CHAPTER XIV.
POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE PRESIDENT
Military Powers of the President.—An eminent American historian,[[43]] writing of the power exercised by President Lincoln in time of war, said, "It is an interesting fact, that the ruler of a republic which sprang from a resistance to the English king and Parliament should exercise more arbitrary power than any Englishman since Oliver Cromwell, and that many of his acts should be worthy of a Tudor."
President Lincoln, it is true, exercised powers which, if attempted by a weaker man, or at another time, might have proved dangerous to the liberties of the people.[[44]]
This he did through his interpretation of Clause 1, Section 2.
The President shall be commander-in-chief of the army and navy of the United States, and of the militia of the several States when called into the actual service of the United States; he may require the opinion, in writing, of the principal officer in each of the executive departments, upon any subject relating to the duties of their respective offices, and he shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment.
Reprieves and Pardons.—The ordinary powers of the President are also important.[[45]] One of the greatest is the power to grant reprieves and pardons. A reprieve is the temporary suspension of the execution of a sentence. By means of a reprieve the President may gain time to look into the evidence more carefully. Complete release from a sentence is secured by a pardon.[[46]]
Treaty-Making Power.—Section 2, Clause 2. He shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to make treaties, provided two-thirds of the senators present concur.