Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1842-02-12
No. As.

SHY UICdnS 10 protect inc PUBIC purse
from the power that this could only be done
by an amendment to the Constitution, anC
that all other efforts would be in vain
They had seen armies raised by the Presi
dent, not only without the authority o.
law, but after the proposition had beer
submitted to Congress, and rejected; and
this was the case with reference to the
Florida sedentary militia. The Executive
branch of the Government was eternalv in
action, and ever awake; it was like the tide
OF some mighty river, constantly flowing
and swelling, deepening. and widening, in
its onward progress, until it swept every
impeachment and overcame every resistance
and every obstacle, which presented itself
to its course. The Legislative Depart
lnent meets only periodically; and when it
ceases 10 act as a Legislative body, its
power terminates; but here stood the Pres
ident to enforce the laws, and also ready
to avail himself of any circumstance calcu-
lated to augment or add TO his power.
But let them examine the motives which
were supposed to have entered into the
views of the members Of the c Invention
and which operated upon their minds: and
compare their expectations with what has
since occurred. The Executive should
have no agency in the formation of laws
or originate measures for the nation: but,
it should come from the Representatives
of the people. The execution of the laws
was assigned to the Executive Department:
and every one knew that, in all free Gov
ernments. the three great departments
the Judiciary, the Executive, and the Leg
be kept separate and dis
tInct; and II was also known that that sys-
TEN OF Government was the most perfect
where strict conformity to these princ-
pies was adhered To. But it was said that
he trainers Of the Constitution were in
duced, from two considerations, to give
the veto power to the President: first, that
the Executive might protect himself against
the power of the Legislature. and secondly,
that he must guard the country against
hasty and precIpta legislation. Where
was the necessity for this protection agains,
the legislative power? Were not the men,
bers Of Congress bound by their oaths to
support the Constitution? The Judiciary
had no veto power, but it could interfere
and declare void any law not made in con-
formity with the Constitution. With re-
gard to has,y legislation, experience was
their best guide. He had taken the trouble
to look into the twentv-si1 constitutions
of the States Of this Union, and found that
Georgia, Louisiana. Mississippi, Missouri
New Hampshire, New York. Pennsylvania
Michigan, and Maine, had qualified veto
of two-lhirds; Alabama, Connecticut, In
diana, Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas, Hi
nois, and Vermont, had the veto power
with qualifications; and Ohio, Virginia.
Maryland. South Carolina, North Carolina,
New Jersey, Tennessee, and Rhode Island,
had no veto power; and he would ask
those who favored the monarchicaI power
of the veto, the Democrats especially, how
happened it that in these nine States, m
such instance of encroachment on the Ex-
ecutlve had taken place as seemed TO be
apprehended, or any such leg station agains,
which Senators wished especially to guard!
What was the value of the Veto powerl
The Senate consisted of tifly-two men,
bers, a majority of that number was twcn-
ty-seven, and two-thirds of tifty-two would
be thirty-six. If they, therefore. supposed
that law was passed by majority OF
twenty seven, and it was vetoed by the
President, the Veto could only be overrued
by the concurrence of thirty six. The
Veto of the President then, was equal TO
the votes Of nine several States. A ma
jority of the House was one hundred and
twenty-five, two-thirds one hundred and
sixty-two; and the Veto was equal to forty
representative votes. They had had six
Presidents who had been Senators in this
body, and they were able and eminent men:
but did any one of these six show a de-
gree Of wisdom equal to nine times as
much as that possessed by any other Sena-
tor, or equivalent 10 the wisdom of forty
members Of the House Of Representatives!
And how did it happen, that when they
had man here acting as a Senator, and
who had only an equal vote with them, the
moment he was transferred TO the other
end Of the Avenue, he was assigned a
power equal to nine Senators and forty
Representatives Was it not sufficen,
that he should have all the glitter Of high
Office and the dispensation of a vas
amount Of patronage! Was not thai
enough! Was ii necessary to superadd tc
this the power Of nine Senators and forty
Representatives He thought the Cons,i
tuition might a. well have declared that the
Veto should be absolute, for, in his iudg
ment, the requirement of two-thirds &c
pass law after it had been negativel BIZ
the President, was tantamount to a declar
alton that the Veto should be absolute; and
if this course in respect to the Veto shouIc
be continued, the question would be, no
what they should do for the benefit of tht
people, but what measure would meet tn,
appreciation of the President! 1t was no
the title of this officer, but the extent O