THE REPUBLICAN.' jiIDSON HOLCOMB. t ruom , CELLS; L. TRACY, JUDSCLY IfOLCOMB, Editor. " Rea sraiable taxer, honest erpeVilures con relent officers/arid no stealing. Harpers eekhi. ) Eatered to the Post 0111 re at Towanda as SECOND CLiS''S MATTER. TI3pISDAY, SEPT. 8. 1881 Republican County Ticket. PROMONOTART GEORGE W. BLACKMAN SHERIFF. WILLIAM T. HORTON REGISTER AND RECORDER JAMES H. WEBB. TREASURER: EBEN LILLEY. COMMISSIONERS: DANIEL BRADFORD, MYRON KINGSLEY. • AUDITORS: JOSEPH T. 'RESTED, W. W. MOODY. Judge Black on the Constitution• In the opinion of Judge J. S. Black as Attorney General of the United States, given to President Buchanan November 20, 1860, there occurs this sentence: "Whether Congress has the constitutional 'right to make war against one or more States, and require the Eicecutive of the Federal Government to carry it on by means of force to be drawn from the other States, is a question for Congress itself to consider. It must be admitted.that no 4 such pow er is expressly given; nor are there any words in the Constitution which imply it." This is the clause in Judge Black's opinion and instruction to President Buchanan, upon which is founded the charge that in his opinion "the Constitution conferred upon the . , President no power to coerce a State: seeking'to secede from the Union," Here is a vital point, and it was be hind. this opinion that President Buchanan entrenched himself, and sat as weak and helpless as a child while State after State went out of the Union, and the arms and moni tions of war as well as the public funds were being stolen • from the Government. Is there no respons ibility resting with Judge Black for the consequences which resulted from . such a rendering of the Con stitution? Was it in keeping strictly with ; his recent professions of sincere loyalty? • The Vice President's Position. • The continued improvement of the President brings the inability • question again to the tront. While he lay appar ently at death's door, by general con sent the subject was dropped., It be comes again a practical question with the renewed Prospect of his continued illness or long convalescence. That the Constitution contemplates the tempor- ary discharge of the President's duties .by the Vice President during the for `mer's inability is very generally concede ell. In the absence of pre cedent or leg . islation on the subjedt, opinions vary as to the method of enforcing this consti tutional provision or the possibility of enforcing it at all. Certain prominent journals, with much more zeal than discretion, have been urgiug the Vice President for weeks past to proceed to Washington and assume forthwith the duties and prerogatives of President. • This advice generally came from a ques tionable quarter, but, whetlier given in - good faith or not, has had little influ - enc 4 on the country and none at all with the Vice President. Thus far the Government has ; prob ably suffered little inconvenience from the prostration of its Chief Executive. Had the President been in- health the past two months would have been his vacation time, and all preparations had been made with that in view. As the weeks of his illness giew into mouths there are more and more questions de manding Executive attention and the President io !unable to act. It is report 0, and doubtless truthfully, that the Cabinet have been for some time ser iously considering the best way oat of the existing difficulty. Should the President's removal be decided !von, the present anomalous condition of `affairs would, without being at all