Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1840-04-07
NUMBER xxx.


Of his plan from so celebrated an authority.
But to return to the interesting question of
the financial condition and prospects of the
country, we have just had NEST impressive
admonitlon of the precarious and uncertain
character of Executive professions and assuran
ces on this subject. You doubtless recollect
/ that, IN his message at the commencement of
the session of Congress S, the President exhibit
ed highly flattering condition of The Treasu-
ry, and of the very successful manner in which
( its operations had been conducted. He told
! the Repre- seatatives of the people 9 there is
every reason TO believe, if Congress shall keep
the appropriations within the estimates furnish
ed by the Executive, that the ts,aEding Trea
sury notes will be redeemed and the public ex-
penses betrayed by the existing and current
means of the Treasury, /" without imposing
upon the people any additional burthen, either
of loans or increased taxes :; and then procee-
ded to descant on the "great evils ola public
debt IN times of peace" This message was
delivered on the twenty fourth of December
1889. But
Nescia mems hominum fati sortisque futurae,
Et servare MEDIUM, rebus sublata sounds
! On the 4th day of February following, In less
1
ces, and before any appropriation had been
made by Congress, except for their own pay,
another message is sent, Communicating appre
hended deficiency in the revenue, and ear
nestly calling on Congress to SNAKE early pro-
vision of certain and adequate" additional
means to guard the public credit, and to meet
promptly and faithfully any deficiencies IN The
rereaue, from whatever cause they may arise
1 --or, IN other words, by another issue of Urea
sury notes, or loan 10 some other form, to in
cur "that very creation of public debt" with
the denunciation ofwhich be had embellished
his DISCOURSE at the opening of the session of
| Congress.
Let us look little farther into the Presi-
dents late annual message to Congress, TO see
if it furnishes to the Conservatives any ground
to expect change either of policy or doctrine
on any of the questions on which they have diff
fe-ed with him. Does he renounce any of
those dangerous and anti-republican claims of
erecqttiue pOlcer which we have seen have been
heretofore advanced by hIm and his friends !
SO far from it, he has, In the oninous declara-
ton he makes in his message athat the Erec-
atlre forms a component part IF the Legislative
po,cer, put forth a new, and by far the boldest
and most unconstitutional pretension in behalf
of Executive power that ever was aVowed OF
countenanced by any statesman in this cauntry
Where can the President find any thing to give
color to so dangerous a dogma! The rers
first line of the Constitution of the United
States decisvely repudiates it by expressly de-
clarIng that sal Legislature po1cerS herein gran
ted shall be vested in the Congress of he Uni
Ted States which stall consist of a Senate ana
House Of Representatives. win the President
endeayor to find some sanction to this bold pre-
| bo4 F+I.o
which directs that when bill has passed the
two Houses Of Congress, it shall be presen-
ted to the the President for his signature; and
if he refuse to sign il, lie may return it, with
his objections, to the House in which it origi-
mated! But tins very same provision express
ly declares that, though he has refused to sign
it, yet the bill shall become a la,c' aoithom q
signature, if two thirds of both Houses over
rule his objections. The same provision also
declares that if bill-be not returned by The
President within ten days after it shall have
been presentedto him, the same shall be lar
IN IKE manner as # he had signed It," Thi
S very provision Of the Constitution, then shew
? ing that bill may " become a law'' Withou
e the concurrence ofthe President, gives not til,
slightest support to the sweeping claim nov
brought forward by him that the I. ExeCutiv,
forms a component part of the legislative pow
e err" while that claim, as already remarked, j
most emphatically repudiated and condemned
by the first line of the Constitution which de
q clarcs that " all Legislative powers herel
granted" are vested in the two Houses c
r Congress.
If this extraordinary declaration of tn
President ,werea mere barren theory. re
e voting as it is to the understanding, i
: might be permitted to pass without the
e expression Of any other sentiment thar
that of Especial wonder" that Statesman
q q who had passed through a succession Q
= public trusts to the very highest known t.
0 the Constitution, should so strangely hav
a mistaken both the iext and the "grea
): Charter" by which he holds his office, an
y which in limiting and defining the power
y and duties of public functionares, intenc
! ed TO give the highest practical securit
= to the public liberties. But it is no empt
e speculation on the part Of the President
y 1t shows the overwhelming anxiety wit
o whica he is intent on the assertion of er,
re ecutiue prerogdtiUe and the enlargemer
is Of his own powers, and how prone he
= to confound the abuses of Executive influ
i ence over the Legislative Department
5 the practical administration of the 90,
le ernment, which he himself by his systel
Of party discipline, has SO largely contul
es used to introduce with the sacred text
III the Constitution itself. Fhis new Excel
= tive reading of the Constitution wa
ID doubtless intended, and has been so me
70 preted by the Pres dents own party, I
to claim wide latitude in the use and al
ne plication Of the ueto power-lor, if tt
v Executive be component pant ofihe i
= gislatve power, be would be justified
:, N Withholding his approval Of any act
IS, legislation on the same principle While
ee would justify tie non inconvenience of al
be other component part" ofthe Legislatu
to of the Senate or House of Represent
re- tves, for examples, n respectively dec
= ding on bills sent from one House TO Il
be other. And as a mere difference of OPT
no ion as to the erpediency of the measu
ey proposed, has ever been held to JUST
e one House 10 rejecting bill passed
10 the other, so a like difference of opinio
ie- under,this new reading Of the Constitut;,
~ ~ would justify the President, as comp
nc nent part of the Legislative power" in a
eli plying the qualified negative or vet
in which the Constitution gives him for sp
Of cial and extraordinary occasions, to al
om act oflegislation passed by the two Hous
no no Of the expediency of which he may not c
. .i . terrain the same views that they do.