Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1842-09-08
Pr @ I z S Z
OF THE PRESIDENT
T. tie H0use # Representatives,

BY the Constitution If the It. States,
il is provided that .'every bill which shall
have passed the House of Representa-
tives and the Senate, shall, before it be-
come a law. be presented to the presi-
dent OF the United States; if he approve
he shall sign it; bat if not, he shall re-
turn it, with his ohjectluns. to that
House i'll which it shalt have originated,
eho shall enter The affections at large
upon the Journal, and proceed to recon
slider it,
IN strict compliance with the positive
obligation thus imposed upon me by the
constitution, not having been able TO
bring myself to approve bill which trI-
ginated in the House OF Representatives,
entitled An act to provide revenue
from imports, and to change and tnodety
existing laws imposing duties Oh imports,
and Tor Qther put poses," I returned the
same to the House, with my obiecti,ns to
lis becoming d law. These objections,
which had entirely satisfied nv own
mind Of the great lmpolicy, if not the I'M
constitutl0nalty OF the measure, were
presented in the most respectful, and ev
en- deferentiaI terms. would not have
been SO far forgetful of what WAS due
from one department Of The Government
to another. as to have Intentionally en-
played, in my official intercourse with
the iicusr, any language that could be,
iii The slightest degree, ofenciye to those
TO whom It was addressed. If, in assign
ing my objections TO the bill, had so far
forgotten what was due to the House Of
Representatives as to impugn its mo-
tires in passing the bill, should
owe. not only to that House, but to
She country. my nsost profound apollo
Sy. Such departure from proprlety is,
hnwever, not complained of in any pro-
cetdins which the House has adopted -
Il has, on the contrary, been expressly
made subject Of remark. and almost of
complaint, that the language in which my
dissent WAS COACHED was studiously guar
ded and cautious.
Such being the character of the official
communication in question, | confess !
was wholly prepared for the course
which has been pursued in regard to it.
In the exercise of The power to regulate
lis own proceedings, the House. for the
first time, it is believed. in the history Of
the Government, thought proper to refer
TIE message to select committee Of its
ovn bodv, for the purpose las my respect
'fcr the House would have compelled me
TO infer OF deliberately weighing the OBJ
iectons urged against the bill By the Ex-
ecutlYe, with view to its own judgment
rp0n Tie question Of the final adoption
or rejection OF the measure.
Of the temper and feelings iii relation
10 myself Of some Of the members select
ed for the performance Of this daty. |
have nothing 10 say. That was ru1ttef
entirely within the discretion Of the
House Of representatives., But that
committee, taking a different view of
It's duty from that which should have
suppose had led to its crea ton, instead of
continirg itself to the objections urged
against the bill, avalIed itself of the &C.
casion formally to arraign the motives of
TIE President for others of his acts since
his Induction into office. In the absence
Ut all proof, and as | am bound TO de-
Glare. against all law or precedent in
parliamentary proceedings, and, at the
same, in manner which it woulti be diff
flcut to reconcile with the comfy hither-
to sacres!ly observed in the Intercourse
between independent and coordinate de-
partments Of the Government, it has as
sailed my whole official conduct,
withouta shadow Of pretext for such
assault; and, stopping short of impeach-
ment. has charged me, nevertheless. with
o!ences DECLARED to deserve impeach-
ment.
Had the extraordinary report which
tae committee thus made to the House
been permitted to remain without the
sanction Of the latter, ] should not have
uttered regret, or complaint, upon the
subject. Bat, unaccompanied as it is by
any particle Of testimony to support the
charges it contains, without deliberate
examination. almost without any discus
sion, the House of Representatives has
besn pleased to adopt it as its own, and
thereby to become nv accuser before the
c"nntry. and before the world. The
h'gh character Of such an accuser, the
:" INC |hdf s,eS Witch nave Oeen
made, add the Judgment pronounced a.
ga'nst rae, by the adoption Of the report
upon distinct and separate vote of the
House, leave me do alternative but to en-
ter my solemn protest against the procee-
dag, as unjust to myself as a man. as an
INVASION OF my constitutional powers as
Chief Magistrate Of the American peo-
pie, and as a violation, If, nay person, OF
rights secured to every citizen by the
laws and the Constitution That Con-
stitution has intrusted to the House of
Representatives the sole power of i'm
parchment. Such impeachment is re-
CURED to be tried before the most august
tribunal known to our institutions.
The Senate Of the United States. com.
posed of the representatives of the sover.
tiguty of the States, is converted into
hall cf justice; and, in order to insure
the strittest observance of the rules o
evidence. and of legal procedure. the