Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-08-30
TwENTY.sEyENTn coNGREss--@d Session.

TWENTY -SEy ENrH CONGRESS--"d Session
SPEECH OF rnE Hos JAMES BUCHANAN, OF
PryxsyLvAHtA in sopport If the l,fo p0rtr, md "a
repiy to he Hon. H. Ciay, Of Observation-Disclosures
IN the United States Senate, Wednesday, February
. ls42.- Continued
Bat after ALL what the nature OF this qualified
veto under the Constitution; Ii is, in fact, but APP
neal taken by The President from the decision OF Con
gress in particular case, to the touna OF Tue sope
reign pcop!e ofthe several States who are equally the
masters OF both If they decide against The PRESIDENT
their decision must finally prevail. by the admission
of the Senator hi,.se!f The same President must Ell
Their carry it INTO execution himself or the next Pre-
sident whom they elect will do so The veto never
can do than postpone legislative aciion on the
measure OF which is the srhject, until the will OF
, naople can be fairly pressed This OF
action T the people should not sustain The President
will no, generally continue longer than two years and
cannot continue longer than four the people" at the
next elections, should return majority 10 Congress
hostile TO the veto, and the same measure should le
passed second time, he must 'a;ced be bold man,
and intent upon ms destruction. who would, a
second time arrest II by his veto. After the popular
voice has d,;erm ned The question, the President would
awa,s submit, unless, hy dong. he clearly believed
he would involve himself ia The quit f perjury, hy
violating hs oath to support ilie Constitution. Al the
end Of four years however, in any aud every event
the popular vii! must and would be obeyed by the
election OF another PresideAs
Sir the Senator :soi Kentucky, in one Of those
beautiful passages which alwa!s abound in his
speeches. has drawn glowing picture 81 the snlaied
condition OF kings, whose cars the voice oi public OPP
mon is never permitted 70 reach aad h has compaiod
their condition IN is larcu:ar, with that of tle Pee
sident Of the Uni;tG States Here, toe, he SAID, tie
Chief Magistrate occupied isolated sta,,an, where
the voice of his county aLd The creS Of its DISTRESS
could not reach his Dat there any justice III tbs
comparison Such picture mcy be tue To the lie
when drawn fnr IN European monarch; but !; has NJ
application whatever to President Of the Umited
States Ilc Sir, is than the first citizen oil
This free Republic No fern il required IN approach
ing his person, winch can prevent the huablcs at ms
f.llor citizens from communicating with him. In p
preaching ia, freeman of tins land is not compelled
10 decorate himself fantastic roles, adopt any par
,cular form oc dress, such the court etiquette o
Europe REQUIRES The President inlermngles freely
with his FELLOW citizens, and hears the opiniocs o: ali
The public press attacks hitn political pafiies IN ane
out OF Congress- asSa Li:3 an! the ihunders oi the
Senator's denuncja,ory cl"Ioence are Teverhcraet
from the Capitol, and reach the white liousc before III
incumbent lay lis bead upon his pillow. llH
every act is subjected To the sevFTest scrutiny, ana ht
raad IN the rcwsnapprs Of the day the DEGREES OF pub
lie opinion Indeed 1t IS the privilege at every body
10 assail him. TO contend that such Chief Magistrate
IS isolated from the people, IS to base an argument npor
mere fancy, and DO, upon facts No, SIR; the Prcsi
dent OF the &. s. ia directly before the people
and more Immediately responsible 10 the people, thar
any other department nf oar Governments and wo b,
40 that PreSden. who shall affect 10 withdraw from
the public eve, and sec!ude himself IN the recesses
the Executive mansion
The Senator has said and with truth, that veto o
the President has hcen oyeru.ed, sin"e the origin
oil the Government. Not enc. Although he intro
>uced this fac; .or another purpose than that which
ow induces TO advert 10 IT, ye' IS not the less true
on that account Is not tls the strongest possible ar
eumen 10 prove that there never jet las been veto
IN violation OF the public wilE
Here Nj CAY observed that there had been re
peated instances oil miajoTes in Congress decidn:
against veiocs
Mr.. BucmAxlx resumed. am now speaking of ma
iorties not Of Congress, but Of the people. | shai
speak Of maiorilies in Congress presently.
Why, Sir, has no veto been ever orerrued: SimPl.
because the President has never exercised and neve
will exercise this perlous power on any important oc
casion unless firmly convinced that he Is right, ant
that he will be sustained by the people. S;andn;
alone with the whole responsibility O: his high otiica
duties pressing upon him. he Will never brave The enor
NOUS power and Influence Of Congress, unless he fec!
moral certainty that the people Wi! come to the n
cue When he ventures 10 differ FROM Congress, ant
appeal TO Ike people, the chances are all against han
The members of the Senate and the House are numer
GUS and are scattered over the whole country, whs
the President IS hut an individual confined 10 the city
OF Washington. Their personal influence with ;ieI
constituents is aud mus, he, great. In such strug
Pile, he must mainly rely upon the papabie justice 0
his Crder these circumstances, does II TO
speak voluiacs III favor oi the discretion with wheel
the veto power has been exercised TINT II has never
once been ovcrruled single instance, since the orr
gin of the Government, either by majority Of hs
people in the several States or by the constitutional
majority in Congress
# is truly astonishing how rarely this power has
been exercised. During the period Of more than hal
a century which has elapsed since the meeting OF II,
first Congress undo. tie Constitution, abou. SIX thou
sand Legislative acts have been passed. How many %
these Sir, do you suppose have been disapproved 10y
the President? Twcaty, Sir twenty IS Tie who'
number. speak from list now IN my hand pEeparet
by one of the clerks al The Senate And THIS numbe
embraces no, merely those bills which have been ac,u
ally vetoed; but all such retained by him unde
the Constitutions in consequence OF having been pre-
scented at so late period Of the session that he conle
not prepare his objections previous TO the adjournment
Twenty is the sum total al all!
Let us analyze these vetoes, (or shall call them al
by that name) for few moments. OF the twenty
eight were on bills Of small comparative Importance
and excited no public attention. Congress al once
Welded to the Presidents objections, and in orc re-
markabe instance, veto O. General Jackson was laid
upon the table on the motion Of the Senator from Ken
lucky himself No attempt was even made 10 pass the
bill in opposition 10 this veto, and no Senator con-
tested its proprety. Eleven of the twelve remaining
yetoes upon this list relate TO only three subjects
These are Bank of the u. S: Internal improvements
in different FORMS and the distrbut of the proceeds
of the public lands among The several States There
have been four vetoes of Bank OF the u :; one by
Mr. Madison one by General Jackson, and two by Mr..
TYLER There have been six yetoes on Internal I'm
provemen in different forms; one BY Mr. MADISON one
by Mr. Monroe, and four by Gen Jackson And Gen
Jackson vetoed the bill 10 distribute the proceeds OF the
sales of the public lands among the several States
These make the eleven.
The remaining veto was Sy General Washington:
md il is remark that il should be the most question:
able exercise of this power which has ever occurred
- refer t. his second and last veto on the first OF
March 1897 and but three days before he etred from
Office OH the "Ac to alter and amend an act entitled
agtak t.S1t -a,t