Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1830-06-18

or plurality Of men, And whatsoever shall fail to do
voidance OF responsibility will 6nd that he has Forfeit
ed the esteem aud confidence which invsrishly a.
warded by public opinion, to 6rmness and fidelity in
| the performance Of public trusts.
| The Constitution proceeds upon the idea that Con-
grs.s, composed Of the Ssoste and House OF Repre-.
senatves is no, infabie II has, therefore, erected
thu additional barrier OF the Executive veto, against
has,y or njudicious action.
IL contsmpiaes that veto countcrvang the opiu.
on OF ne-thrd OF both Houses because its interposi
ton makes the concurrence Of two-thirds Of both
Houses necessary. To complsn then, Of lite exercise,
is TO quarrel with tho form OF government under
which We live It the precss reverse Of complain,
which we have often heard Of, in an European monar-
cby There, the King pp'ain-d VIII eusver the Par
lament refused to register his sdicts Here the Con.
gress are to complain whenever the Cheit Magistrate
declined TO register their will.
rejoice. Sir. that he has 70 declined congra-
ua'e my country thai, in this instances tho Chief Mag
srae has displayed much Of moral, A. he heretofore
did OF physical coursge,--so much decision aud
gy in the cabinet he heretofore did in the isid-by
which he will in degree at least, arrsst the pro.
kress OF system, which, in its unrestraned career,
threatens TO produce mischief than any man. Ell
Their in or out OF Congress pretend to estimate
| Mr.. Speaker. heard with surp-i.c, nay, with a.
tonshnen the bitter, the acrimonious and must add,
the unjusi6abls invectve. which the member lror. o.
hio poured forth, in torrent. against the Chief Mag
istr&e uron ths occasion.
| Tbs m,in purpose OF the gentleman seemed to be
to inculcste the opinion that the rejection of the bill 10
question W." with view to acquiring popularity.
Wh,, Sir. an attempt at popularity Look. for
al the circumstances OF ho case, and then toll whe
| ther this opinion can be sustained.
This bill not only carried by a majority, il
must have boen, but by decisive m.jori'y Of both
| Houses OF Congress. Can any man suppese that
President. who set out adventure In quest oil
popularity would make his frs: experiment against
question which, by passing beth Houses of Congress
seemed 10 carry with IL the appreciation Of the S,ses
On the contrary, IL he going for bim'elf rather
than Tor hi. country. would he not, by approving the
bill, have just hoated down tho current Of appsren
public opinoo, without encountering tho least impede
ma in nc rn.s
done! Regarding his country than himssl look.
Ing with an eye that never winked to tho public good
and not TO his personsl sggrandizemcnt ne has with.
holden his approval from this bill, which favor
ate hanng with majority Of both House, OF Congress-
he his thus pisc.d himself in position where he has
to win hi. way to public appreciation, in thi, respect,
under adverse circumstances, az the mariner who
has to row up stream, againt wind and tide.
And hi, 10 sid TO be seeking after popularity -
Cfsddt Judsus APpelld. Sir il s any thing but seek
ing siter popularity. in the obnoxious in which
that expression has been applied TO him. But, if I
know auy thing of the character Of my ymsn-
rare example OF political integrity and frmness,
will constitute claim 10 their estecm-if dsnt.
edne's and seltdenia, be any evidence OF virtue in
public men-then, indeed, without seeking, will he
have found popular,y-not Of that mushroom kind,
which is acquired without merit and lost without q
fault, but that noble kind. which lie always be
slowed by all good men, and the just reward OF vir'u
Gus actcn', and IL always w,hhoden from those who,
without deserving il, endoavour to acquire it,
Sir, the man who is in quest Of popularity and pow
er, would have taken different course. BY APPROX
ing this BILL and thus continuing the system Of Internal
| Improvement. the Prssident would have commanded
an immense amount Of patronage, az veil in the die.
bu''ement Of countless millions of money, in APP
pon,ment TO otfce. And yet, though thsse means Of
power and Influence, would be at his own command,
though he presents the example of Executive
Magistrate, rejecting the OF that, which would
contribute so much to personal aGgrsndizsment. he 10
sui charged with courting popularity. If this be the
only mode Of counting popularity, country will.
indeed, be happy; and those in power, who thus
seek it, will deserve our lasting gratitude.
Thar xr,fh nift
maxim, " that with money, got IN, and with
men, money!" and they would cling to both the in
srnments oil their ambitious projects. Sir hail this
act OF the Presdnnt AZ opnous OF the au'picous
results Amongst the many cellent docriae. which
save grown ont of republican sy.,om is this that
tue blessings OF freedom cannot he enjoyed, without
frequent recurrence fundamental principles In th.
instance, we are making that recurrence. T. would
seem, Sir. that the pericd OF about thirty years con-
'uutes political cycle. Thirty years ago, the open
| ing oil the present century, Government was
drawn back 10 its original principles; the vessel of State
ike one at sea- had gotten upon wrong tack, and the
new pilot, who was then placed a, the helm brought
again into the right for the purpose of reaching
s proper destination. In the progress of long voy-
IL has again declined from ts proper course And
congratulate the whole crew, that we have found
other pilot with enough Of sk In navig alton and firm
ness, again to correct the decinatior. The present
Chief Magistrate Sir, chad done the State some ser
vice heretofore; but, in my estimation, it but az
dust IN The basnce compared with the good which he
has done.
Thus far, Mr.. Speaker, I have been .hevving the ut
Ter lnJus'ire OF bndiDg ailt with the Chief Magistrate,
for exercising his constitutions, function according 10
his own Judgment, and have taken il for granted thai
his objections well-fcunded. The late period Of
the Session, as we'll my having recently argued th.
question at large, induce to f6rbsar from entering
into the discussion now, a. any length. hope, how
ever, that the House will bear with me whilst submit a
few general r'mark'. not only concur with the Pre-
sdsn' as far he goes in his views but go farther
lie denies the power Of Congress TO construct roads
with claim OF jurisdc'ion. So do I. III admits that
40 the Constitution has been long construed the pow
sr 10 appropriate money for such purposes arereay
national. must be acquesced in, until the difficulty il
removed by an amendment. In this, dif:r from the
President, as h has right 10 differ from me- and from
follow the lights Of my own judgment. 40 am always
ready TO acknow ledge that of the President DO the
same.
But will not now go into the constitutional question
Apart from this, lei me ask, whether there nre no
abundant reasons for the which the President
has pursued? He tells You, the subject has been in
VOWED in doubt, and has produced much diversity Of
opinion. This is part of the political history Of the
country re'r1spcct Of the proceedings of Congress.
VIII she~, that different Congres'e. have entertaned
and expressed different opinions, the leading ques
tons connected with this system. We also know, that
many Sst"s Of the Union have utterly denied 10 this
power Now Iput il to the eandor, the justice. the
iiberaly Of this House. whether the circumstance
OF great doubt and diversity Of opinion, lie not
enough for The Chief Magistrate TO pause and Tor you
70 pause with him, in this csrecr' IT it be said
as II often ha. bcen that majority IL not to b. govern.
ed by minority, answer, let that he admitted, and
yeti demsrd, that the majority should ray just
gard to the reonsrnres and complaints Of the minor-
w. Even in the monarchies Of Europe this i. the
Witness the recent emancipation OF the Irish Catholics
hU DaFlta ami ia tua ast0nk