The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-02-21
TO JOHN TYLER, PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES.
| Conel,lded trom Fi,idau,s psper. ]

Take another case (says Mr.. Cay) in the piii now
before the Judiciary Committee Was there one man
10 be found in either House of Congress VINO wouid
ever have proposed such measure as The Exchequer
Board proyided in that bll We are bound by the Veto
po,rer re cannot do chai ieoid" Fortunately for
the country "Prince Hal" that it is so-"from the
fitness of the heart speaketh the mouth" Mr.. Clay
and his feudal associates blocked by the Veto
ave must take (says Mr.. Clay what the Executive
offers or get nothing How doleful Mr.. Clay sol
EMMY ''warned the nation that if this Veto power
was arrested in process of time the whole egisla
on of this country would to be prepared at the
White House" This is truly alarming But would
il be worse than the proposition of the Dictator, to
charter $50 OO00 900 bank to establish oligarchy,
buy up power, and subyert the freedom OF American
citizens 1t is truly "a godsend" that there has been
placed in the "White House, one who will not give
countenance the diabocal designs of the "Nations
Representative" Now, sir, let US see what dlstln-
gushed Senator says, who has not given up the race
for the Presidential chair. Doctors will sometimes
disagree. Both distinguished as above the com
mon herd circumstances alter cases. and man,
we often see, is the. creature of circumstance. Mr.
Buchanan in reply to the Master Spirit of the Re-
public the Great ".ldoptedm completely annihlates
Prince Hal" who will hardly think to ''fall back
and fire." or attempt to bring to life the bantlng of
his folly.
From the Congressional Analysts Of The Globe
Mr.. BueH,NAN being entitled to the floor addressed
the Senate for about an hour and half examining In
detail the arguments advanced by the mover OF the
resolutions in support of abridging, if not annulng
the veto power. Mr.. B. viewed such proposition as
one of the dangerous character; and, not doubt
ing the purity patriotism OF the Senator MlClayI
bal innhnu lut hnt
under discussion he led to believe 1t had It's orr
gin in impression as to the nature OF the
veto power existing in the Executive OF this Govern
ment The Senator, under this misconcepuon, mad
identified the veto power given by the Constitution TO
the President of the United States withtha gwen by
the Constitution of Great Britain to the King OF Eng
land Now he Mr.. b. contended that nothing could
be more erroneous than this impression; and the
Senator himself Mr.. Clay would that it wa.
so when he reflect upon the fact that the veto
power given to the King of England, was expressly
for the protection of the prerogatives OF the Crown
against the other two powers of the Government
those OF the barons and the commons: whereas the
veto power given the President the United States
is only power placed in the hands of citizen by
his fellow citizens not for the protection of his personal
prerogatves, but for the protection OF the peoples
rights against hasty, immature, dangerous legisla-
ton The veto power in the hands Of a monarch Is
for the preservation OF whatever portion of despoisn
that monarchy may have been able to maintain, the
veto power in the hands OF the Chief Magistrate of
this Republic, himself plain citizen, is to guard
against any portion whatever of despotsm, any
usurpaton the part of the Representatives of the
people, and their separate soverelgnties of powers
extending beyond those intended they should exercise,
or contrary the wishes of the people. And in proof
of this he need but refer to the limitations of the pow
er itself 1.-THE President vetocs bill sent TO him by
both House; of Congress- it is returned for reconside-
ration and if two birds of each House pass 1t again,
II becomes law and in relation to that bill the veto
power of no avail If the BILL when returned, fails
to secure majority of twohirds or each House, il
cannot become law then but the delay, If it should
be necessary law, is of only short DURATION for the
people, at the next election of delegates to Congress,
always within two years, may send sufficient ma
joiity to Congress in favor of the measure to satisfy
the President of their decision; and if he will not
conform 10 that demonstration, they will be sure,
within four years -hnsalf h,i
exeIcsed The veto power contrary to their wishes
Mr.. Buchanan then went at large into the subject
of the exercise Of the power in this Government show
ing that, although between six and seven thousand
laws had been passed since its foundation only twenty
vetoes had interposed, and Of these vetoes, leaving
out those important subjects the major part had
reference to three measures of policy Tepudiaed by the
people shown by the reelection of those Presidents
who had exercised the power. He alluded t1 the
vetoes the Bank of the United States on the in
reference the General Government, with the inter
nal improv of the States and the distribution of
the public lands. He enumerated these instances and
dwelt at some length and in detail, the consequent
action of Congress in reconsiderng those measures
the maiorities always decreasing with sober second
instance being signally manifested.
Mr.. Buchanan next showed that the only EIecu-
tive officer of this Government coming directly from
the whole body of the people is the President and /
that he is necessarily more dependent the whole
of the people than the representatives in the ma
tional Legislature. Hedenied that the representative
bodies truly represented the majority Of the people, for
one-fourth Of the people could send majority OF Sena
tors into This chamber and IN the other branch the
frequent instances in which the voice of the people
had decided against the voice of its majority were
sufficient evidences of the fact that ma oriy there
could be considered as speaking the sentiments OF
q majority of the people recent and remarkable
proof of this had been given in the late elections,
through which the country had pronounced judgment
against the of the extra session, carried by
majoiities in both Houses Of Congress. That public
Judgment, besides condemning the OF the
representative ma critics had sustained the exercise of
the power, by which the President had appealed
10 the decision of the people Mr.. B.. next drew
parallel between the veto power OF the Roman rbunes
and that vested in the President of the United States
deducing that the indsputabe intention was for the
protection of the people from the entertainments of
other governmental powers in the hands of those |
prone to accumulate power for strong rule of the |
people
IfMr. Clay could convince US that National Bank
with acapital of fifty millions, would put money-"not
promises to pay"into the pockets of The people re-
store confidence among them-nake solvent the 300,-
600 bankrupts that the United States Bank, and the
800 other concerns have made-restore to the widow
and the orphan that of which they have beer robbed
pour the healing balm upon the wounded honor of
the counry-pay to foreigners what is their due. If
all these benefits can be brought about then the people
will not oppose his charter. But, sir this cannot be
done. The cry is, or the only for National
Bank is, that we want currency regulator, "equa
lzaon Of exchanges" What excessive folly. |
will ask you, sir, if we have established cur
rency, in the shape of gold and silver, and laws regu
lating the value thereof7 Well if we have this it is