Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-10-15
Prom the. Charleston Courier.

Prom the. Charleston Courier
The 'sto Po~er only used by ths kiAgs Of EngiGn
TO ksSp the colonies IN order
ale liking George the Third) ma, refused hi
assent to laws the most wholesome aud necesSar,
for the public cood."-Deeiqrafion Of Iadeptndsnei
II has been most isnoranty commended that tn
veto power was not borrow ed from the British Con
sutution. and is not aroyal prcrogative. IL is no
My kingly power, but despotic one. TIE
progress OF liberty in Europe has rendered this pow
a. absolute. IL exists only IN name in the mos, Ii
beril monarchy ofthe old world-the British en-.
pire. The Kings OF England dare not put ihel
single will against the wisdom and will of the lac
making power-ihe two houses of Parliament
This true IN l776, when our fathers comp a ined
Of the exercise of It upon htn and II has been true
since aud is now. Ia the language OF Jefferson, it
has not been eXerted to the legislation If Eng nd
upon England, for SEVERAL AGES PAST"
Let II De no;iced IN passing, that Alexander Hsm-
iton, the great advocate ana defender of this high
pterogatve power, defended Itupon the ground tho
u would be used o1.y IN extreme and palpabe
cases, and pointed to the example OF tho British
Kings, toarrdntng and jusiifying the speculation,
that It tcoud De so decatoly, cautiously and spar
ingly used. This veto power has not been exer-
csed by the BRUSH Kings once since l776. and had
mt been exercised before tor several ages YET
Hamilton, the strong government man, (lhe mon.
nrchisi, he has been calledl only justified the CIV
ing this power to the President the ground that
the President oil republican people would have ut
least much respect for the immediate representa-
tives OF the peopie-the law making po~er-as a
King of England for the will OF Parliament How
tery his antic pations have been fisfed and how
completely the reverse Of all he imagined has
10 pass, the events OF tine are but too
strongly IN proof. The British Kings have not cN-
ercised this power, again TO quote Jefferson, for
Several ages,"-John Tyler, mere chance inheri-
tor o power, has exercised u Iioce IN too months I"
But again. Hamilton commended that the President
would not dare to Il, but in cases OF pa plble
unconstitutionality. Yet this same President We
toes law, UNANIMOUSLY and twice approved by the
~ ..,Ctb h., i
to Uo clearly within the sound discretion OF Con.
gress. He vetocs an institution which has been a
regular portion OF the machinery of government for
forty years. An institution which we venture moth
ing IN declaring TO have had the POSITIVE sanction
OF seven out OF eight OF oil the wise men who franz
ell the Constitution itself.
Wehazard nothing in asserting, that fit cou have
been dreamed 10y the republican sages, who met IN
convention TO propose a fundamental law foe the
government OF great people, that at the close OF
half century, any man born in America or out of
Asia, could, from any motive whatever, conceit o.
lev;y, SO UantOnly peryert the whole in,eltion and
purpose Of this power as TO be more conscientious
than Washington and Mndson-more learned IN
the law than the selected expostors OF the law the
Sunreme Court-more soundy discreet than FIVE
Congresses of the United Slaies-If it could have
been conceived possible that such outrage could
have been committed upon tree people, not one
SOLITARY vote would have been given Tor a
power which might enable one man thus TO Lord It
over the living and the dead, and TO convert q
republican constitution into mOnarchICat CeS-
potsm. Hamilton himself lover as he was Of
a strong Executive would have been the last man
10 erect upon the fee soil, Just wrested from mo
nar.hici domination throne, which would cast the
throGcs oi Europe into shadow, and 10 impose upon
republican people the fraud OF president, more
King than the King they had resisted unto blood.
If Patrick Henry could have been armed with thu
experience of these latter days, the veto power
would never have survived It's natural death IN the
British Constitution. Hamilton would have plead
Atnx ba-a he mn he .rY,F.fa of.
