Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-08-05

dency to evil They therefore contrived, and put TO
gether in the Constitution of the United States The
most elaborate system of limitations on power The
world has ever The Whole Constitution, indeed
is but bundle Of the most cautiously beaiowed grants
OF power, on the one hand, and ACCUMULATED vetoes
prevent lis abuse, the other. Esaysto Congress- :"
give you onlythese particular SUBJECTS for your eeisla
ton, and itorjid you to leg'sste On any other And
secure these limitations and proper legislation on the
subjects grantcd-t says to this House. Yod may veto
line acts OF the Senate; and TO the Senate, "i on may
veto the acts Of the House." whilst to the President
gives the power OF qualified the acts of both
10 the States, in many high particulars, it says 81
forbid. TO all its func onarles Legislative, judicial
and executive, in prescribing the power Of each To-
wards the other, and the people, it says, 81 Forbid
and 10 the people themselves 10 change or mod
y It's PROVISIONS excepting in certain form prescribed
1t says =" forbid The veto power, Ike tie flaming
sword in the garden of Eden, stands all round. a,
every of approach, to gusrd the Constitution
Wiliomt II, the Constitution is nohing-worse than
Eoibng-a vast corrupt mass, where tyranny may 'ro
and gender ln." All that there is of energy, lie, and
! liberty, springs from this power Ii may be abused
1t must sometimes BE- abused, although never az.
gressve but preventive merely III its character,
| less gentlemen change our fallen nature THIS
branch of Congress- may improperly veto bill sent 10
us from the Senate; and the Senate, may fuctously
veto legislation; and the President may weakly or
corTnpy ntepose his veto on the joint action OF Con.
gress. What then, Shall this House, the Senate,
or the Presidential office, he abolished, Shall Con.
suon only exist, whilst We have perfec. instrument
| 10 carry 1t out At the worst veto By any depart
mrnt only negative ey-a suspension of good, If
improperly exercsed-for limited time only. The
Constitution has provided remedy in periodical cleo
tlons, BY which tho people sit in judgment their
public agents, and record, too, their veto at the bal
iot-box, their silly vicious legislation Or,
should corruption be manifest Representatives, Sena
tors, and President oil liable TO impeachment But,
denouacc the power because il rcstrains
mini nj Mt n saIl aIpa n
tyranny, because it accompshes the very object for
which il cxiss-restrnirs power-Is 10 against the
Constitution, and the whole system of liberty and JUS
iice, it intended to establish. Who does not see,
that the claim Of omnpoence in this hall, because We
supposed to be the people, will not be content
with aolshng the Presidential veto! Strike that down.
and the Senate must go next If tie ye,o in the hands
of one man, is monarchy-in the hands of few, it will
establish arstocracy and shall the people be ruled BY
uristocrats' he are The people, and the people must
be omnipoten,! Down with the Senate II was but
week since we heard The Senate denounced on this
qor this very ground, for tlwarting the supposed
VIII of the people, I've being the peop!e for putting lis
veto Apportionmcn bill, in conformity 10 It's
unqnesticnabe constitutional! right The gentleman
from Massachusetts, mir. Adams,l who, while Pres
dent of the United States spoke with contempt in his
first message 10 Congress, Of Representative being
palsrd by the will Of his constituents The leader
in this denuncation Nor the of usurpation
and destruction stop here. Alter all the practical
CHECKS III the JOTWS vi leWlsI1tiOH dWbyi
what will become of the limitations the subjects of
legislation in the Constitution, which have ever been
considered by this party as mere cobwebs to brushed
away AT all convenient times: The end will be-as
the object must be-a concentration OF all power here
Sir, the gentlemen have admirable presidents for all
this course. There ID nothing in their principles
ind policy, but in bringing them to bear the Cons
tuition of the United States. From the bloody history
Of the French Revolution they have drawn al! their les
CT patriotism md WISDOM and even The t0Tm and
,co,ds of their defamation. When the National AS
semby me-: the first thing the popular branch did,
to require that the Peers should not constitute sepa
rae BODY, but should sit with them. They thus got
rid Of The veto Of the Peers The next thing was, 10
drnource the one man porer-the vcto-in Tie hands
Of the King. They soon got rid OF that, by the gu'o.
tine The glorious supremacy of the people was now
established ard all power was concentrated IN the popn-
lar branch of tie Legislature. The caucus system,
which had been previously established and through
whose energy these measures had been carried, now
developed fearful tendency. The predominant party
met nightly in the ball of the Jacoblns. There, all
measures were FIRST considered and determined on, be-
fare they were introduced into the assembly, and passed
according 10 the caucus dctaton. The few OF course,
ruled; but, In give their position more stability, the
committee of safety was established; and thus, step by
step, in the Of liberty and the people, despotIsm
arose in The persons of Murat and Eohespierrc, "he
uptblc unparalleled in the history Of The world.
Sir here the example, principles and practice torn
out from the bloody history of the Old World to be
placed which gen:leme n surviving
for the people of the IT, S. Nor they at the begin
ming of Their enterprise They have the Jncobln club in
their nightly caucuses efficiently organized, aud as
implicitly obeyed, as in the National Assembly
They had al the extra session of Congress- end have
now through his agents. il says true, the do
minion of The will of one man, supreme as that of
Robesplcrre They have surpassed their French pro.
toiypes in strangng debate, and silencing IN the name
OF the people, the voice OF the peoples Representa-
ives. They have practically nu'l'hed lhe limitations
,Lx ct ,v,clo lao
Congress. There bu, two more obstacles TO over
comc-thc veto Of the President, and The veto OF the
Sena,e--and The system and example will be complete
The destruction Of The one, is already pnry symbol
the other, is denouncedaDd the principle which pros
traies the Presidential veto, must also overthrow the
Senate. Liberty will then be triumphant, and riot IN
the glorious posse ssion of all power n single cgsla
live body welded by single will, in the dark councils
Of midnight caucuses. Even under the votive services
of such orshppe.s adure her here 1t will hardly be
prophecy forete that, in the French Revolution
we will her representative in prostitute and
Eer high priest in the execuloner.
Suppcsc, Sir, the objects Of gentlemen accomplished
and Ill the ve,oes in the Constitution abolished, and
all mower concentrated in Congress hat will then b"
the Government Of The L. s., IN its best admi
nisHations
Aware of the different pursuits and interests of the
yarious portions of the Conederacy, the trainers OF the
CONSTITUTIONS proposed 10 give power to general i.e
ri stature only over those interests which were com
mon and general 10 the whole Conlcderacy; whilst
those which were peculiar and sectional, were left to
The States. Such the sign and theory OF The
Constitutions and in no other way, could Tree re
preventative Government be framed, which would be
,ctual in protecting the various interests IN the
diercnt portions Of the Union. Ii the interests were
general, then, in legslatng upon them in general
legislature, the representatives of one part OF the
Coniedcracy could not Cypress another without OPP
pressing themselves. Each would be compelled Il"
look 10 the interest Of ALL in looking 10 It's own,
and thus would practically represent all But The con
trary would be The effect, il general legislature hao
power over local ard sectional interests However
harmonious these may lie with each other IN Inc ma
iural order of things, as soon as Gosern .. .nsri
feres this harmony must be overthrow: for Govern
uent can only favor, by oppessng local and section
al interests ony be fosered ard promoted a, .he
expense Of others state of hostility arises; and Inc
intercs; Of portion Of the country pF"m''ee es
nc;y ;hut If another IS destroyed In sueli s,"''
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