Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-09-30
RICHMOND WING.
FRIDAY MORNING. SEPT. 80.
THE VETO POWER.


We ask attention TO the very able essays OF
"Sidnsy" on this subject
The capricious exercise OF this power by the
acting President will tend greatly to make all ge.
nuine Republicans reflect seriously upon its danger.
Gus capacities, and them to exert themselves
to devise remedy fer its many evils. "Sidnty'
. entirely right in supposing, that it was never in
the contemplation Of the trainers of the Constitu-
,ion that the power should be exercised, except in
extreme cascs-and they never dreamed, as is
shown by Mr.. Madison's debates, that il could be-
come an absolute negative. MIR Madison himself,
who leaned strongly TO an absolute Executive,
stated expressly, that "the ob,c. OF the revsonay
power is two fold-hrst, 10 defend Executive rshts;
secondly, to prevent popular or faetous injustice"
But to test the sense OF the Convention, Mr. Reed u
Pa, moved "to give an absolute negative to the
Executive" This motion was losl-receiving only
one Notel (See Madison papers p. 1881
The entire proceedings Of the Convention abound
with evidences, that it never designed to give
the Executive absolute veto, nor was it expected
that it would operate as such. How far these e1
pecta;ions have been disappointed by tho result, we
who have seen sersa ve,oes in IL months, by n man,
who never received single vote for the Office OF
treSlOenti eau tel, 10 our SoTlON
But whether designed or not, a President ought
not to possess such power. 1t is subversive OF
the first principles of Republcanism, and gives to
one man, or a small minority the ability to rule tho
majority. Such principle is secuted in practice,
even in the Monarehcal Governments Of England
and France. In the words Of old Roger Sherman,
1T is the very essence of tyranny" to vest one man
with the power defeat the will OF the majority Of
the Peoples Representatives.
lie. the people of Virginia divest themselves o!
party prejudice, and bring the question home to
themselves. Are they willing, or could they be
persuaded to bes,ow this power upon their Cover
morn Give him the right to set aside the deliberate
will of their immediate Representatives. No Party
| in the Commonwealth have ever advocated such 1
doctrine. But if it were deemed, by general con
ssn, too anti.rePublican to elothe with this powe
a Governor, who has no pauonnge-hoW muc
worse must it be in the OF President, who hn
q hundred thousand officers at his beck, and who
by fair means or foul, has obtained control Of tn
Treasury Of the Confederacy1
We have hopes that good may come OF evil
The gross abuse of this power, and the tyranie'
exercise Of the removing powcr-(whieh az \.
way does net. i5s:: IT an Individual in The Exseu
tive chair-the weakest and the vaine.t-can, wild
impuniiy, under the prompiines of ma ice and am
biiion, set at noUght the popular will and mar tn,
national prosperity and happincss-is is high ,ms
that the people were looking about for new safe
guards to protect them aEains. tyranny and oppres-
sion. We believe that the Peopls will, sooner OF
later, come to take this view of the matter-and
that they will not be conien, to leave their liberty
and welfare to the caprice OF any ono human ts
ing.