Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-08-23
No. 3I.--vOLUME xxx.

meht OF the government or any putiIc oincer Tor IN
fidelity 10 the Constitution and Tie laws it is neither
wise, just patriotic for of those departments 10
! impair the confidence or the harmony which should
suosst between the separate branches of the public
service by fomenting prejndces anG scord. They
all agents of the Peopl. Their duties prescribed
| by law which al acknowledge supreme.
i Without inqurng into the motives which induced
the trainers of The Constitution to distribute the pow
ers of Government they have done, and to
Ter the particular power in question the Executive,
and without reviewing the actual experience Of the
i Government as TO what (rom supposed analogy not
at all obvious 10 certain powers in other Governmen.s)
is commonly called the Veto power, it is natural that
the mind should approve condemn the exercise of
this power, according TO its interests, opinions pre-
JUDGES on the subject 10 which it is applied.
This is true, not only 10 this hut as to all other
powers of Government. Zeu in the pursuit Of
cherished object OF interest or ambition induces some
men, not only to complain when they are thwarted by
what they easily believe 10 De an improper exercise Of
power, but to make The established forms az
Government, and TO seek b. revolution radical
change what they cannot lawfully obtain. The DISCO
son which has been recently manifested, to some ex
tent to disturb the we'll adjusted checks of the Cons
tuition by claiming powers for Congress which that in.
srument does not confer, or by denying to .ordi-
branch Of the Government powers which it does
CONFER order To establish particular system of par
ty policy carry election, must be regarded with
deep regret and serious apprPbenslons by the People,
those whose province it is 10 judge, and who free from
bias Of party politics, think, and feel, and
act, under the superior influences oil patriotism, and
Government Las survived the shock Of many
political contests because hitherto these contests in
yolved only difference OF opinion Gs 10 the pr;Ici
pies and policy of the Government IS organised 1t
has been deemed unwise well as dangerous TO
perae local or general prelndces against the acknow
lodged forms Of the Government and to enlist the spi
rt of revolution auxiliary 10 the spirit OF party 1t
been lately proposed 10 abolish the powers resulting
to the Executive from the clause OF the Constitution
already cited. There is no evidence of any DISPOSE
ton 10 second this purpose, either on the part OF Con-
gress If the part of the States. Desparirgo of
any peaceful change, it is however, proclaimed that
this power is dangerous 10 liberty, rs to justify an
appeal to This urged by those who tesisr TO
secure the enactment Of measures believed probably,
by majority Of the people of the U. S, and certainly
by the present Executive, TO be either unconstitutional
grossly inexpedient and in;u furious To obtain the
charter for National Bank, when there ar" few bold
enough 10 believe that any prudent man would hazard
his capital his confidence, under the charter, still
farther 10 inpoversl already empty and indebted
Treasury, it is proposed 10 abois, By amending the
Constitution, by revolutions one Of the Checks Ivy
which the Executive department aullor ed to Arrest
the unconstitutional measures Of Congress do IDLE
innovation is medita,ed against the Constitution, md
violence is invoked to annul of lis Executive b.
riers because it obstacle TO the entertainments II
the Legislature. If the veto power IL is callet,
were abolished in the Executive, it would remain II;
the Judiciary; unconstitutional gation mig still be
arrested there and it would not be The power Of two
thirds 10 coniro! the decisions Of The Supreme Court.
Hence is perhaps, that distrrs has been recently
empha,ically expressed TO the competency Of that
Court decide questions which bcve, unfortunate
w. arisen TO The authority Of the Government TO col
lect any revenue since ;he 30h of June last
The object Of those who believe that certain measures
of party policy Of more consequence than the pre-
sent organization Of our Government, only be par
tally accomplished by abrogaiing The veto Of the Exc
cutiye There remains, BESIDES The Of the Judi
cary the veto of the People. All the powers Of
Government, into whatever hunds they may be dis
tribued, be exercised under responsibility to the
laws and to popular opinion. When President
turns bill TO either House Of Congress with his OBJ
iections he is responsible TO the law, 10 oil its penal
ties and like every Representative OF State or ds-
tric he is responsible also TO the people These orc
the great checks Ct SYSTEM and they are serving
the most important end for which they have been esta
b.ied, when they restrain the licentious ambition
which is chafed only by constitutions, by laws, or by
the popular will.
For the first time, in the history Of institutions,
they are exposed to novel experiment il, never
theless one contemplated by the Constitution. II il to
be tried under very peculiar circumstances lremaihs
to be seen whether Vice President called IN the re-
pular order Of events the chief Executive office can
administer the Government without party pledged IN
advance approve 10 oppose the Administration;
or in other words whether the ygor and security OF
our Government abdes in the Constitution and laws,
or in mere party. With regard to the constitutional
convictions Of the present incumbent OF the Executive
Office on some Of the subjects to which they have been
applied il is undoubtedly true that they were we'll
known to these by whom lie was nominated and elect
ed to the second Office Of the Government and by ma
nv of whom he is now bitterly den need, for being
what they, in the election, proclaimed HIM TO be
With regard the exercise of the veto power, in this
instance recurrence TO few facts Of public notori-
ETY. and recent date, will enable impartial public TO
decide.
Before the death of the late President his proclama
ton had issued converting Congress IN extra session.
The necessity for this alleged to exist III the state
of our finances Congress assembled On The 3Ist May,
IS4 1t has been in session, with the interval OF rather
more than two months, ever since various eXpeoths
were resored TO, during tie extra session. 10 ehco'e
the Government 10 meet IFS engagements and deffsy
its ordinary current expenses. Since that PERIOD the
paw Of the army the navy, and The CIV! list have been
f,eouen,lv suspended from the utter desrton Of tho
Treasury. Loans authorized n.y. congress, nave ,aie"
TO be ne eotiacd any terms. Treasury notes Of Co.
vcrument have deprecated and been returned by the
needy public creditor under protest Every device TO
sustain the sinking credit Of The Governnent short Of
direct tax, has failed and lhs at period when our
foreign relations were emlncntly precarious
The distribution Of the proceeds Of the public lands
from Treasury of the United States to the Treasur-
ers Of the States, among The earliest measures
urged at the Extra Session. loan OF 000,oOO
had been authorized for the relief OF the National
Treasury but not negotiated when bill distributing
The proceeds the public lands passed both Houses OF
CONGRESS, and with tie appreciation of The E1ecu.
tive. BECAME law. 1t confined clause, without
which il could never have obtained either the Legsla
tive or Executive Suction, providing, IN view OF the
embarrassed condition Of the Treasury, that whenever
the duty on any article of foreign importation exceed
cd twenty per cent, the distribution to the States
should cease, and the proceeds of the lands should
rain be applied to pay the debts and defray the ex
penses OF the Federal Government. Revenue bill
also passed al the Extra Session. raising the duties OH
most articles which were free under the Compromise
act Of 1888 to twenty per cent This bill was framed
with the design to avoid any conflict with the twenty
per cent principle of the Compromise Of 1888, or with
the twenty per centum condition IN the Distribution
act
Al The Of the present session. the Pre-.
sden, IN his Annual Message, apPrieI Congress that
there would BE- d, icit in the Treasury the first OF
January, 1872 If SG27 60 At subsequent period
of this session. he urged Congress- IN SPECIAL Mes
&C. 20 IL demanGJ