Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-10-02

$3.50 ''''"F paper adopted 10y the meeting ms a ius
exposition OF their views, but simply with n Wow
10 present to the public mind some consideration.
"h'ch Will be found embodied in IL on ,it,lI, IL,
Portant question Of constitutional lnvv. That ,.s.
on Is how Ear the President of the United S,,,o.
h's right, IN the exercise OF the Veto r,,vo, -,
grounds Of constitutional objection TO n bill +, ,i..
regard solemn Judicial exposition. of the Com Atm
ton, made by the Supreme Court of the u. States
distinctly overriding such constitutional obi.c,;o,
Sept ~, 1911. 4 wtlIc
=, AZ meeting of the Wings of Richmond and
ie"Ilco county, convened on the 2I,t nj Sc,,cr,
~, 10 consult on the present aspec, OF no
~; the following declaration OF the opi-
'IonS OF the meeting, on some Of the most Interest,",
ms questions now before tho American nr,,Ic O.
MADE ard ordered to be published - "'
. MS meeting considers the currency question. or
ia PopuaF phrase, the question of "Bank or mn
B1nE," as RENTED To the people in their ,,r; w
assemblies, by reason OF the irreconcileable dtT.r
ohee OF op,nion which prevails on the subi.c, Ia
'"eIn inc Legislative and Executive Departments
an, T..r,. government So considering il,
anu ueemins 1t witha, subject of vital importsncs
70 me country, they deem It right TO contribu,c
'ieI quota 20 the great mass OF public opnio,
"nicn must eventually decide the question
~ IS 'hG deHnerate opinion OF this meeting form.
co rs wei on the high authority of Sir MI5ison,s
memorable declaration, made a Quarter Of n cc,,,
ty ago. as on what they conceive to lie sound con-
S'''u'ohl principles amt reasoning, that the oues.
loh " me eonSutuuonay Of a National Bank
OuSn' no longer 10 be considered an open question
viewing the Government of the United St,,es -.
COMPOSED oi three departments this meotior con,
sIueTs Il The junction of the Legislative Ia er,rt
avs, OF lhe judicial 10 CNpouud the laws enacted
ana oi the Executive TO enforce them Nor can ~
be doubted, that the judicial function of ,y,o',i
ng the tGicS includes the function Of eynnun,i,n-
tue Constitution, which Is the paramount law al
me Coneueracy-iOt II Is the unreasonable rirbt
OF every ciuzen, engaged IN controversy ubich
'nNoNcs question concerning the meaning of any
c'ause IN the Constitution, or a question whether
any IA" enacted by Congress is IN conflict with the
constitution, and therefore no law to demand of
me JLdieiary decision OF that question And
m"I "a "I't decision has been made, 50 cxpounding
me Constitution, and has received the sanction Of
the supreme Court ot the United States II does not
only decide the PARTICULAR ease under consideration
ana establish That Is law IN that case but II decides
""'' IS the true meaning and construction OF IN,
disputed clause IN the Constitutions And To th,s
reading q! the Constitution oil the interim conr,s
are cOniessediy bound tn CONFIRM in the admins
u'uoh OF JusIce throughout the United States: 40
lh't Il IS rule which comes home TO- and Is band
ing on, every citizen of the Union.
The great advantage of this fxcdnpss Of the law
Is, that the lie, liberty and properly of every crti
zen are thereby protected against cipricIous chan.
yes OF opinion IN the administrators Of the law To
oe SUBJECT to such clprlces, is 10 live under ".
u In
Ihen the Judicial construction OF a disputed clause
IA tie Constitution by the Supreme Court he nnJ
nuSht 10 lie, TIE IGic, binding ell the courts of the
C"'on, and all the citizens Of the Union, whence
GOES the Chief Executive officer Of the Government
derive the right TO give to the claus. IN mas
ton GitfeTen: construction IL Is said ,b,t ,bis
paramount right Of cEpouuding the Constitution IL
incidental 10, and derived from, the veto mower.
th't as the Constitution requires the President to
swear mat lie Will preserve, pTOlCc:, and defend
rFItNWi nH fta. Ir,4. -.
necessity, right may, Is J,und) TO veto any I,iI
winch, IN his opinion, conflicts with the true mean
ing o! The Constitution. IL IS his otth then which
gives him the right land makes It his dutyl TO veto
snch pill But then, the question Tecurs, what Is
lht Wlc meaning OF that OATH What Is that thing
called the Constitution, which he has sworn 10 rrc-
serve, protect and deicnd7 Is il the barren 10.
