Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1840-10-15

CS.
to suggest, that Congress ought to have con-
suited him before they proceeded to act OH
the subject, In which casehe would have given
them the scheme of a national bank to which
he would have given his approval.
| W e call the attention of our fellow-citi-
zcns to signal instance of the exercise of
the veto power by President jackson, because
1t is remarkable in itself, both in respect to
the subject to which it was applied and the
manner OF its application, and because it is
one IN which the Administration of President
Van Buren, is directly implicated with that of
his predecessor. During the recess of Con-
gress In 1886. the Secretary of the Treasury,
by the directions of the President, issued am
order, Commonly called the specie circular
lnstructing the receivers of moneys arising
from the sales of public lands, to demand,
and receive gold and silver only from all pur-
| chasers. The measure was, in fact, an alter
ation oil an existing provision of the laws,
winch authorized the receipt and payment of
the notes of specie paying banks; and like
| alteration had been proposed at the preceding
session OF Congress, but met with no counte
nance. 1t was of-his own independent au
thorlty, that the President thought proper to
direct the specie circular. At the following
session OF 1867, an act of Congress was
| passed, Cautiously framed, however. to avoid
OF which was, and the effect would have
been, to annul the specie circular. The act
was presented to the President within ten
days, next before the termination Of the ses
| sion OF Congress, and OF his own term of
Office but he would net act upon it at ALL
he applied one Of his peculiar forms of Eyc-
cutlve veto, and pOckeicd Mc aci President
Van Buren, succeeded; and though thus dis.
tlnctly apprised of the opinion and the will of
Congress on the subject, Ga subject, in its ma
ture, peculiarly, if not exclusively, proper for
Legislative consideration he deliberately
forebore to revoke the specie circular, and per.
sisted In the execution oft. AS the orderhad
originally been issued on the authority of the
Executive alone, it was in his power to revoke
1t at any time; and it was his duty to revoke
II in Difference to the declared opinion of
Congress. But, in his message to Congress
at the extra session of September, 1887, with
out deigning to notice the act which they
had passed and his predecessor had spurned.
he coolly Informed Congress, that he APPROX
ed and had persisted in the order he said -
'Ehe revenue from lands had been for some
time SO collected in specie, .'under the or
der issued by the directions of my predeces-
sor. The effects of that order had been so sa-
lutary, and its forecast in regard to the in
creasing insecurity Of Bank paper had be-
l
trophe' the suspension of specie payments
by the Banks, 81 had resolved not to inter
fere with its operation
| Upon the strength of this veto power. TINS
understood and practised, President Van Bu
rem has openly and deliberately claimed, that
ne erecutfUe rs a part of the Legislature ::
pretension directly contrary to the plain
words of the constitution, that sail heistaf;pe
po,"ers therein granted shall be vested in a
congress, which shall consist of a Senate
and House of Representatives" We would
not cavll at mere form of expression. But
II the modern Interpretation and use of this
power shall be allowed to prevail and grow
into system, the President will not only be
/ part OF the Legislature, but he will soon be-
come, to all practical purposes, the whole le-
gislature. And if Mr.. Van Buren, shall be
reelected TO office, and Congress shall prove
at all refractory, we shall soon see new spe-
clmens of the all controlling efficacy of the
executive veto, which, properly understood
and practised, would be, as formerly it was.
innocuous and almost inert.
The President may indeed put his mega
1--WE on an act of Congress, after it has been
passed and regularly presented to him for his
approval yet even then, it behooves him to
interpose with tine utmost caution, modera-
uon' and Difference to the Legislature. But
exercise an unconstitutional influence on the
action of Congress, which ought to be indie
pendent: when he presumes, as President Van
buren has presumed, to intimate to them be-
iorehand, that he will put his veto upon any
particular act he apprehends they may pass ;
especially if this be done, as it has been done
by President Van Buren,, to induce CONGRESS-
to adopt tavorite measure of his own recon-.
mendation.
When the people and the States of the T..
mon shall be taught to place their reliance ON
the veto OF the President, instead of the wis.
aorn and virtue of their Representatives.
tor the security of their Federal and State
Constitutions, their civil rights and national
prosperity, then will the subversion of this
Federal Republic have been accomplished
and one general Monarchy enthroned upon
its ruins.
The power of appointment to and ofremo-
val from office, is trust confided to the Pres
loeht, 10 be executed with a single view to
.iie puoilc service; not a property granted TO
him' 10 be disposed of according to his pleas
ure or his bounty; not mere arbitrary pow
er, to be exercised for the qualification of re-
sentiment or favor, much more for the increase
ana ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Of the Executive infu-
ehce IN the Government. Used as mere DOW
el' without reference to the trust for which il
was conferred, 1t is Of most perncious, vast
ana all pervadlng influence. The PATRONAGE
m's oeen so used-supposing in charity, that
the mschievous effect was no, designed !,
mas been so:exercised as at once to work cor
ruPuon' and to aggraudize the Executive De.
partment.
The power of appointment to Office is con.
tered on the President by the CONSTITUTION r.
De exercised, however, by and with the nd.
vice and consent Of the Senate. The nn,un,