The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1842-09-15
PROTEST OF TIE PRESIDENT.
To the House IF Representatives.:

ii is provided, that "eyery bill when shaii
have passed the House of Representatives
and the Senate, shall, before It becomes
law, be presented TO the President oil the
United States; if he approve, he shall sign
il; but ii not, he shall return 1t, with his
objections, to that House in which 1t shall
have. originated, who shall enter the oblec,
tons at large upon the Journal, and proceed
to reconsider it," !
In strict compliance with the positive
obligation thus imposed upon me by ihe
Constitution, not having been able to bring
myself TO approve bill which originated
in the House Of Representatives, entitled
g An act to provide revenue from imposss,
and to change and modify existing laws
imposing duties on imposts, and tor other
purposes" returned the same to the
House, with my objections to its becoming
law. These objections, which had on
tirely satisfied my own mind OF The great
/ impolicy, if not the unconstitutionality, oil
the measure, were presented IN the most
respectful, and even deferential, terms. /
would not have been so far torgeitul OF
what was due from enc department OF the
Government to another, as to have rnten-
tionalv employed, in my official inter-
course with the House, any language that
could be, in the slightest degree, offensive
to those TO whom il was addressed. Ii, in
! assigning my objections TO the bill, had
so far forgotten what was due to the House
J of Representatives 60 TO impugn IFS motives
in passing the bill, should owe, not only
to that House, bat TO the country, my mos'
! profound apology. Such departure from
D, opriety is, however, not complained o
! in any proceeding which the House ha:
adopted. 1t has, on the contrary, beer
r expressly made subject Of remark, ant
: almost OF complaint, that the language II
which my dissent was couched was studi
f. ously guarded and-cantious.
Such being the character Of the oliicia
j communication in question: confess wa
I. wholly unprepared Cor the course whicl
+ has been pursued in regard to it. ln tn
!; exercise Of the power to regulate its owl
I proceedings, the House, for the first lime
\ il is believed, in the history of the Govern
i nent, thought proper to refer the Messag
I to Select Committee Of its own body, fc
+ the purpose (as my respec, for the Hous
!. would have compelled me to infer) of de
}. liberately weighing the objections urge
i against the bill by the Executive, with
$ view to its own judgment on the qnesiio
J. of the final adoption or rejection Of tn
! measure.
y OF the temper and feelings in relation
d myself Of some Of the members selecte
n for the performance of this duty, hav
, nothing to say. That was matter entire
e " within the discretion Of the House
Representatives. But that Committee
8, taking a different view Of its duty fror
e :.h..at which should have supposed had lie
4 TO its creation, instead of combining itse
J. to the objections urged against the bill,
tie eli I6 d u tnv }vi
q ers of his acts since his induction into o
E. flee. In the absence of all proof, and, q
y am bound to declare, against all law
"a precedent in parliamentary proceeding
> and at the same time, 10 manner whic
D. il would be difficult to reconcile with ii
T. comfy, hitherto sacredly observed IN til
If intercourse between independent and COO
I. dinalc departments of the Government,
ID has assai!ed my whole official condnc
without shadow Of pretext for such q
sault, and, stopping short Of inpeachmen
has charged me, nevertheless, with oiiel
h' ces declared to deserve impeachment.
q, Had the extraordinary report which Il
10 Committee thus made to the House scI
permitted to remain without the sanciIt
lF Of the latter, should not have uttered
4e regret, or complaint, upon the subject
e, But, unaccompanied as it is by any partic
~ Of testimony 10 sustain the charges II Coz
O. tains, without a deliberate examinatio
81 almost without any discussion, the Hou
u Of Representatives has been pleased to
doptt as its own, and, thereby, to becon
e. my accuser before the country and befo
~ the world. The high character of sue
81 an accuser, the gravity of the charg,
e- which has been made, and the judgme
!" pronounced against me, by the adoptiC
VI Of the Report upon distinct and separa
70 vote Of the House, leave me no alternati'
- but to enter my solemn protest against Il
It. proceeding as unjust to myself as a ma
. as an invasion Of my constitutional powe
60 as Chief Magistrate ofthe American Pc
~ pie, and as violation, in my person,
y. rights secured to every citizen BY the las
e1 aud the Constitution. That Constitute
81 has entrusted to the House Of Represent
u tives the sole power of impeachment
70 Such impeachment is required to be trio
~ before the most august tribunal known
~ our institutions.
y The Senate of the United States, con
= posed Of the Representatives, of The SOW
= reignty of the States, is converted into
= hall of justice, and in order to ensure tt
~ strictest observance of the rules Of ey
y dence and Of legal procedure, the Chi
=, -, Justice of the United States, the highe
- Judicial funciionary Of the land, is require
. to preside over its deliberations. In ii
Az nresencn of each iudicatorv the voica