Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1842-09-17
PROTEST OF THE PRESIDENT.

PROTEST OF THE PRESIDENT.
To the House Of Representatives:
By the Constitution ofthe United States.
it is provided that "every bill which shall
have passed the House of Representatives
and the Senate, shall, before it becomes
law, be presented to the President of the
United States; if he approve he shall sign
it; but if not, he shall return it, with his
objections, to that House in which it shall
have originated, who shall enter the OBJ
jections at large upon the journal; and pro-
coed to reconsider it,"
In strict compliance with the positive
obligation thus imposed upon me by the
Constitution, not having been able to bring
myself to approve bill which originated in
the House of Representatives, entitled can
act to provide revenue from imports, and
to change and modify existing laws impos-
ing duties on imports, and for other pur-
poses," | returned the same to the House,
with my objections to its becoming law.
These objections, which had entirely salts
fed my own mind of the great impolicy,
| if not the unconstitutionality, of the meas
ure, were presented in the most respectful,
and even deferential terms. l would not
have been so far forgetfu of what was due
from one department of the Government
to another, as to have intentionally employ
ed, in my official intercourse with the House,
any language that could be, in the slightest
degree, offensive to those to whom it was
addressed. IT, in assigning my objections
to the bill, had so far forgotten what was
due to the House of Representatives as to
impugn its motives in passing the bill, l
should owe, not only to that House, but to
the country, my most profound apology.
Such departure from propriety is, however,
not complained of in any proceeding which
the House has adopted. 1t has, on the con-
trary, been expressly made subject of re.
mark, and almost of complaint, that the
language in which my dissent was couched
was studiously guarded and cautious.
Such being the character of the official
communication in question, confess l was
wholly unprepared for the course which
has been pursued in regard to it. In the
exercise of the power to regulate its own
proceedings, the House, for the first time, it
is believed, in the history of the Govern
ment thought proper to refer the message
to select committee of its own body, for
the purpose, las my respect for the House
would have compelled me to infer,) of de-
liberately weighing the objections urged
against the bill by the Executive, with a
view to its Sown, Judgment upon the question
of the final adoption or rejection of the
measure.
OF the temper and feelings in relation to
myself of some of the members selected
for the performance of this duty, have
nothing to say. That was matter entire
ly within the discretion of the House of
De- Dr. hot
king different view of its duty from that
which should have supposed had led to its
creation, instead of combining itself to the
objections urged against the bill, availed it.
self of the occasion formally to arraign the
motives of the President for others of his
acts since his induction into office. In the
absence of all proof, and, as am bound to
declare, against all law or precedent in
parliamentary proceedings, and, at the same
time, in manner which it would be diff
cult to reconcile with the comfy hitherto
sacredly observed in the intercourse be-
tween independent and coordinate depart
ments of the Government, it has assaied
my whole official conduct, without shad-
ow of preteXt for such assault; and, stop
ping short of impeachment, has charged
me, nevertheless, with offences declared to
deserve impeachment.
Had the extraordinary report which the
committee thus made to the House been
permitted to remain without the sanction
of the latter, / should not have uttered a
regret or complaint upon the subject. But,
unaccompanied as it is by any particle of
testimony to support the charges it con-
tains, without deliberate examination, al
most without any discussion, the House of
Representatives has been pleased to adopt
it as its own, and thereby TO become my
accuser before the country, and before the
world. The high character of such an ac-
cuser the gravity of the charges which
have been made, and the judgment pro-
nounced against me, by the adoption of the
report upon distinct and separate vote of
the House, leave me no alternative but to
enter my solemn protest against the pro-
ceeding, as unjust to myself as man, as an
invasion of my constitutional powers as
Chief Magistrate of the American people,
and as a violation, in my person, of rights
secured to every citizen by the laws and
the Constitution. That Constitution has
intrusted to the House of Representatives
the sole power of impeachment Such i'm
parchment is required to be tried before
the most august tribunal known to our in
stitutions.
The Senate of the United States, CONS
posed of the representatives of the sove.
lreignty of the States, is converted into