Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1842-02-21
MONTPELIER, FEBRUARY FL, 1912.


ly wound the feelings of any human being. But
did not gentlemen recoect how often during the
administration OF an eminent individual, now in
private life, limitations had been given beforehand
that certain bill would be vetoed If it were pas
sed? And did they not remember various nstan-
ces in which the threat had been fulfilled Take
the experience of the last six months. Congress
have passed two bills to establish n Bank of the
United Slutes bills in all the provisions of which
neither party cOncurred, and which would not
have had the concurrence of twenty men III eth
or House had their minds been left unnhuenced
10y the expected action of the Executive. Take
as II SPECIAL instance the famous lG section of
one Of those bills. MIR. g. was free IN declare that
he did not know solitary man among those who
voted for the hill who would have voted tor TINT
section but as measure OF cOnciliutOn, mud IN
the hope that, 70 modified, the hill would receive
tlin sanction n tiln President. Trur, that cXprc
iul0n was not realized, the sacrifice valnly
made, but II had been made with view to shat
end, aud that alone. And so in regard to the Sec
ond of those bills Tint bill, "a he was Informed,
came 10 Congress precisely ~ it had LETT the Pres
idcnls hand. SO anxious had Congress been to
secure the appreciation of the President That al
though almost every hing in the hill would either
have been omitted or amended ny m1lurlty, they
took it "a it came from the Presidential hand, and
passed it, Letter tor letter as they received it,
Without going fnnher, did not this iact prove i'iat
the possession OF the veto power drew aicr II The
power Of initiating laws
fake another ease in the hill now before the
Judiciary COMMITTEE. Was there one man 10 be
found in either House Of Congress who would
ever have proposed such Il measure MS the Exrhe-
quer Board provided in That bill d? Yet, what had
been the feeling? Had it not been this Mus; we
60 home without doing something? Had not tue
feeling been, We are bound by the veto power,
we cannot do what we would p? Had not the feel
ing been We must take what the Executive Of
l,t,,,, .lp /
becoming umilinrlzed to the minds of ireemcn,
10 men only OF the second generation after the
DAYS of the Revolution of submitting 10 lie die
:ation Of the Executive, because without his as
sent they could do nothing Mr. e. warned the
nation that If this veto power was not arrested, 1t
it not either aboshcd or at least Limited and
circunScrbeG, in process OF time, aud that before
another such period had elapsed MS had m,crven-
ed since the Revolution, the whole legislation OF
this country would come tn be- prepared at the
White House, or in one or other OF tie Executive
Departments, and would come down TO Congress
III the shape of bills for them to register and pass
through the forms of Legislation Just as had once
been done in the ancient courts OF Frauce.
Then to enable a nation OF rGemen to carry
out their will, to set Congress free to speak that
WI, to redress the wrongs, and TO supply the wants
of those that sent them, Mr.. G. again declared
that the veto power must be modified and restrain
ed. If not, the question which Congress would
remedy for the existing grievances of the coun
| try, not what will restore The national prosperity
no but what measure will be sanctioned by
the Chief Magistrate.
MIR. G. said that, as he had not the bodily strength
to dwell more at large on the general subject, he
| would Hnw proceed to examine the objections
| which where urged against any further resriG-
tons on this Executive power.
There had gotten up Il notion Of late years hat
some curb was necessary upon the power of ma
lorilies, and that without this the safety of the
| country must be in danger. Now ON what grounds
had the princip pie been founded that in free Gov
eminent The majority must govern? On Two
grounds. The first was Of an intellectual and
moral character. 1t was light that IN great pub
llc political partnership the greater number should
he satisfied with what was done, and that there
! was greater chance of wisdom in complying
with the will OF the greater number. On the score
OF chances some must govern, aud who shonld il
| he Tie minority: Why? Because they pos
sessed more wisdom? Why were they likely 10
possess more wisdom? The second ground was
ply steal in lis aspect: it held that the majority
should be allowed to govern, because they would
govern, having the physical force which would
enable them 10 carry out their will. Now this
doctrine that unori!les must govern, whetle r
with or without the veto, was advanced by gentle
men who protested and called themselves mem
bers of the JrffersOniqn school But what was
the doctrine Of Mr. Jefferson linIsslf in regard to
majorles and so declared by him forty years IL
20. Here Mr. &. read an ext act from Jefferson 5
works, in which it was broadly laid down tina, all
absolute nrquiesence III the will of ma ories was
necessary in Tree Republican Government
But there were some particular interests, and one
sapeciay, in regard 10 which the South felt great
! soiiriindr, which il was sti ,pnscd would be more
safe under the continuance OF the veto power than
| without IL. Now IN the first place, MIR. L. saw
difference in respect to safety between that par
| at he ot tI,, ~
II il was true thar any one interest would be more
! secure under the veto power than without il, then
| all Interests would he more secure, but il no Sc
curly was produced by The veto then that parti-
cular interest would not he more secure by the
to- Just rs well might gentlemen ION the North
rise up and say that the navigating interest Gin
gard 10 which they were perhaps more interesled)
would he more secure under the veto power, oi
the friends OF amy interest, Northern, Southern OF
| Western, might fancy that il would he more Sc
cure But The question came nj last to this is
the veto necessary power or IL II not? II II il
necessary II Is necessary "a all II NOT, II Is neces-
sary to henr.
What wsssthc security which the South would
possess IN this veto puNtr? Souuer or later the
President would he in majority hlmsel. Bun, il
Il MINORITY Oi Congress should put Itself IN oppo-
slCn To the interest OF the South, neither Pres
denis nor veIoes would avail To protect II. II;
own resolution, lis own vulnr, its own indomnhlt
determination maintain its rights against al
men, those aud these ulune could in that up
hold Southern interests
Meanwhi!e the people of The South had all re
quisile guarantees. FIRST, lhry had The sacrec
provisions Of the Constitution aud then they hnt
the character Of our Government as n confedera
cy-the existence OF these interests long before
The adoption of the Constitution, and the right.
and duties OF the Government in regard to then
recognized and laid down by that sacred instru
ment. That was the security of the South. Al
one who himself lived where that peculiar inter
est existed, he possessed no security from the ex
isIance the veto power-none- whatever
lie felt himself secure in that mutual harmony
which il was alike the interest Of all to cultivate
in the constitutional securities, and in the certain
y OF the disruption of the Union, as the inevlta
BILE result, the moment that Interest, should be as
sailed; in the capacity and determination of lh'
South To defend herself at all hazards, and agans
| oil ~ c,o.s, nj.