Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-09-10
ON THE VETO.
Ma. RIvES'S SECOND SPEECH,
In rtjOindSr 10 Ma. CLAI, on the Yet, .Messdi

the Veto Message
Mr.. RIVES rose and said no mus, be permitted
TO express his surprise at the extraordinary exhibit
ton OF vehsmence had Just witnessed from the
honorable Senator from Kentucky. He was who'll
ly ut n loss to conjecture what there was in any
thing he had said 10 provoke towering an out
break OF wrath and eloquencc. In the remarks he
had made reply TO the honorable Senator, he had
limited himself strictly to defence of high pub
lie funclonary, who had felt himself called on by
the most solemn OF all obligations, TO exert great
conservative power placed IN his hands by the Con
sttuton OF his country. against an'madversons and
reproaches which no believed IN his conscience
altogether unmerted. IL was al act of justice
which should have despised myself said MIR r.
IL could have still in my seat, with the mate
rails OF justification abundantIy existing in my
own knowledge, and have withheld from the hum
blest Of my fcllo~-citzens, when thus assaed.
The Senator from Kentucky may have jealousics
and suspicious in his mind rs tn my course here
but II he has, permit me to say 10 him he does me
great injustice. concur, with oil cheertulness, IN
the selt.appToving sediments he has pronounced
with so much emphasis, m regard TO his own high
character for courage and patriotism. | am the last
person, let him be assured, that would Impugn, IN
any manner, his just claims upon the consideration
and respect OF his country. But while admire,
and render the homage due TO his courage and pa
JrioIism, well his distinguished talents, he will
excuse me for saying cannot agree to take my les
sons in political ethics from one who, invoking the
name OF Deity and pointing TO Heaven, boldly IN
Inmates that he would win his way even TO that holy
place. by violation Of the Constitution he had
sworn TO support, and who holds It up as the high
est act Of public virtue 10 tramPe under foot that
sacred instrument when 1t may be supposed to
stand in the way Of some pecunlry interests of the
Country!
The Senator shakes his head But, sir, is not
this fair and uneXaggerated statement of the casy7
The bill which the Senator from Kentucky would
have had the President TO sign, his convictions the
coltr.r Notwithstanding, one which the Presi-
dent most deliberately believes IS violation OF that
Constitution VIII en-, when entering upon ms office,
he took solemn oath TO preserve, protect, and de-
icnd." Yet the Senator from Kentucky, assuming
(sTatuitously as humOlY Think that majority of
the people Ia favor ct this measure, (Which,
| showed when | addressed the Senate before, had
not even been approved by majority Of their Re-
prcsentatlvcS,) insists that the President ought TO
have carried out this imaginary will Of the mo orIty
in despite Of his own deep rooted convictions OF the
unconsutuionality OF the act, and in disregard OF
the solemn sanction OF his Official on h! Ii this he
the political casuisiry Of the honorable Senator from
kentucky, must say, with all my respect tor tie
distinguished Senator, cannot consent TO take him
for my guide and Instructor in question OF con-
science or of constitutional obligation. | choose ra-
thcr, humble as the comparison may seem TO the
honorable Senator, TO look TO the straightforward
example OF John Tyler, who, in needing the "sIill
small voice of conscience" amid the ImpoTiunaie
ciamors OF pHrty dIctatIon, and IN maufuliy stand
ing by what nc believes TO be the Constitution OF
his country IN the face of threatened dcnunciation,
has exhibited a moral courage high, and a hero
ism OF principle uHdaunied, and certainly rs wor-
thy OF the respect and applause Of n mora aud re-
lIgious penpl Jealous of their Liberties and loyal 10
the great charter winch secures them that species
of auIudinariaR bodness which sacrifices principle
10 expedency, and which conounds conscience in
public affairs with pride, rdHiiy egoIiSr and even
crime, and which we have Just heard so yauntngly
celebrated the heroic strains OF the Senator'S eo
queHce as public uiriuC! ] will ventue 10 say fur
Their, MIR President, that a large majority OF the
American people, whether they agree with MIR Ty-
Ter or not IN his construction OF the Constitution,
have too habIuai respect for conscientious opIn-
IONS and principles oil action not TO honor the lnteg
ri,y and frmness with which, at every hazard 10
himself personally, he has sought, IN the faithful
discharge of the solemn obligations of his oath OF
office, to MAINTAIN The Constitution OF his country
invioate.
