Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-11-13
POLITICS..
TUE VrTO POWE0-LO0k AIEA

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,,rdg Gea ,rrsOi Cacsdrd, C.to liz iii y june 1910
There is not u more important power lodged III
any Of the departments oil the General Government
than the reio OF the President, and we believe there
scarcely any n,e understood Important as IL IS u
every ,n,eres, of the Republic, 10 the South it is inds
putably the great safeguard Of her peculiar interests
I'VE shall demonstrate this presently; but wall first eX
plain ts nature. ,
The Ieio is not OF American even, as is supposed
of modern origin, but is derived from the Roman Ike
nub;c The Government Of Rome was al FIRST kingly
and that regime ended in the expulsion OF the larqus
After this event the Government became entirely aris
tocratcn the mobiles had the exclusive possession o
office Feuds arose between the people seeking To &c
oure that influence i'll the Commonwealth which Tree
government allows, and the arstoc-acy who sought ie
continue their privileges The reader OF Noinan ms
tory will remember, that these dssensions PRODUCED
secession of the people to the "Sacred 1t, and re
suited among other popular reforms, in the establish
ment of n new order Of public officers called In
bunes elected by the people, who were consttulet
the exclusive guardians OF the rights ana interests
the Roman people. Among the powers conferred OF
these Tribunes the most important was the reto. The
power of proposing laws, as before remained with the
mobiles but to protect the people upon whom they mus
operate their officers could at their pleasure forbid the
adoption. The language Of the Tribune whenever at
unjust Jaw was proposed was "ieto which is Roman
Tor Iutin) word and translated into English, means
sIfo,bid he forbade in the Of The people, IN"
measures Of the Mobiles. Such is the or,gn Of the
power, and Tor many subsequent ages oil the l,oniai
Constitution. We thus see tia: tie first Design and
operation OF the re,o project the rights OF tie
people, which sever stealing 10 the few
Such a power belongs 10 the Executive OF England
bnl we believe has been exercised for hall cen
,ury Indeed, such is the influence Of that officer IN
Parliament, that exercise rs-ciY be necessary
for besides hs patronage he can al s pleasure prorogue
the parlianen annlllatc Tor the time the legislative
power.
II is no. less true, however, ,ha; in England as i'll
Rome one of the great objects o! the tco power was tc
protect the people against Mc n0bies II might snine
times be necessary proec, the ether pIerogatvcs o.
the Executive but very iaicy Tor the reasons We have
stated is hgies, exercise was designed 10 shelter th'
Commons from grasplng ArSlocracy.
The fathers Of Republic, the ramers OF our Con-
st,u,ion were too deeply vcrsed IN the science OF 90
vernmen, and the history Of States, 10 overlook the
great security which popular rights might derive IRON
enrraiiing institutions so valuable feature
They improved upon the lights of history, and not only
made this important power a shield for the people, but
as was necessary IN our complex and confederate go
yernment the Siecpag %adtr TO vndicase The reserved
rights Of the associate soveregntes 1t IS conferred on
the President b. the 2ad Article of the 7th Section Of
the Constitution of the L ), which provides that when
a bill shall have passed both honses o Congress, u
shall before becomes law, be presented 10 the Pre-
sden il lie approves, he shall stgn IL i! not, hc sla.
rcturn it 10 the House in which ii originated, with his
objections Ii upon such return f'ro E'irdS OF eacn
house upon reconsideration shall again approve it, the
bill shall be 4 law
The veto, with us, therefore, is not absolute, but
qualified, and thus IS avoided any possible danger
which might be appreiiended from lis exercise, IN
stranrlinr wholesome legislation. The object oi the
Convention, in clothing the President with this mega
tive are stated By Mr. Hamilton 10 have bcen first to
snahe hun 10 rcss. the entertainments OF Tie Legsia
tive partment his own, and secondly, as security
10 the public against the en1con OF improper laws, the
effects of faction, prccpancy, any impulse unirI"nd
ly to The public good In both views, the veto is a
most important and wholesome power What mus
we thnk then Of a candidate for the Presidency who
sets himself up above the Constitution, claims 10 be
wiser and better than those sagcs and pure men wlio
framed that instrument, and declares III advance that
elected he will not exercise Of the most important
functions Of his Office All prejudice and all party
apart, must not all sound reasomers admi, that such
candidate = unworthy ci public confidence: Such
candidate is Gen. Harrison.
