Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1842-08-27
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,e,uroing 10 this House the act which orig ted
in it. 80 provide revenue from imports, and to
change and modify existing laws imposing duties
on imports, and for other purposes with his oo'
factions to IT, with instructions to report thereon
10 The House, have attended to tina, service, and
respectfully report
The message is the las, Of a series of executive
measures the result of which has been to detea I
md nullGy The whole action Of the legislative au-
thority of the Union upon the most important IN
terests of the nation.
A, the accession Of the late President Harri-
son, by election of the people, to the Executive
chair the finances, the revenue, and the credit OF
the country were found in condition SO greatly
dlsordered and 50 languIshng. that the first ac'
Of his Administration was to call special session
Of Congress to provide a remedy Tor this distem
pered state Of the grea, body polite. II was even
then a disease Of no sudden occurrence, and OF no
ordinary nlaiignity. Four wears before, the I'M
mediate predecessor of General Harrison had
been constrained to resort to the same expedi-
ent, a special session Of Congress. the result, OF
which had only proved the first OF succession OF
pail,a,Ives, purchasing momeniary relief at the
expense Of deeper seated disease and aggravated
symptoms, growing daily more intense through
the whole four wears Of that Administration. 1t
had expanded, from year TO year, from eight to
ten millions of dollars beyond ITS income, absorb
ing IN that period nearly ten millions pledged
for deposte win the States, eight millions oil
stock IN the Bank Of the United States, IRON five
10 SIX millions Of trust funds, and AS much Trea-
.ury notes; and was sinking under the weight oil
It's own lmprovidence and Incompetency.
The sentence Of suffering people had com
manled a change in the administration. and tho
contemporaueous elections throughout the Cnioh
had placed ia both houses of Cnngress ma nr,'ies.
the natural exppnenis of the principles which u
was tho will Of the people should be substituted
in the administration of their government, instead
hifh h,1h rp
dit,on Of such wreichedness and shame. There
was perfect harmony of principle between the
ch ,sen President of the people and this m 'lar''y
,hns constituted IN both houses OF Congress; and
the frs, act OF his administration was 10 call
specal session Of Congress for their dehera,'on
and action upon the measures indispensby ne
cessarv for reici 10 the pubic distress and 10 re-
trievo tho prosperity of the great community OF
the nation.
Ga tn. 3Ist day Of May, 1871. within three
months after the inauguration OF President II
r,son, tho Congress assembled at his call. Blu,
the rcins Of the Executive car were already IN
other hands BY an inscruiabe decree OF Pow
dence the chief Of the peoples choice, IN harmony
wi h whose principles the ma rites OF both iiou
ses had been constituted, was LAID low IN death -
The President who had called the meeting of Con
gress was no longer the President when the Con
gress met A successor the office had assum-
ed the title, with totally different principles, tho
protesting the same at the time Of his election,
which, far from harmOnising. like those OF MS I'm
mediate predecessor, with the majority OF both
Houses of Congress- soon disclosed IN dia>
metricai opposition to them.
The first development Of this new, and most
unfortunate condition of the general govern
ment. was manifested by the failure, once and
again, Of the first great measure intended by
Congress to restore the credit OF the country, by
the establishment Of a national bank-a failure
caused exclusively by the operation OF the veto
power by the president In the spirit OF the con-
stitution Of the United States, the executive Is
not only separated from the legislative power,
but made dependent upon and responsible to IT.
Until a very recent period Of our history, all re-
ference in either House of Congress 10 the opIn-
ions wishes Of the president. relating TO any
subject IN debera,iOn before them. was regarded
as an outrage upon the rights Of the delberatve
BODY among the first of whose duties II is to spurn
the influence of the dispenser of patronage and
power. Until very recently, II was sufficient
greatly to impair the influence Of any member TO
be- suspected Of personal subserviency 10 the ex
ecutive; and any aliuson to his wishes IN debate
deemed departure not less from decency
than from order IA ANXIOUS desire TO accommo-
date the action Of Congress TO the opinions and
wishes OF Mr.. Tyler had led to notifications Of
the first bill for the establishment of national
bank, presented to him for his approval, widely
differing from the opinions entertained Of their
expediency by The ma GRITTY of both Houses Of
Congress, but which failed TO obtain that appro,
val for the sake Of which they had been reuc-
family adopted A second attempt ensued, under
a sense of the indispensable necessity Of a fiscal
corpora ton TO the revenues and credit Of the ma
tion, to prepare an act, to which informal in
tercourse and communication between a membe,
Of the house. charged with the duty Of preparing
the bill. and the president Of the United States
himself. might secure by compliance with bis opin
ions pledge 10 advance Of his approval Of the
bill. when II should be presented to him. Tha,
pledge was obtained.
The bill was presented to him in the very terms
which he had prescribed necessary to obtain
biz sanction, and il met the same fate with its
predecessor: and il is remarkable that the reasons
assigned for the refusal to approve the second
bill in direct and immediate conflict with those
which had been assigned for the refusal TO sign
the first