the direction of the President, the pending resolutions avoided
any mention of the President but expressed "condemnation of the
refusal of the Attorney-General under whatever influence, to send
to the Senate" the required papers. The logical implication was
that, when the orders of the President and the Senate conflicted,
it was the duty of the Attorney-General to obey the Senate. This
raised an issue which President Cleveland met by sending to the
Senate his message of March 1, 1886, which has taken a high rank
among American constitutional documents. It is strong in its
logic, dignified in its tone, terse, direct, and forceful in its
diction.

Cleveland's message opened with the statement that "ever since
the beginning of the present session of the Senate, the different
heads of the departments attached to the executive branch of the
government have been plied with various requests and documents
from committees of the Senate, from members of such committees,
and at last from the Senate itself, requiring the transmission of
reasons for the suspension of certain officials during the recess
of that body, or for papers touching the conduct of such
officials." The President then observed that "though these
suspensions are my executive acts, based upon considerations
addressed to me alone and for which I am wholly responsible, I
have had no invitation from the Senate to state the position
which I have felt constrained to assume." Further on, he clinched
this admission of full responsibility by declaring that "the
letter of the Attorney-General in response to the resolution of
the Senate... was written at my suggestion and by my direction."

This statement made clear in the sight of the nation that the