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State governments at the South subject to absolute military authority in many important respects, but not in all respects, while the new measure proposed to extend the despotism of the military commanders over everything. Against such a measure, in time of peace, he protested as being in violation of every guaranty of {141} individual liberty contained in the Constitution. He dwelt upon the unfitness of military officers to discharge the duties and exercise the powers pertaining naturally to civil office, and he pointed out the inconsistency, as he thought, of the declaration of Congress that the ten
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State governments at the South were illegal with the attempt of Congress to carry on these _illegal_
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State governments by
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Federal agency, when Congress had no power to carry on a _legal_
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State government through
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Federal agency ; and he stopped, as he thought, the way of escape from this argument by pointing out that the entire legislation of Congress down to the passage of the Reconstruction Acts distinctly involved the recognition of the ten communities now to be put under absolute military rule in all respects as
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States
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Whilst I hold the chief executive authority of the United States, whilst the obligation rests upon me to see that all the laws are faithfully executed, I can never willingly surrender that trust or the powers given for its execution. I can never give my assent to be made responsible for the faithful execution of laws, and at the same time surrender that trust and the powers which accompany it to any other executive officer, high or low, or to any number of executive officers. If this executive trust, vested by the Constitution in the President, is to be taken from him {142} and vested in a subordinate officer, the responsibility will be with Congress in clothing the subordinate with unconstitutional power and with the officer who assumes its exercise.