But, important the veto power was considered BY
contemporary writer's the Consultation, and utterly
indetnsible upon their views Gen. Harrison
position is, political experience has demonstrated
that exercise in many respects, not contemplated
when conferred, is extremely valuable, and make
his gratuious dercc;on Of the duties of his expected
position more bIamcab!e and dangerous The Ieto la:
proved be- the most efficient safeguard against PAR
gliL legislation We pass The earlier Instances o.
lis exercise and Will mention stiil familiar to The
public. We all know TIM; there existed when Prcsi
den; jackson INTO Office NEST extraordinary
Combination between the Eastern and Western sec
tons Of tie Union, 10 Cypress the South ior their be
ne;it. The South - the weaker and the richer section
The East, New England and portions Of the Middle
States wished protect their manufacturers by tart:
foreign goods, winch must be levied on the South
and the West needed Internal Improvements, for the
construction Of which, the Tariff produccd the funds
The two sections thus combined controlled the cusla
tive power Of the General Government. and the South
became the victim Of an Impoverished conspiracy
which was dcnomlnaed At that tiirc the iog-r0Via.
system. Under its operation, constant stream o
wealth flowed from the South TO III" North. Oar pco
4
prospercd at our expense The system at length
arrested and how By the re;0 Suppose Gen. liar
risen, with his views tbs subject, mad been Pfesi
dent II is clear that the South must have been utterly
Impoverished the Union dissolved. One or the othe
result would have been inevitable
So much for the past; for the future The larg
est and dearest interest OF the Sou, is the object
of daily assault, mean the institution of slavery
and it deeply hehoovcs her to waive none of her
constitutional safeguards for her constitutional guar.
nn,ees. OF those safeguards the rcto IS, beyond
all comparison, the most important which is con.
iesscdly peaccahlc Let look at this sub ect more
particularly, and let do cooy. 1t is no topic for
idle defamation; tie contrary consider it TO in.
Voive the NEST serious consideration.
OF the twenty-six States which compose the confe-
deracy, twelve tolerate slavery. We therefore III
clear sectional minority in the Senate OF ionr In
the lower House Of Congress we are also sectiona
minority Suppose the .rcs' States sh uld To-
attack our slave institutions, The South has relic
bat in the Veto Of the President or GiSunon. This is
us clear the al nuondav seuhisirv can parry
the conclusion. But il may 10 said TIM free States ne
yer will ngree to assail our rights. What assurance
have we Of that None. On the contrary if yyc NAV
argue from the past TO the future such appehe
may Justly be entertained. The Abol.!ions.s already
number sixteen hundred societies aad count il is said
400, 900 mc,nbers-Every member of Congress from
Vermont, elected last month, is an Abolit,onst In
every free State, they have regular organ cation What
was four years ago mere speck in the horizon now
n dark cloud overspreadng half the armament the
Abolitonsts for the next four years in the same
they have for the lsst FOUR they will have
obtained control of oil the free States, and then, we
repeat the only alternative fer the South will be The
Veto of the President Disrn;cn We speak plainly,
because feely strongly. Even now the South is in
The most imnnen, jeopardy, and so our infatuated
Wing brethren would perceive and admit, if it were
not, TINT furious with party contention and acous zeal
hey shut their eyes the painful truth, and rush nad
nto the conflict not careless, but needless Of conse
luences. We beg them 10 pause. The sword of Abo-