Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-09-29

Teihs Esi,sr sftAs Wkss.
THE MirURE. os,Scr. IND 1BUsE or
THE yEr0 POWER.

THE yEr0 POWER.
| NO. l.
Ma. Eprron; Now that the sore conflict lie.
tween tho Executive on tho one hand, and the LIE.
ehiainre on the other, has terminated FOR the pre-
sent, by the dispersion Of the members OF the latter
among their respective constituents. il may not be
improper to make a short inquiry into the nature Of
that weapon, by which the Executive has been en-.
absd to be Ills the efforts, thwart the measures AMI
hnaily gain Triumphant victory over the Leeisla-
tive department OF the Government The battle
being over, and the smoke having cleared away,
we may, with perfect safety, take view Of the field
OF strife, estimate the lose and gain sustained by
each, and speculate upon the results likely TO en-
sue nom such hostile proceedings And here, at
the very threshold of our investigation, VIC arc
struck with the Importance OF the fact that while
the iosees of one fthe eontendng parties are scat
tered in every possible direction, without the power
of combining acting in concert, the other remains
upon the scene Of action, busily engaged in mar
shalling his forces, and preparing for another en-
ssgemenL
| greatly fear that recent triumphs OF the Execu.
tive may even,uate IN consequences the most dele.
ferrous 10 the well being of the country-Subycrt
the fundamental principles upon which our system
OF Government is based-nnnihate the independ
CnCc OF anO hnllly, that the
denis thus established may lead the concentration
OF all power IN the hands Of one man To this
20 n, affairs seem to have been tending with m
pd and fearful ptocivily since the elevation of Mr.
Tyler to the responsible station which he now occu
pics -Four times during this short period, has the
voice otthe Peoples Repre- en;otives been hushed
and their will, thus expressed by their proper or
sans, set at nousht and four times has the person
thus frustrating their will officially announces that
in so doing he has acted in strict normiy thereto
This exalted rcrsonace has taken upon himself TO
defeat REVENUE Bll.L-an act without a pa.
fallel in the history of our Government, and an
pcared as II he was resolved to the Government
dissolved, aud the Constitution, dear TO his own
scrupuous conscience, utterly oxtnguished before
ne would yield his "weil-eonsidered, most deeply
liked, and repeatedly declared opinions on matters
OF great public Government, TO those of a co-ordi
nate Department, without requesting that Depart
rnent seriously 10 re examine the subject of their
difference"
The course Of John Tyler entirely con,radic,s the
assertion OF those who have closely investigated the
science OF Government and drawn lessons from the
conduct OF men that mole concessions have been
obtained IN favor OF liberty, under the Administra.
ton OF weak man-one who has not the ,pirif oil
eommdnd-than under one v no is the darling of the
people, and whose will is their law. Now we do
not consider II strange that under tue Administra
ton OF Gen. Jackson We should nave had plentiful
shower or Vetoes because he possessed this spirit
81 command; he was man Of iron nerve and stern
determinations and besides, he had a strong hold on
euS VI buc people, which could not caStly
be broken In whatever he did, he expected to be !
sustained by them. Hence he acted IN a manner
which betokened his indifference as to results and
his disregard OF consequences But Mr. Tyler is not
man who can exert magic spell over the afTec- |
lions of the people He is not caressed by them |
and can by no means DO considered their fayori,e
let this individual has been guilty OF more DANCE
rous usurpations and entertainments than any Other
President OF the u. $.
Are we then totally 6: less how 10 account for !
the OF Drgsttfent q,
form some reasonable conjecture to the motives !
and inducements by which he has been actua,ed in |
his recent hish-handed measures7 | cannot con |
eelye That they can be otherwise than similar TO
TO those which Influenced Pausanas when be plung.