The Senator has INDUCED his fancy in regard to
certain cGbal, which he says III alleged by Rumor
ian authority he seems prone 10 quote Of Iatel has
been formed for the wicked purpose of breaking
up the regular Cabinet and dtssovlng the Wing
party. Though the Senator is pleased 10 acou!t
me of being member Of this supposed eG5al, he
says he should infer, from the zeal and prompi,ude
with which have come forward to defend the mo-
tives ard conduct OF the President, that ! was al
least member Of his priry council! | thank God,
MIR President, that IN his gracious goodness he has
been pleased 10 give me heart 10 Tepel injustice
and 10 defend the innocent without being LAID un.
der any special engagement, prIvy councillor
otherwise, DO Justice to my fellow man; and II
there be any gentleman who cannot find in the con.
sciousness Of his own bosom a satisfactory expla-
nation OF so natural an impulse, ]. for one, envy
him neither his temperament nor his philosophy
If Mr. Tyler, instead OF being distIng ushed cit
lzcn OF my own State, and filing at this moment, q
station OF the most painful responsibility, which en-
titles him to u candid Interpretation Of his official acts
nj the hands ofail his countrymcn, had been TO.
tai stranger, unknown to me in the relations of
private political friendship, | should yet have
felt myself rresistby impeIled by the common
sympathes ofhumaniyio undertake his defence,
TO the best OF my poor ability, when have him
IL s..|| ILL
believe Of Conscientious devotion to the Constitution
of bis country and the sacred obligation Of his high
trust
The honorable Senator complains that, in my re
ply 10 him, uniustIy represented him censuri7g
and Nral@ning he conduct OF the Chief Magistrate
lie asks If he used any such language as prrfdy.
did not say that he used the word perfdy, but Ina,
his allegations resolved themselves substantially in
TO the charge OF perhdy against the President And
IS this not true ! appeal TO those who heard him.
and would appca. to the honorable Senator him
self IN his cooler moments ftwD thirds Of his speech
lid not consist NJ mputltions, more or less direct
on the President, for violation OF his faith express
or implied, to his party and the country7 Did he
not begIn his speech with reading and cling upon
passage IN the Inaugural address Of the President
which he cOntended amounted TO an engagement 10
the nation TO sign such bill rs had been presented
to him Ii so, what IS his veto message, now he
fore ms, but violation OF that engagement or in
other words breach OF faith. an act Of perfdy 10
the notloni Again, did not the honorable Senator
say, If the which the President has now n.
ken could have been anticipated either by the lIar.
rsburg Convention or by the People al the polls
be would not have received an individual vote in the
former or single electoral vote from the latter
Docs not this imply a dsingenuous suppression,
something ike fraudulent conccalmcnt of his
opinions by the President, which, If true, would
under the circumstances have been gross 3 ncon-
Elsleut with the principles Of good lni,b How Ia.
lie foundation there is for any such imputatIon
Gatter myself must have fully demonstrated to the
satisfaction Of he Senate in the remarks had the
honor to make IN reply the first speech Of the Sena.
tor from Kentucky.
The honorable Senator also insisted, with grea,
CRTnCstness, that the veto OF tis bill under the cir
cumstancCs in which the President stood. ,gos 80
cHcepuonnOe proceeding that, rather than 90 have
Tusortcd TO H. % would hove been better Tor him 10
have svndSd The responsibility OF his high station, bv
permit ing The ten days " Clapsc without any nc.
ton on the measure or Otherwise 10 have rssivusg
his .lics and Iclt uo Government without an cleo
tive head! Could any thing convey a stronger or
moro pointed condemnation Of the PfCgidprfs ron
duct than to hold up either both Of these extreme
and rnadmissiD.c alternatives, preferable TO the
course he actually adopted But the Senator srle.
yes that ho did not SAT- the President ought % have
resigned. Did he not however, argue most zeal
ously 90 show that consistency with the Presidents
own conduct and principles on a former occasion,
when no held a scat m the Senate Of the United
States, required that he should have resigned on the
PRESENT. What wns this but 10 urge the Prs.i.
dents resignation by the strongest appeal personal
10 HIMSELF md derived from his own sxlmp'c7 H.
% not mere special pleading, then, for the Senator
now 90 ailegc thlt be- did moi saw the President sbo5
have resigned When the whole tenor Of the Sc
majors speech was characterized bv rrrb r,1irfsd
and significant fCprohcnsOns Of the Pres,Jepi's rom
duct, could the lavish and os'cntntous professions