Year: 1866

]
be President of these United States. Yes
sir, feel that a clear conscience is the bes


protection a man can have. Yes, sir, l fee


that I can face the world in VindicatiOn oi
my action. So thank you, gentlemen, fol
your attention, believing that l have ans


wered all questions propOUnded to me to-
day, so that you need have no doubt as tC


my position as loyal man.


War Upon the Executive Powers OF


the President by a Radical Con-


gress.


When the Post Office bill was called


up on Monday in the Senate, Mr. Hen


derson, of Missouri, proposed an amend


ment to limit the appointing power of


the President. Mr. Trumbull offered


an amendment to this, which was some


what differently Worded, but with the


same object and nearly in the same


terms. No action wss taken upon these,


as the Senate went into executive ses-


sion and soon after adjourned. This


last Of the many sweeping radical


changes proposed in the government by


the present revolutionary Congress


provides that no salary or compensa-


ton shall be received by any one APP


pointed TO an Office where the appoint


ment requires the confirmation of the


Senate until that body confirms the


appointment, except in the case of fill


ing vacancy occurring after the SEN


ate may have adjourned. The propo-


sition is not confined to appointments


in the Post Office Department, though


submitted as an amendment to the Post


Office Appropriation bill, but extends


to all those in every department of the


government which require to be con.
| tiTmed by the Senate That is to say,


it extends to the whole patronage or
appointing power of the President, ex-


cept 10 the smaller offices, such as
clerkships, to which appointments are


not made by the President, but by the


heads of departments. We should not


be surprised if this proposed sweeping
change in the principles and practice of
the government should be carried
through Congress; for anything that
body may do will not surprise US.


What, in effect, will this change
amount to, and what is the object of it2
1t amounts to this, that the whole pa
tronage of the government would be
in the hands of the Senate and that
Senators intend to use this power to
force the President into their measures.
We believe the law which was passed by
this same revolutionary party creating
the Office of Comptroller of the Currency
takes away the power of removal by
the Executive from that office. That
was step of Congressional Usurpation
over the timeshonored and constitu-
tionsl prerogative of the President
The present proposition is tremen-
dous stride in the same direction. We
may expect to see next movement to
take the whole power of appointment
and removal from the President and
assumption of it by Congress. The |
statesmen Of this country as well as !
those of other countries, thought we
had well balanced system of govern
ment 1t has certainly been a most |
Successful one. But the visionary poll |
tieians and radical disorganizers of our
day presume to think otherwise, or
dare to break up this beautiful and sue |
cessful system for partisan purposes.
What do these men want Do they |
want to prevent the President from re-
moving Cabinet officers or other officials |
who may be obnoxious to him, and |
who obstrUct the policy of his admin
istration2 The manner In which the |
term "Vacancy" is used in the amend.
if it were intended to prevent him max
ing removals. But if not, what would
be the use of removing officers if those
appointed in their places could draw
no salaries without permission of the
Senate? The consequence would be
that either the President must conform
to the wishes of dominant faction in |
the Senate, however radical or reVolu- |
tionary, or the machinery of the gov
ernment would come to a dead lock,
The constitution, the principles and /
the forms of our government, all OF /
which operated so admirably, suffered
a severe strain during the gigantic war
we have just passed through; but they
are in greater danger now We have,
indeed, fallen upon evil days. At
time when we need the highest order of
craftsmanship, not only to restore
peace and harmony and to repair the
damages of the war, but to preserve
the spirit and letter of our institutions,
we find the halls of Congress filled with
shallow, superficial theorists, mere po-
litical partisans, and those crazy to
mako the most sweeping and danger
Gus changes. We have had statesmen
who were the admiration of the coun-
try and the world, and patriots who
could sacrifice personal or party con-
siderations for the good of the coun-
try; but where shall We find them now ?
There are few, and the voice of thosel
few is not heard amidst the clamor of
faction. The radical majority in the
present Congress appear ready to sac
rifice everything that is good in the
to remodel the splendid
structure or to launch US on troubled
sea in another and an unsafe ship; to
do all this and more for selfish party
purposes and to peTpetuste its power.
II It we're not for our conservative and
firm President our condition would be
more dangerous He stands as q
breakwster against the surging faction.
Our only hope is in him and in the
sense Of hepeople when the
issue shall be put fairly. before them at
the next elections. In the meantime T
We trust that those amendments &
the power over appointments,
and the hundred and one proposed !
to the constitution, with J
all the other radical measures for sub
Verting our excellent government, may !
be knocked on the head or be held in
abeyance till the people can speak G
through the ballot-box- l. Herald 7


The attempt has frequently been
made to relieve jefferson Davis and '
.he heads of his administration of all t
for the horrible suferipes &
upon Union prisoners of war
n their hands, by throwing the blame
mn, r,1hnrdir,nfs ar,,I lnrni -1 |