The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-08-30
THE NTELLIGENCER AND MR.. WISE

But few days since, the lntelligencer de-
clared the Veto power engrafted in the Constr
tuition perfectly 'odious" 10 the editors and their
party. Being very properly taken to task about
it in the House, by the Hon. Mr.. Wise, they
Yesterday endeavored to make their escape from
the stigma by one Of those adroit ieats OF leger-
demain for which they have for years been SO
famous with all parties. column and hall
devoted to this subject by these excuse-manu-
facturers, amounts 10 a simple declaration that
they said phat they did not mean and did not
mean phat they said.
In speaking of the vote upon the Tariff bill,
(No. H., } and excusing the majority for voting
for any Tariff bill from which the land clause
had been stricken, they said
'sNor do gentlemen who voted thus sacrifice, in
our opinion, any principle. They yield nothing to
the President, whose WILL but for the constitutional
provision which confers him the Veto power
would stand for nothing IN the question They yield
only TO the constitutional provision which odiouS
to US it be to them, but which neither our opn
ion theirs can change"
Mr. Wise based his answer to this bold de-
claration of hatred against the Constitution, on
the word "odlous," as applied by the lnlelll-
gencer; and proved most concuslvely that 1t
was intended as contemptuous slur on the
character of that sacred instrument-an instru-
ment which is at once the pride OF every honest
American, the glory of Republics, all over the
world and the admiration even of subjects of
monarchies.
There is one other point, however, in the
above extract, that was not touched by Mr..
Wise, but which we consider as bearing upon
it, and even yet stronger Than the word odious
They (the majority yield nothing" says the In
telgencer to the President whose WILL but for the
constitutional provision which confers him the
to power, would stand for nothing in the question"
The President never asked them To yield.
He merel expected Congress TO do It's duty,
and has not shrunk from perfor ming his. But
the Intelligencer here positively declares almost
in so many words, that the majority care not a
pin for the opinion of the President; and that,
had he not the power TO veto their acts, they
would do just as they pleased with the Govern
ment, the country and the People. Here is an
open d claralion that the veto power is odious
and as IL is the sole power granted TO the Presi-
dent for the protection of the minority conse-
quenty, all measures rules, or constitutional pro-
visions which prevent the majority from enact
ing obnoxious laws, are, in the sight of the In
tegencer and the ma ority of Congress, use
less and odious. Nor does the conclusion rest
here for if the prerogative Of the President is
odious as inserted in the Constitution, then the
Constitution is itself equally so.
The sentence in the Intelligencer insinuates
may, declares, that the Veto power ex-
plunged, they would care nothing for the
opinion eff the President. In other words,
this is a positive assertion that the ma
jority, could they destroy the Veto power,
would concentrate all power in Congress. This
is simply the doctrine of con solidation, which
having transferred all power Of national legsla-
ton from the President to Congress, will next
attempt the same destruction of State sove-
reignty. Take the whole sentence together
and it is a clear avowal of the principles OF con-
tory furnishes innumerable proofs Of the sliding
of Republics into monarchies, through the adop-
ton of precisely the same principles of CONSOLE
dation now SO strongly advocated by the Intel
ligencer and the ma jority of Congress.
We have said, more than once, that the In
telligencer was the advocate of monarchy
but we did not expect that the editors would so
soon and so openly throw off the mask and CON
TESS their secret motives.
Were any further proof wanting, it is
found in that paper of yesterday, which de-
cares that for ten years the editors have advo-
Gated consolidation, and they even boast tn
they were the first to start the notion of destroy
ing the Veto power. For ten years the Intelli-
gencer has considered the Veto power and
the Constitution odious, and now glores that
there is prospect of the latter being expunged,
and the Government consolidated under the alb
solute will and caprice OF Congress.
We ask the ople of this country if they are
prepared for all this ?-if they are ready to make
| the President a mere aulomaton, carrying in his
person title, with none of its appendages
Far better would it be to abolish the Office of
President at once, and let the Government rest
entirely with Congress. They would then at
tain all their ends with some degree of fairness,
though wo to the Peorle should that dark day
ever arrive when their fate is placed under
the sole control of lactious party majority.
We connot conclude this article without ex.
pressing our regret that Mr.. Adams should have
been so grossly exposed by the Intelligence
The gentleman from Massac husets, with all
his faults, has had the reputation of talents, the
| name OF writing his own articles, and of giving
in them transcript of his own thoughts. We
have always considered him an original but the
intelligencer strips the veil from his fecc and
informs US that he and his late Select Commit
| tee are only borrowers of IDEAS. lhoughts and