Year: 1864

To the Supporters of the Government.
without Indignation the proclamation of the
President of the Sth of July, 1864.


The supporters Of the Administration are
responsible to the country for its conduct;
and it is their right and duty to check the
encioachments of the Executive on the au'
thorily Of Congress. and to require it to
confne itself to its propher sphere.


1t is impossible to pass in silence this pro
clamation without neglectiug that duty; and,
having taken as much responsibility as any
others in supporting the Administration, we
are not disposed to fail in the other duty of
asserting the rights Of Congress.


The President did not sign the bill "to
guarantee to cerian States whose Govern
ments have been usurped republican form
of Government" passed by the supporters OF
bis administration in both Houses of Con-
gress alter mature deliberations


The bill did not, therefore, become laaO,
and it is. therefore, nothing.


The proclamation is neither an approval
nor veto Of the bill it is, therefore, doc
ument unknown to the laws and Constitution
of the United States.


So far as it contains an apology for not
signing the biIl' it is 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
usurpaion.


1t is itting that the facts necessary to en-
able the friends Of the Administration to
appreciate the apology and the usurpa,ion
be spread before them.


The proclamation says:


And whereas the said bill was presented to the
President OF the United States for his approval
less than one hour before the sine die adjourn
ment Of said session, and WIS not signed by him -


II tha, be accurate, still this bill was pre-
sented With other bills which were signed.


Within that hour, the time for the sine die
adjournment was three times postponed by
the votes OF both Houses; and the least init
NATION of desire for more time by the
President to consider this bill would have
secured a further pos'ponement.
Yet the Committee sent to ascertain II the
President had any farther communication
for the House of Representatives reported
that he had none; and the friends OF the bill,
who had anXiou>Iy waited on him TO ascer-
tain its fate, had already been informed tha;
the President had resolved not TO sign it.


The time of presentation, therefore, had
nothing to do with bis failure to approve it.
| The bill had been discussed and considered
for more than a month in the House Of Rep-
resenalives, 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 absolutely as 1t came
from the House on the ID Of July.


Ignorance.o of its contents Is out of the
question.


Indeed, at bis request, draft of bill
substantially the same in all material points,
and identical in the points objected to by
the proclamation, had been laid before him
for his consideration in the winter Of lS6263


There is. therefore, no reason to suppose
the provisions Of the bill took the President
by surprise


On lhe contrary, we have reason to believe
them to have been SO we'll known that this
method of preventing the bill from becom-
inc law without the constitutional respon'
sblitv of veto, had been resolved on long
before the bill passed the Senate


We are Informed by gentleman entitled
to entire confidence, that before the 22d OF
June in New Orleans it was stated by
member If Gen. Banks staff, IN the presence
OF other gentlemen in official position, that
Senator DooittIe had written a letter TO the
deparlmeut that the House reconstruction
bill would be STAYED off in the Senate TO
period too late in the session to require the
President to veto it in order to defeat, and
that Mr.. Lincoln would retain the bill, If
necessary, and thereby defeat 1t.


The experience of Senator Wade, IN his
various efforts to get the bill considered IN
the Senate, was quite in accordance with
tha. plan, and the fate of the bill was accu-
rateIv predicted by letters received from New
Orleans before it bad passed the Senate.


Had the proclamation stopped there, 1t
would have been only one other defeat OF the
will of the people by an Executive perversion
of the Constitution.


But it goes futher. The President says:


And whereas the said bill contains among other
things plan for restoring the States in rebellion
to their proper practical relation IN the Union,
which plainly expresses the sense ol congress
upon that subject and which plan it is now
thought fit to lay before the people Tor their con-
sderation-


By what authority of the Constitution?
In what forms? The result to be declared
by whom? With what effect when ascer'
taned?


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


Will the President, on his opinion Of the
popular approval, execute it as law!


Or is this merely device to avoid the SCI
rious. responsibility OF defeating law on