The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-10-02
From the Boston Courier.
THE CAUCUS ADDRESS.

If the Address is to be considered the platform
of Wing doctrines, to which all must subscribe
or be accommodated, we apprehend it will not
be long before there will be new church. II is
not credible that men of sober reflection can
pledge themselves to the support of all that is
but forth in the address. Take, for instance,
The first point, which is solemnly put forth as
indispensable, and which must be subscribed TO
as the first principle of Wing orthodoxy name
ly, the restraint of Executive polper, 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-
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
judiciary and il would have been practicable,
at almost any time within the last twelve years,
10 have obtained a majority of both Houses of
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 1885, 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 act2
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 to
understand, we believe they will be ashamed OF
the folly and Immature which now pcrvades q
portion of the community F5T ha@
We admit, most freely, that the veto power
may be abused, but it is no more susceptible OF
abuse and misappication than the power Of q
majority in Congress. Many people seem TO
think that minority has no rights, and that UNI
conditional submission to the arbitrary will Of a
majority, no matter how small, lis 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
ministrations Of Washington and the elder Adj
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 prostration OF those
rights against the assaults Of mad majority, it
would have been hailed, as it should be, as sa-
lutary provision Of protection and defence, for
those who had not the power Of numbers top pro-
tect themselves. @Sstls
In these remarks we have not touched the
question whether the veto has been used by Pre-
sident Tyler judiciously or not, and we are not
at present disposed to discuss that point. But
that the trainers Of the Constitution did wisely
in giving such power to the President, and that
il would be gross injustice to the people to de-
prive him of that power, we cannot for mo-
ment doubt. Men who are not bound to polit-
cal parties, who 60 for the country, the whole
country, and nothing but the country, we feel
quite sure, will agree with US, and to their deci-
sion it may safely be left.