Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1840-03-12

sor c:ccrt;in and adequate o!.9i,ieari;.means
to guard the public credit. and TO meet PROMPT.
~ and faithfully any deficiencies a. he reccnu,
from Whatever cause they may arse''-cr in
other words, by another issue of Treasury
hotes, or lean in some other form, to incur
"that very creation ot public debt with the
remuneration Of which Re had cmhy!lishcd
ms discourse at the opening of the session OF
f, Congress.
Let US look a little further into lie Pros;-
dents late annual message to Conrress, 10
scai IL 1t furnishes 10 the Conservatives any
ground TO e%rccta change either Of policy or
doctrine on amy ci the questions on which
they have differed with him. Does hn re-
ncnnce any Of those dangerous and vnti-re-
publican claims Of orecuiiUc so,rc.. which we
have seen heretofore advanced by him and his
friends SO far from it, he has, in the oni-
nous c!crat!0n he makes ia his nlessaua
"Mf' ne Erlc''ttcc f,y4as Il coz 9oac-f oarf #
ne li!sf@[.'irc poinsr,' put icrt! new and by
lar 'ic co!dcst and most unconstitutional pre-
tension, in behalf If Executive power. that
ever was asowed or ccuntananced by amy
Stat sman in the county. Where can the
PRESIDENT find any thing to give colour 10 SO
dangerous deg: The gi.y first I'm. Of
the constitution Of the United States dcc;s-
lively ropudiat;;s 1t by expressly DECLARING Ina,
"GH IesSisiaii1c pascers herein granted. shall
DC vested IN tie Congress # tie Uf1ici S,o,er.
Wlich shall consist or'c .Scnc,c end Ucuee #
Iftfrese"' a'tt2&." VIII the President endo52,
Hof 20 ma some sanction to this bold preton
'ion in that provision of the Constellation
which directs that when ''a Bill has passed
.iis TWO houses OF Congress, it shall be pre-
scented 20 the President for his sionaturo md
1t he refuses to sign it, he NAV reiurn Il viii,
his objections to the House in which it orioi.
mated But this very same provision ~.
PtessIy declares that though he has raf,sod
10 sign 1t, yet the Bill "shaHbccoD,e n Inn, ;,
iGifh0W ms signature, if two-tairds of both
Houses over-rule his objections. The s,Toa
provision also declares, that if ga Bill bn mot
returned by President v thin ten 1ays Of
Ter II snail have been presented to him. Ml
same MaH DC q !rir, an Eie hacane,. az If h. bcy
mshea ~. This very provision CT the Con-
sti'u''oi' then, showing that a Bill NAV s.bc-
come come d is,"' without the concurrence of the
PRESIDENT, gives not the slightest sun,,ort ~
the sweeping claim now bro1ght forwsrJ h.,
him, that the :: Executive forms = con,,'o,,o,.y
part OF the Legislative power;'' while thai
ci%iin' as already remarked, is most emnha,i-
Caily repudiated and condemned by the frsi
'1me ci tiic Constitution, which declares that
az @ gfS!d!ire powers herein granted; are vcs.
tea Iii the two Houses of CONGRESS-.
III this extraordinary declaration of the Pre-
S 5, were mere barren Theory, revolving as
30 70 inc UNDERSTANDING, 1t might be per
ii ~. 10 pass without the expression o. anv
other sentiment than that of .. special WON,
Ger al'at statesman who had PASSED through
succession Of public trusts to the vcry- III,
est known to the Constitution. shcriJ 90
strangely have mistaken both the text and tho
spirit o.. the ''great charter by which he
nolds his Office, and which in iimitinm and
defining the powers and duties Of public i,,rc-
uGnaries, intended to give the highest prac,i-
cal security to the public liberties. Bnt il i
10 empty speculation, on the part Of the pres.
aeni' 1t shews the oyerwaenino anyietv viii
WHICH nc Is Intent On the assertion Of rec,,-
! zee -l3r6ToSeftrc, and the enlargement of bic
own powers, and how prone he is to confound
Inc abuses Of executive influence over ,y,a
i'e;iSial.ve department IN the practical adj
,liihisifation OF the government, (which ho
himself by his system of party disc;ri;na
mas SO largely contributed to introduces viii
In, tne sacred text OF the Constitution ITSELF
ms new Executive reaGinc CT the Ccnsf:tr,
ton was, doubtless, intended, and has boa,,
SO interpreted by the Presidents own nor.,,
10 claim q vide latitude in the use ar, aI,rI;'
cation Ct tic 9cto power; for. if tn - ~
ocHuVe be component part cf the I.erisla-
1--we power" he would BE- justified in viii
noidinS his cgl!0UG. Of any act of Lcrisla-
ticn on The same principles which would ius-
wy lie non-concuironce cfany ether" cos,,o-
"e'I part OF the Legislaturc-of the Scnata
or rouse oi Representatives. for eya;rDl. j.,
respectively deciding on Bills sent from on no
House TO the other. And as d mere difTaronc,.
OF opinion as to the eapcIi,ney of the roea-
! sure proposed, has ever been Leid 10 iustic,
/ ono Hcuse IN rciectinga Bill passed by tie
otiief' so Ike difference of opinion. under
| thiS new reading Of the Constitution. would
justly the President, as d .:corpnnrnt nort
ci t:c Legislative power" in app;yinr the
. fuaiihed negative or veto, which The CSnsti-
t"ti9n gives him for special and exaraordiparr
occasions, to any act OF Legislation ,,acsoI
by the two Houses, Of the evpcdiencv cf
Wnich he may ret entertain the Same viawe
that they dc.
! 10 si'ow how utterly inconsistent this now
! view oi the application of the Presidential ~
TO- Is !th the cid republican doctrircs. ! need
Only refer you to Nr. Jafierscn's Official opin-
zen rr scented TO Gen. WASHINGTON Oil The
lco'S,,i:dtlGn'iity OF the Bsnk charter in 1891.
~ "hieh ne says the veto was intended by tbe
|Y''S","uoh as shield 70 Pre- tat. the ccnsii-
;s.,'l'i ,i:!h'5 ca INC states and of the cc-oT-
! G'n u: P''"Ien's Of the government from
Wv "9lsHs OF INC Legislature. and even in
SCCh cGses'it ought net 70 bn introduced mr.
ISIS the question should appear 10 the mind or
! Inc President TO be a "cL5c~'3 c,o a,,J COO
rom ali reasonable doubt. IT, bowcyer. nm
ger Inc novel theory preached bv tIc rreeart
Chiei magistrate, this nigh and delicate row
GI' nom being - the extreme medicine. is to
become the daily feed Of the Constellation. .,
anG may be Ie9itnately used TO arrest an
Ccio''dfy act CT legislation, upon a mere diff
lIiehce 81 opinion as to IFS expcdiencv. it IS
Pld'h, lhat 1t works at Cnce Fundamental re-