Year: 1868

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| Thou art the clear,


Persuasive orator of right the pure.
! UnSGllleu patriot the changeleSS, sure,
! And genial friend, to many hearts how dear
|
Gen. Grant and Congress.
Gen. Grant, in accepting the nom
nation for the Presidency, SAID that


if elected he sshould have no policy


of his own to enforce against the


will of the people," This remark


embodies a valuable principle; but


we think the Tribune mistakes an6


misstates it when it says:


by the very terms of his pledge, the success:
| of Republican, principles on any question is
| not V on by the election of Gen Grant but vii
| throughout his administration depend upon


the ability OF the Republican Party to 1nlir-
| tain i is maiorities in both Houses OF Congress
| IF Congress remain Rexsublican, Gen. Grant
executes Republican laws without question
DenocTatic policies with equal readiness and
| decision. This we believe TO be in accorGance
vita the true theory OF republican govern.
meiit. and tne very highest StateSmanShip and
soundest policy possible in an executive of
| ficer"


Within limits this view of the


functions Of the Executive is main
ly just,-but it seems to us to 90
too far. It is the Presidents duty,
beyond all question, to carry into
execution the laws which Congress
may eGact,-no matter what party
may control Congress at the time.
He has no right to oppose or resist
the execution of any law; it is his
special duty, on the contrary, to
take care that all laws be faithfully
executed


But he need not, therefore, be
utterly and equally Indifferent to all
policies. He is not required to ex-
ecute Democratic policies," or
Republican policies" as such. Nor
would it be either necessary, or
proper, that he should be in office
merely the instrument for carrying
either into effect. The Constitu-
ton gives him the right, and makes
1t his duty, to recommend to Com
gress such measures as he shall
Judge necessary and expedient.'
This gives him the right to have ga
policy of his own, upon all public
questions and to recommend it to
Congress, and to prefer it to any
policy that may come into conflict
or competition with it. If he is a
Republican, he will espouse the
Republican policy and he cannot
be required or expected to regard
the Democratic policy with equal
favor, or to execute it ''with equal
heartiness.'


Gen. Grant does not disclairn the
right to have policy Of his own,
on all questions of public interest
and Importance what he does dis
claim is the right Or desire to cen
force his own policy against the will
of the people, That right he Ger
tainly has not;-and 40 assurance
is needed for those who understand
and appreciate his character, that
he would not desire it. That he
will "recommend' to Congress,
whether Congress be Democratic or
Republican, such measures as may
seem to him necessary or e1pedi
ent, we have no doubt nor have
we any doubt these measures will
be, in their character and tenor.
correspondent with the principles
and objects ofthe Republican Party.
He will not attempt to dictate to
Congress what measures it shall
adopt, nor will he seek, If Congress
should Eot accept and act upon his
recommendations, to defeat the ex-
ecution of the laws which it may
enact in their stead.


On the other hand we may reas
onably hope that while he will re-
spect the proper powers and juris-
et!ction Of Congress, and not seek to
encroach upon them, Congress will
equally respect the authority and
constitutional independence Of the
Executive. lie will not be called
upon, as. Mr. Johnson has been, to
defend the rightful prerogative of
his own department. " trust that
the great questions which have yex
ed and agitated the country for the
last three years, and led to the con-
test between these two branches of
the Government, will be settled SO
SIS to give rise to no further contro-
versies Of this sort. And we feel
sure that there will be nothing in
Gen. Grants manner of dealing with
such issues as may arise, that will
provoke the bitter hostility which
Mr., johnson has encountered and
to very great extent invited. His
election will. put an end to all the
conflicts of the war, and his admin
istration will give to the country,
what it very much needs, another
"era of good feeling. IN. y Times.


In the trial of General Cole tor
the murder of Hiscock, at Albany,
on the ground of adultery with his
wife, the counsel for the accused
makes the remarkable statement that
s'within the last two hundred years
no man has been punished by any
court of justice, either in this coun-
try or in England, for shooting the
seducer of his wife, his daughter or
his sister, when that motive and
that alone has prompted the fatal
blow"