the perhaps ambiguous Phrases Ui the original IN
sTamcnN Or Is II the instrument as erpo,fnd,,t
ny the JudicIary-by the department of the Gov
eminent, created for the express purpose OF ex-
pounding II, that he has sworn to deiend2
II u be not the latter, these great constitutional
questions, already settled by the Judiciary, us this
mas Oecu, and involving, rs this emphaticalIy
does, tie veal or woe oi millions of lrcemen are IL
able to receive new ard variant solution during
each four yeirs Of the future life Of the Cons,
tuition. Nay, recent and memorable ryen.s too
clearly show that they nre liable To receive, and
NAVE received, new ADD varian; solutions from
week 10 week; for II - too clearly established bv
evidence, to be Denied that the President Of the a.
States did express the opinion ~ his first veto mes
sage, Of august l6th and directly afterwards thar
National Bank, dealing in exchanges only, would
be constitutional nd did, on the o h Scp'enrber -,
his second veto message, express the opinion thai
such bank was unconstitutional. IL is not mi,
bie TO conceive more fyrcible illustration Of the
wisdom and necessity Of the principle which regard.
judicial cons ruction Of the Cops,Itution onrc c
Iiberiely made by the Supreme Judicial Tribunn
OF the Nat on, the settled and paramount law OF
! the land, once and forever, until changed by ar
amendment of the Constitution.
H. as this meeting supposes, the constitutjou,t,
OF an United States Bank Is no longer an opcI
question ITS cOnsitu'IOnllity having been ian,
since affirmed ~ the appropriate Department OF M,
! GOyernmcnl) II follows that tho exercise bv ia,
President Of the Veto power, in regard Ia boib -
the bills rejected by him, because, in his pripat
opinion, they were unconstitutional was In 1rvv,
rinted cTorcso Of power, and an cncro ichrncnt n,
| the rights and liberties Of the people. The will n
the people, expressed by thor Representative !,
both Houses OF Congress, has been frustrated an,
set at naught 10y the crude and llucluatng opinion
/ Of a single man.
This meeting does no, imputo 10 the President III,
i5tJW exercise Of power not grlntcd 10 him bv Nm
/ Con5utuiOn-thc power Of fepudioting cop5fitu
uonnl doctrines established by judicial ,Ir~ig.pns-
| nor DO they deem u necessary Ia decide vbetbe
the extraordinary fluctuations IN his expresss,I ori
MONS were The result Of imbCoility or OF sipists
motives. II Is sufficient Tor them tiat the crsrsi-
! ~ thJi power was, us they tLini omincnUy rsroi
cious to The country, and that the frequent change
IN his opinion afford conclusive evidence thar IN
| Reform Party in the two Houses Of Cosyrsss r,
not az o rely on his CO operation in compIctioy a.
] great work which they Lavo only begun OF ppriv
ing n tho channels Of administration and renovntig
! the institutions Of The country. They know moi
1 LnG they cann0; know, what will bc lis opinion
/ pn the hot Monday Of December next, on any d
the great questions which ought then to DO ngtntet
| For these reasons, and Tor others which n we,
painful and needless 20 set forth, this meeting doe
deliberately approve Of uie resignation Of the sles
ding mcmbcrs n the Cabinet, and Of the squalr
decisive step taken by the Whie member, of tt
two Houses Of Congress on The ~ 70 ult The WI,
members Of the two Houses owed 10 IN tIisr,4eiv,
and % the country, TO announce the TACT that IA
President had separated himself from the great n,
ltcil party which had brought him into pnsr
They owed II 20 themselves, md 10 Oh, counfrv. I
explain IN detail the reasons why they the ir,t
in the two legislative bodies were no lorcer allie
redeem the promises which they had toode IN al
people. They have been frustrated. bv n ,v,nto
and unconstitutional exercise Of tho veto r,yver
two honest and earnest attempts to give 10 the oo1r
Try sound currency and m equalization 81 The A
mesto exchanges, without which IL il vain 10 look f
the return Of the good old prosperous times. m
people, only, con apply the remedy: an appeal h,
been made 20 the people, and this Is n responso
the Wings Of Richmond and Hcnrico county.