The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-09-30
From the Boston Courier
THE CAUCUS ADDRESS.

n the Address is to be considered the platform
Of Wing doctrines, TO which all must subscribe
or be accommodated, we apprehend it will mo-
be long before there will be a new church. Its
no, credible that men of sober reflection car
pledge themselves 10 the support oil all that !:
put forth in the address. Take, for instance
The first point, which is solemnly put forth as
indispensable, and which must be subscribed tc
as the first principle of Wing orthodoxy, name
", The restraint Of Erecutire poper, or, in
other words, the taking from the President the
veto power We believe the exercise OF this
power has never been objected to, and we have
so much confidence in the integrity OF parties
as to believe that President Tyler would now
have met with appreciation, instead OF denunci-
alton, if the power had been applied to mea-
sure of the other party. There have been some
attempts made to interfere with the organization
Of the courts, and to restrict the power OF the
al Almost any lime with Tie ss WE'VE years.
10 have obtained majority of both Houses oil
Congress, which would, in the madness Of party
spirit, have abolished the Supreme Court. Sup
pose bill Of such character should have
passed the democratic Congress Of 1895, and
President Jackson should have placed his veto
upon it,--would the party which is now so loud
and bitter against the exercise OF the power,
been ready TO cruelty him for such an act z
Would they not rather have taken the position
now assumed by their political opponents, and,
whatever they might have felt towards him, as a
political adversary, would they not, for this sin
gle act, have hailed him as the savior of the
country? They would, or we mistake entirely
the honesty and patriotism Of the party with
whom we have been connected When the ex-
element of the moment shall have passed away,
and the people have had time TO rub their eyes,
and open their ears to hear, and their hearts 10
understand, we believe they will be ashamed Of
the folly and Immature which now pcrvades a
portion Of the community.
We admit, most freely, that the veto power
may be abused, but il is no more susceptible Of
abuse and misapplication. than the power Of a
majority in Congress. Many people seem to
think that minority has no rights, and that IN
conditional submission TO the arbitrary will of a
majority no matter how small,-s the bound
en- duty Of the minority. Such, however, was
not the doctrine of the Wings during the adj
ministration Of General Jackson. Such was not
The doctrine Of the Democrats during the adj
mnistrations Of Washington and the elder Ad-
ans, nor was such the Federal doctrine during
the administrations Of Jefferson and Madison.
A minority was then supposed to have some
claims to consideration, and had suitable case
occurred for the exercise Of the veto power and
had il been exercised for the prostraion Of those
rights against the assaults of mad majority, il
would have been hailed, as il should be, as a sa-
lutary provision Of protection and defence, for
those who had not the power Of numbers TO pro.
tcct themselves.
In these remarks we have not touched the
question whether the veto has been used by Pre-
sldent Tyler judiciously or not, and we are moi
al present disposed to discuss that point. But
that the trainers Of the Constitution did wisely
10 giving such power to the President and that
II would be gross injustice 10 the people to de
prive him Of that power, we cannot for a mo
nent doubt. Men who are not bound TO politi
cal parties, who go for the country, the Who'll,
country, and nothing but the country, we fee
quite sure, will agree with US, and TO their deci
sion il may safely be left.