, and


the amendment is the knife which, raised


scarcely out of sight, only awaits the touch Of
the executioners in the Senate to strike off the


Presidential head which they have forced
| under it.


Section two of the proposed amendment
gives the President the right to suspend any
officer during recess of the Senate, and this
body may, if it think proper, restore said
officer to his position, no matter how much he
may impede executive action in its proper
sphere. Suppose, for instance, that President
Grant, in accordance with his inaugural, which
the country so heartily endorsed, found that
any member Of his Cabinet failed in his


duty and hampered the just and rigid
application of the laws-the Senate,
despite the removal of that officer by


the Executive, could retain him in power


and thus virtually block the wheels Of govern


ment. We should then see Cabinet
officer more powerful than the President who
appoints him and to whom the laws make him
responsible for the fulflment of his duties
How, in this case, can the people of the United
States hold the President responsible for the


branch Of the government entrusted to him by
the constitution The whole amendment is,


in the language Of Daniel O'Connell, when de-


nouncing celebrated compromise MEASURE


before the English Parliament, "a cheat, de-
lusion and snare" x,
It is evident that the radical republican,
leaders are blind to the fact that the people
elected President Grant because they be-
lieved him fitted to I'LL the post Of Executive


officer in accordance with the provisions Of


the constitution of the United States. If the


Senate refuses to surrender the usurped


powers it now holds it will be a virtual an


nouncement to the nation that the constitution


of the United States is humbug and farce.


In fact, the action of Congress for some time
past has proven this, and now the Senate
chooses to endorse the decision through the
amendment to the Tenure of Office act.


This absorption of executive authority by
q body which is not held responsible
for its use is already producing COM
plete Generalization in the ranks of the
republican party, and evidences Of this are
very observable in the discussions of the
Senate for the past two weeks. Failure of its
leaders to have a just respect for the desires
of the people who have placed them in power
threatens to make political changes which
advance to point but little short of actual
revolution. And what has the Senate done
with all this usurped powerp The South has
not advanced an inch in the last two years,
notwithstanding all the experimental legisla-
ton. Does the Senate understand that the
North is paying the bills for these expert
ments? Bad legislation for one section re-
fleets very severely upon the other, and the
people of the North are very little disposed
to be bled simply to support legal quibblings
and technicalities. Give the whole country
more legislation for its material prosperity,
and we shall advance. Since the rebellion
we have had nothing but political measures,
and these have been urged forward with a
party animosity which has completely ignored
the existence of our material interests. The
Tenure of Office act, throwing into the hands
of the Senate the control Of the whole army
Of public servants, has, linked with their
legislative functions, given them greater
power than has ever before been possessed by
any legislative body in the civilized world. The
United States Senate to-day handle the wealth
and honors of the whole nation, and the ex-
tent to which they have used their vast power
has only been limited by the yielding pressure
which up to this time has been opposed to
them by the people. That pressure is, how
ever, no longer yielding. The country is sick
to disgust with body which is forgetful of all
national prosperity and only alive to personal
ambition and party rule.


The House of Representatives are nearer to
the people than the Senate. They feel the
pulsations Of the national heart quicker. They
should, therefore, reject the amendment offered
by the Senate and boldly aid the Executive we
have elected. Mr. Butler, clear headed and
sagacious, stands by the people, and the tele-
graph informs us that he will only be con-
tented with the restoration to General Grant
of all the authority of the executive Office. If,
however, the House fail in its duty, let the
President veto the amendment and make issue
Immediately with the Senate for the restora-
tion of the executive power. The people will
support him in this contest; for, despite the
ring influence, despite the desire Of the few to
curtail the many in contravention of our gov
ernmental system, despite the power to which
the Senate clings, the President can defeat
them for they cannot afford in such con-
test to wreck the republican party by clinging
to stolen property.


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