Kings Of England, who in the language OF Mr. JEFF
iersOn, "Or several ages past have MODES TLN
declined the exercise OF this power in that PART
OF their Empire called GREAT Britain. IfPatrck
Henry could have seen what we have seen, Pre-
sidenl, rot The choice Of the people, fppanlly set,
ting aside the judgment OF the unanimous decision
of the lnIo ErPouHGins poosr, the Supreme Court
-overru.ing the opinion Of five Presidents, Wash
ingtOn and Madison among the Misunderstanding
the discreet decision Of five Congresses, the law
making pOwer-counting for naught the will OF the
people, the primal source OF all Just auIhOriry;-if
the great orator Of the evolution could have present.
ed such picture of monstrous license 10 the grave
men OF the republic, what mockery would Ham
iions whole Argument have been, aud how the polo-
would have been secuted, which was TO become
such RESERVE Of lega.Ized, capricIous, wanton
DESPOTlSM. The veto power never woud
have been put IN the constitution, or the constlu
tIoH itself would have been rejected by u people
above all things Jealous of the man who Uields the
purse ard the sword-who, with the gluernE
brides Of office, substantial Rewards for Faithful
personal Devotion, can PURCHASE adherents,
corrupt opinion, md thus defeat the will Of the
people, and the honest legislation Of their represen
tauves.
What has in fact this veto power brought US to?
Fiity.two sage Senators, and two hundred and fifty
immediate Representatives Of the people-the care
fully selected Legislators oil free people themselves
denied the exercise Of their proper constitutional
office, waiting with all patience and utter wonder,
for revelation OF Legislative wisdom, from con
10 MrCi
~ OF the people and their Representatives are to
take what this ONE MAN commands, or nothing
they are to pass the aw which, at the point OF the
Veto, he commends 10 them, or TO have no law.
What spectacle is this for the monarchs OF Europe
TO chucke att What condition for "A great plo-
pie to be legally, cOnsttutonaly bound TO ACCEPT
The WisdOus OF JOHN TYLER as The highest ieis
don
70 one great body Of the people he says that the
Sub.tTeasury is announcement and oppressive"
To another he says the National u ink is uncon-
slitutona!, and vows never to concede il.
To a third, he remarks that the State Banks nro
no. to be thought of-'!hey are out Of the ques-
ton"
What portion Of the people has he not vetoed
Has he not, by the Veto. this instrument Of law.
less domination, denied the wish and the will Of all
parties and all men IN the country and not only de
feIted the will OF Congress, but usurped the whole
legislative power to hrlseli2
Will any one contend that power which makes
one mana weak man, perehnnce, as in the present
DISQUALIFICATION annihate5 Congress, sets at
naught the Supreme Court; denies the will and the
wish Of eUsTy man IN the nation and brings Com
gfcss and the people to the feet of the EXECU-
TIVE, for LAWS a republican power7 Il may be
GHU thing siSe-but is not TSpHblieHn. Define deS-
pO!ic powgr--and you must define the Ueto-defne
the veto and you must define depOs,ic power IL is
perpetual dictatorship. The people OF South Ca
tolina, who chcchuIIy submitted themselves to the
Dictatorshipol John Ruuedge, Tor time during ii q
srigmoiss Of the Revolution, would not bear eyea
fHftua has tui.E he TO- H.. sI.4 a. 81.
wsaItf, the Sc OF the veto Tire Legs aturc OF
complied 10 TeSgn+ Yes, South Carolina. W ba
had sufficient confidence IN John Rutledse 10 elect
him 10 5 temporary Dictatorship, Stopped the wheels
of government when he, as President Of the State
assumed to be wissr han the Legislature, and pu,
his will and his wisdom in opposition 10 the ia W
making power. Our Republican fathers were as
Jealous Of this man power whether he was collcd
King or President, and hated the veto exercised by
John Rudedge. their own President, rs much a,
when used by their recent sovereign George the
Third. Their Constitution ison abiding monumcrt
&C their condemnation Of the gstO--,hc mrr-b Of
liberty had strlcter this prcrOgaiye from the aetna
powers Of the klUgs Of England, over the laws o
Eogland; the People Of South CaroIni would no
give Il place even in name in their Constitution
they would not tolerate the shadow and the ylt
has no existence iorthe Executive Of South Caro.r
no. II their Constitution s violated, there stand
their Judiciary 70 say so.
Seeing that inls power was adopted into our Fed
Graz Constitution, upon the express ground that
would uc used with extreme caution aHd in ia . Ia
bile cases, and that the Presidents Of the Unite
States would Jake pattern after the kings of ENGLAND