Executive Order 10730: Little Rock Nine: Authority

    Executive Order 10730: Little Rock Nine: Authority

      The central motif of Executive Order 10730 is right here: "by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and Statutes of the United States" (5, 7).

      The whole document is about presidential power. Even its name—"Executive Order"—sounds pretty, well, executive.

      Eisenhower commands people to cease, desist, and disperse. He uses the words "enforce" or "enforcement" 5 times, "authorize" or "authority" 8 times, and "order" 12 times. Most important, he lets readers know he is permitted by law to do these things.

      You know, just in case anyone thought about complaining.