81 tho fatal dagger into the bosom of Phip of Ma. |
eedon This he did, il has been said, partly he
cause he desired his name 10 occupy a conspicuous
place on the page oil the history which recorded the
death of that great Monarch. Pausanias, however
was urged by another consideration-,he Icmem
branca OF n private wrong, which the King refused
10 redress But MIR Tyler is not even so excusable
as Pausanias. He surely has no private pioue TO
crafty. lie cannot charge his country with in-
gratitude, Tor he has received an equvl 'ent, and
more than an equivalent, for his services. Yet,
nevertheless, he seems willing ID sscrihce the per.
manent good OF that country, which has loaded him
with honors upon the altar ola pJeriie and selfish
ambition. Ambition sppears 10 be the main sprine
Of all his actions and TO crafty that he has forfeit
ed all CLAIM. to be considered patriot and lost the
esteem Of his former frierds.
With these preliminary remarks, | propose, in
the hrSt place. briefly TO inquire into the nature of
the veto po~er--that QUALIFIED ntgatipsn with
which The Executive is armed and which Mr. Tvler
has welded with such signal success and in a man
ner so disastrous to Legislative Jade pendence and
the Constitution Of the country. Have the ,xpec
iaons OF the frances Of the Constitution ia this
respect been fulfilled, and did they anticipate thai
his power, merely n,gIiCs in its incipient state.
would, in so short u time, have assumed pesifips
orm OF me most dangerous and charming eharac
Teri Inc very terms which were employed to de-
Sisnlte u, apart from it, history, preclude such
4 supposon. IL was not only designed TO be q ne
satve power, but qualified in Its operation. Do Ell.
her OF these requisites, at present attendi,7 Sure
" not. /. would be gross misapplication of terms
10 call that negative power, by virtue Of which
he President IS enabled to ilke an active agency in
The enactment of tho laws Of the land. Yes, the
precedent has been established, that while this OBJ
nexious feature remains in the Constitution, it is
that bill must first be pre..nted 10 The
Executive and its provisions altered and approved |
by him, before II can be hoped that his Excellcncy
will be graciously pleased TO give il his approba-
ton And even them this fond hope cannot be ,aCe.
~ INDUCED. SO heklc and vocaling is the will O:
man clothed with such high prefogative. The
maxim that tho Executive and Legislative Depart-
mens should be kept separate and distinct is now
no longer regarded. The President is, in fact, as
II had been conteuded by some he ought to be- !
component part OF the Legislature. He assists in
the formation of laws in the same manner as If he |
were an individual member, and occasionally dc |
sres TO enter upon their journal his protest against
Their un~arr-niable proceedings.
But how, and IN what manner is this power oual-
ihed IN It's operatonl Certainly il was not expect.
ed that It's qualification would prove vain and nu
gatory; II SO, II would have been entirely unneces.
sarY 70 qualify il atall. We are not then AZ Ii.
berry TO suppose that the trainers OF tho Consitu-
ton would have practsed such gross deception ms |
This upon the people. IL would have been far more
manly 10 have made It absolute at first than 10 seek
TO hide ITO hdeous determines by q qualification
which they knew would never be available. IL
must, then, be admitted that in adopting tho proyi.
sion That bill, upon being returned and passed bv
a majority OF twc-lhrds Of both Houses, should
become law, notwithstanding the Presidents ob
iections, an expectation was INDUCED that some.
times laws would be passed in opposition to the
will Of the Executive. But has this ever been tho
caseI Does not the history Of this veto power
prove that this qualification is entirely useless nnd
unavailable We may, then, safely assume that
in future, laws and never will be enacted
long as this power retained in the hands of the
President, unless endorsed by his approval. This
power, then, ia not what Il was intended by It's
authors II should be. We should not any lonesr
so grossly pervert terms ns to call il quatfcd me-
gGtivs." Ii is positive, absolute and unaualifed |
and IN effect, amounts to the power to stop the pro.
ceecngs Of Congress, clog the wheels Of Govern
msn, and bring 1t to speedy dissolution.
SIDNEY.
Powhaian, September, 1912.