Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1841-10-16

ton, on bills presented to him by Congress, and
o approve them or not, according TO his consci.
entiuus convictions Of what is or is not constu'
onal or Just. Nay, the President OF the United |
States was not only entitled TO the same rights OF
onscience with any individual member Of the |
louise, but such separate exercise OF his own
Judgment, and individual submission to the die.
aes Of his own conscience, were expressly I'M
losed upon him, as q distinct branch of the Gov
rnment Ivy the very letter OF the Constitution
Us an individual, he was bound to follow the die.
ates Of conscience, by all those considerations.
moral aud religious, which apply TO individual
members Of the House. As President Of the Uni.
ed STATES he was officially responsible to God, to
congress, and to his country, for conscientious
reference to the positive command OF the Const
uton, which requires him, upon his oath as Pres.
dent, il he consclentIously dsapproves Of any bill,
o return the same to the House in which it orisi.
mated. And in no point of view, therefore, in
which this subject could be regarded, did it be.
come US to say that the President Of the United
States, invested with such high functions, and
sworn TO obey the Constitution--to say, that he
should not exercise the right Of conscience &C.
cordng TO the letter and spirit Of the Constitution;
and to charge him with reachery to party for do.
ing that which, with his opinions and convictions,
it would be treachery 10 God and the Constitu.
ton rot to do.
Mr.. G. said that this was the light in which
he viewed the rights and duties Of the Wings as
party, of each member Of it, and especially
of the President himself. He had pictured to
himself magnificent, sublime feature OF high
and extraordinary usefulness for the party now
in power. 1t depended upon them, and them
alone. whether those anticpatops should he re-
allied or not. 1t could not be denied that, at
this moment, we were placed in most critical
position; that was too painfully obvious TO uni
versal observation. And the practical question
which that party had now to decide for itself, as
well as the members Of it among the people AT
large as their Representatives, here in Congress,
was. whether they would concede to each other,
and not only to each other but, above all, to the
President of the United States, as the actual
chief Of the party, and constitutional head oil
the Government, the right Of conscientious
Judgment or whether, descending from that broad
platform Of catholic (or5earance and mutual res.
pect, upon which they originally assembled 10
+ organise victory under the banner of Typpeca-
noe and Tyler too they should take up one oil
S the extreme opinions Of the many varying Sec
, lions existing among them, and erect that one
extreme opinion, TO the exclusion OF any and all
others, into the true and ONLY test OF Whigism
, Was The United States Bank the beginning, the
!, middle, and the end of Whigism! Was there
: Whigism in this, and this alone? and out Of this
, no Whigism? You had no more right to make
= this an exclusive test doctrine, and to denounce
y and prescribe all dissentients, than you had to
J, make any other Of the opinions Of any section
i or individuals the exclusive test Of Whigism.-
He secuted and repealed the idea of any such
L extravagant exclusiveness and intolerant big
s otry of opinion. Should we undertake to repe
e from us member of this House for differing
e with the majority on ONE of the measures Of the
e session? Should we, Of the House undertake tc
t. prescribe and unchurch the Senate, if that body
It should happen to differ with the House on on'
d OF those measures, or the Senate to prescribe
h the House for such difference? Should we
o above all, undertake, in an exclusive and ex
: IRENE view Of any one OF those measures TO pro
% scribe the President for such difference? We
! might attempt to do this if we chose; but all We
y should accomplish in snch an attempt would bt
the suicidal destruction Of our own party, anc
= the cowardy abandonment of the power which
l. the People OF the United States have placed il
S our hands.
ID The People Of the United States had called u
'g to great and holy msson-they had placed u
S in power to discharge the exalted duties appel
es tanning 10 our station, for the publication and re
ne form Of the Government, and the promotion
ed the manifold interests OF the Union 1t is for
IN TO decide whether we will prove recreant 10 th
TO trust he People have confled in us; and whethe
b. in entering upon paricida warfare against OF
en- chief, and the head Of our own Administration
ct, we will place an impossible gulf between hi
n and US. The question is very simple ONE
he Would we concede 10 him the rights Of GO lsC
IDS ence and Of Judgment in the discharge Of his hi!
m; and responsible duties which we ourselves clai
to and exerc Sc? 1t was in our power, by cultiv
TO ting a spirit Of mutual concession and af'ctio
on 10 continue 10 discharge useluIly and bene6cif
EN- y the great functions vested in US, ard TO execu
the patriotic reforms for which the People ha
Try sent us here. But if, in a moment Of weak al
The childish resentment we pettishly destroy our ov
Ter work, we shall inevitably incur the contempt al
oil dspIeasure of the People Of the United STATE
The and demonstrate 10 our country and The world /
- fact that, whereas, the difference Of opinion
I'm tween a majority Of Congress and the Preside
was in itself but misfortune at most, our ov
ills conduct upon that difference is deliberate a
be. wanton crime. This will be the consequence
U.s. allowing ourselves to concur in and countenan
res, the views Of the gentleman from Tennessee a
in the gentleman from Virginia. II, actuaed
pc. the sentiments which those gentlemen avow, a
Tor and the opinions they entertain, we proceed,
stl. our own motion, to blow into fragments the mil
not ty fabric Of Wing ascendency, and throw up
on power we possess, merely because OF the diff
cen ence Of single opinion among us, we should
ave down 10 posterity as Congress TO which the 81