Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1842-03-01


said that this was true of kings, but
did not apply on this side ofthe water;
but let Mr.. G.. tell those who thought |
so, that the actual condition of Pres
ident of the United States did not very |
widely differ from that of the monarchs
of The old world. Here, too, the Chief
Magistrate occupied an insulated sta
ton, where the voice Of his country
and the cries of its distress could not
reach his ear. He, too, was surroun-
ded by gordon Of favorites, fatterers
and fawns. Isolated in this District,
with no embarrassments himself, the
echoes of the public distress, ii they
reached his ear at all, reached II with
faint and feeble sound, being OBJ
structed by those who surrounded his
person, and approached him only TO
fatter. Facts were boldly denied,
and all complaints attributed 10 fac
tious Split.
! Now he would ask, was man thus
separated, and thus surrounded more
likely to!know the real sufferings,wants
and wishes of his countrymen than
the two hundred and forty two men
in the other House, or the fil-two men
in this House, who came up here d.
rectIy from their bosom? who shared
in all their suffering? who felt their
wants, participated in their wishes,
and symphathized with all their sor-
rows That was the true question oil
the veto power Now he thought II
these things were duly considered, land
he spoke. not of this or of that incum-
bent of the office, but of the circum-
stances of every one who filled it, Gt
must be admitted by every candid
mind that the responsibility was great
of a man who should undertake, on
his own private opinion, to resist and
suppress the will Of the nation constr
tutionally expressed. 1t was power
not merely to annul the national will,
as lawfully uttered by its own chosen
Representatives, but the power to lnl-
tate legislation itself, and 10 substitute
| for the will Of the nation an alien will,
neither Of the nation nor Of its Repre-
sentatives.
But he was physically unable TO go
further into this subject. The ques
ton was the old question whether we
should have, in this country, power
tyrannical, despotic, absolute, the ex-
ercise of which must, sooner or later,
produce an absolute despolism, or a
free Representative government with
powers clearly defined and carefully
separated? That was the true ques-
tion 10 be decided.
/ There were other amendments ac-
companying this one on which he
; wished to say few words, but was un-
able to day. Several offers had been
madeby gentlemen near him TO move ar
: adjournment. but he had persevered il
declining them.)
That in relation to securing TO Con
! gress the appointment of the Secreta
ny and Treasurer, was one of those
{ reforms to which he considered the
, Wing party solemnly pledged and one
| of the measures proper TO be pursued
: in the process ::of limiting Executive
, power,but he could not now dwell up
: on it.
: The other, relating TO tho appoint
+ ment of members of Congress to Office
only went, in effect, to carry out thu
s principle already sanctioned by tina
: article Of the Constitution which de
: clares that no member should be ap
n pointed to an office which had beer
: created or the emoluments Of whicI
n had been increased with his concur
Y renee. This went .one step further
II and declared that no member shout
i be appointed to an office which ha
n been created with or without his con
!, after currence, before or he was mem
d Der. Whenever man accepted'an ofic
# which he was reasonably expected t
IS hold for definite term, he should cor
y tinue to hold it for that entire period
o unless some very strong reason exis
i ted prior to his appointment.
e There was one concluding remar
l. on the amendment at present befor
y the Senate with which he would clos
y what he had now to say. Althoug
l. he admitted that the principles lie ha
e laid down would, if carried fairly on
= lead 10 the abolition Of the veto alto
1t gether, as inconsistent with the funda
n mental axiom Of free government, "
} he was of opinion that this like othe
reforms, should be introduced slowl
l. and with circuhspection, without sue
g denly rushing ftom one extreme to ant
IS Their. Before the power should be utterl
Or abolished he deemed it prudent tn,
s. an experiment should be made in MI
OF difed form; and instead Of requiring
lie majority of two-thirds Of both Hous,
ut to supersede the veto of the Pre- siden
n he thought it suficien to require Il
n concurrence Of a majority of the who
o. number Of members elected, e.
IL thirty seven in the Senate and ofo