Year: 1864

We have read without surprise, but
not without Indignation, the Froclama
tion OF the President of the Sth of July,
1864. The supporters of the Administra-
ton are responsible to the country for
its conduct and it is their right and du-
| ty TO check the encroachments of the.
Executive on the authority Of Congress,
and to require it to confine itself to its
proper sphere. 1t is impossible to pass
in silence this Proclamation without neg
Iecting that duty; and, having taken as
much responsibility as any Others in sup
porting the Administration, we are not
disposed to fail in the other duty of as
seriing the rights of Congress. The Pres
ident did not sign the bill Ito guarantee
to certain States whose Government have
been usurped, Republican form of Gov
ernmt nP'-passed by the supporters of
his Administration in both Houses of
Congress after mature deliberation. The
bill did not therefore become a Las0 and
it is therefore nothing.


The Proclamation is neither approval
nor veto of the bill; it is therefore a
document unknown to thelaws and Con-
stitution of the United States. So far as
it contains an apology for not signing the
bill, it is political manifesto against the
friends of the Government. So far as it
proposes 10 execute the bill which is not
law. is grave Executive usurpation.
1t is fitting that the facts necessary to
enable the friends of the Administration
to appreciate the apology and the usur-
nation be spread before them.


The Proclamation says:


And whereas the said bill was present
ed 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"


If that be accurate, still this bill was
pI esented 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 i;
and the least intimation of a desire for
more time by the President to consider
this bill would have secured further
postponement. Yet the Committee sent
to ascertain if the President had any fur.
ther communication for the House of
Representatives reported that he 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 had resolved not to
sign it. The time of presentation, there
fore, had nothing to do with his failure
to approve it.


The bill had been discussed and con-
sidered for more than a 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
material amendments, 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. In
deed, at his request, draft of bill sub
stantially the same in all material points,
and, identical in the points objected to
bysthe Proclamation, had beenlaid before
him for his consideration in the Winter
of lS62-lS63. There is, therefore, no
reason 10 suppose 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 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 q gen.
tIeman entitled to entire confidence, that
before the ODD of June in New Orleans it
was stated by a member of Gen. Banks
staff, in the presence of other gentlemen
in official position, that Senator Doolittle
had written letter to the department
that the House Reconstruction biIlwould
be STAYED off in the Senate to period too


late in the session to require the Presi-


dent to veto it in order to defeat it, and
: that Mr.. Lincoln would retain the bill il
necessary, and thereby defeat it. The
experience of Senator Wade, in his Vari-
GUS efforts to get the bill considered in
the Senate, was quite in accordance with
a that plan: and the fate Of the bill was
accurately predicted by letters received
from New Orleans before it had passed


the Senate. Had the Proclamation stop
l ped there, it would have been only one
other defeat of the will of the people by
an Executive perversion of the Constitu'
ton. But it goes further. The President
!. says.


t "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
pIan expresses the sense of Congress up
! on that subject, and which plan it is now
1 thought fit to lay before the people fol
their considerations"


By what authority of the Constitution


In what formsf The result to be declar
r ed bv whomi With what effect wher
ascertained? Is it to be law by the ap


proval of the people without the approx
al Of Congress at the will of the Presi
, dent? Will the President, on his o9in
: ion of the popular approval, execute it Al
p law? Or is this merely device to avoid


the serious responsibility of defeating
: law on which so many loyal hearts repos


ed for security? But the reasons nov
assigned for not approving the bill are
e full of ominous significance. The Presi


dent proceeds:


Now, therefore, l. Abraham Lincoln
= President of the United States, do pro
claim, declare, and make known, thai
while am las was in December last
Z Z when by proclamation ! propounded
plan for restoIation) unprepared, oy
formal approval of this bill, to be inHexi
- .o,,,,.;+gad fo anv sinple plan of res