The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-01-25


his mind, he (Mr. PREsTos) would look back TO the
Convention, and what were their feelings then
with regard 10 the Veto power. Ii was aequies.
ced in as a thing almost indispensable, except
as TO the extent of the Limitation. Those who
were called upon 10 frame the Constitution
acquiesced in IL; and in all the debates in the
States where conventions were called TO discuss the
Constitution there seemed TO be silence, or an
quiescence, that the Veto power was necessary IN
many cases What said the eloquent Patrick Henry
he scarcely devoted a word TO II and oil all the
powers in the Constitution, this seemed TO pass
the least contested He held the period TO be past
when they could amend the Constitution, except for
gross evils which could not be avoided by incidental
legislation, and that instrument should not be touched
but with the greatest caution Let the Constitution
stand where II was II was sacred and valuable in
strument and was consecrated by the loftiest
tions and the purest patriotism, and for il he had
superstitious regard But did evils exist in the Con-
stitutioni Had the workings of il shown that there
were provisions in il which had tendency to pros
trate the prosperity of the country Could not they
get along with il as was Anterior to the present
Administration, in period OF fifty years, the Veto
power had been exercised twelve times. But what
was the exercise of this power Gentlemen could
not certainly be aware that so slight had
been the effect upon the public prosperity that the
fact was hardly known that the power had been SO
often exercised, until it was dug up from the musy
records General Washington exercised the power
twice. his full proportion in point of time and once
for each term. The very statement Of this truth was
vndcaton Of its exercise for nobody would say that
he Father of his Country would have exercised it inn
properly. One of these vetoes was in his first term,
and the people reelected him. Mr., Madison exer-
cised the veto power four times twice for each term.
No evil resulted from il Mr. Monroe exercised
il once and Gen. Jackson FIVE times. What had been
the judgment of the country all of these vetoes
good, bad and Indifferent Why, that all who re-
sorted to it, except three Presidentsthe two Adams
es and Van Buren-who enjoyed but one term each,
reelected. The effect of the Veto was TO keep
them where they were it was conservative, and this
was the rock on which he put himself upon this ques-
ton. The state Of this case was this the present
Congress differed with regard to the policy OF the
country from former Congress. They enacted a
law which altered the existing state of things enacted
by previous Congress but suppose, the issue is
to be made up, that it is question between their
wisdom and their wisdom six month ago or the
wisdom of Congress five years ago, and the wisdom of
Congress forty years ago-why, the President, by
his Veto decided in favor Of the wisdom forty years
ago. instead Of that which now exists and gave time
for serious consideration He would not agree to
amend the Constitution for any reason whatever,
however he might be from the "reminiscences OF
the past That should not enter into his argument.
He party man, and had many occasions
done many things which he would not have done up
on reflection and So he presumed il was with the
other members of the Senate; for many measures
which they conceived to be right were in the heat of
Of party had passed away, and exhibited these mea-
sures in their hdeous aspect they then felt that their
proceedings ought to have been tempered by delibe-
ration and a respect due to their station
Mr. BUCHANAN obtained the floor, and having
eyinced a desire to address the Senate the subject
of the discussion postponed until Monday next
And the Senate then adjourned.