Year: 1864

10 the Supporters Of the Government:


We have read without surprise, but no


without Indignation, the proclamation o


the President of the Sth of July, 1864.


The supporters of the administrator


are responsible to the country for its con


duct; and it is their right, and duty tt


check the encroachments of the Execu


tive on the authority of Congress, and t.


require it to confne itself to its proper
sphere.


1t is impossible to pass in silence thi
proclamation without neglecting that du
,y; and having taken as much responsi
bility as any others in supporting the ad
ministration, we are not disposed to fai
in the other duty of asserting the right:
of Congress.


The President did not sign the bill etc
guarantee to certain States whose govern
ments have been usurped republican
form of passed by the SUP
porters of the administration in both
houses of Congress after mature delibera.
! ton. ..
The bill did not therefore become 1a,o;
and is therefore nothing.


The proclamation is neither an appro-
val nor a veto of the bill it is therefore
document unknown to the laws and con-
stitution of the United States.
So far as it coutains an apology for not
signing the bill. it is political manifesto
against the friends of the government.


So far as it proposes to excite the bill
which is not law, it is a grave Execu-
tive usurpation.


1t is fitting that tt e facts necessary to
enable the friends of the administration
to appreciate the apology and the usurpa.
ton be spread before them.


The proclamation says:


"And whereas the said bill was presen-
ted to the President of The United States
for his approval less than one hour before
and was not signed By him"


IF this be accurate, still this bill was
presented with other bills which were
signed.


Within that hour, the time for the sine
die adjournment was three times post
poned by the votes of both houses and
the least intin alton for desire for more
time by the President to consider this
bill would have secured further post
penement. -t


Yet the committee sent to ascertain if
the President had any further cornmuni-
cation for the House of Representatives
reported that he had none and the
friends of the bill, who had anxiously
waited on him to ascertain it's fate, had
already been informed that the President
had re olved not to sign it.


The time of presentation, therefore,
had nothing to do with his failure to ap-
prove it. ....


The bill had been discussed AMI con-
sidered for more than month. in the
House of Representatives, which it pass
ed on the 4th Of May it WIS reported to
the Senate on the 9th of May without
material amendment, and passed the SEN
ate absolutely as it came from the House
on the I'd of July. .,aa. ...


Ignorance Of its contents is OUT of the
question. t-! -'


Indeed, at his request draft of bill
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 1S62-l863.


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 10 prevent the bill from
becoming law without the constitutional
of veto had been resolved
on long before the bill passed the Senate.


We are informed by a gentleman enti-
tied to entire confidence, that before the
22d of June in New Orleans it was sta
ted by a member of Gen. Banks staff, in
the presence of other gentlemen in off
cial Positions, that Senator Doolittle had
written letter to the department that the
House reconstruction bill would he STAYED
off in the Senate to period too late in
the session to require the Pres ident to
veto it III order to defeat it, and that Mr
Lincoln would retain the bill, if necessa-
ry, ard thereby defeat il.


The experience of Senator Wade, in |
his various efforts to get the bill consid- |
cred in the Senate, was quite in accord |
anee with that plan and the fate of the |
bill was accurately predicted by letters re-
ceived from New Orleans before it had |
passed the Senate. at


Had the proclamation stopped here, it |
would have been only one other def, at of /
the people by an Executive perversicn of
the constitution.


But it goes further. The President
says: e. .s..t -s.s


"And whereas, the said bill contains,
lmong other things, plan for restoring
he States in rebellion to their proper
practical relation in the Union, which
plan expresses the sense of Congressl up
IN that subject, and which plan is now