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the power of reinstating officers who have been broke by a Court Martial, of which you speak, does not in my opinion belong to the Executive, nor any other department of our government, by any constitutional or legal provision that I know of, and it is the first time I ever knew such a power exercised by our Executive. This power has been assumed after a consultation with the present, & late Adjutant General, neither of whom with his Excellency at their head, are in my opinion capable of giving correct advice upon any case where power is to be exercised by construction. I presume it was enough for them to know that the President exercised such a power, without knowing whether he did so constructively, or by special legal provision or not. These are matters, which, if the next Legislature do not take cognizance of they will be deficient in their duty. The case of Robinson of Laurens County will probably bring this matter to issue. In many respects there is a striking similarity between the