Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1846-08-27
e ge Sentiuet':
W COT ETQC2g:
AUG. 27. 1916.

lHE vEToES.-The exercise Of the
veto power, for the purposes contem-
platedby the Constitution, by the Pre-
sltlent, during the session Of Congress
which has just closed, and particularly
with reference to the bill providing for
the improvement Of the western rivers,
has been denounced as base disregard
of the great interests which he has
sworn to foster and protect; and some
have even pronounced the power itself
as monarchiea..
tits not our present design to I'M
der'ake an elaborate defence of the We
TO power, as it exists in the Consti,u-
ton. That would require more space
than we can spare. But we feel that
we are called upon, in common with
our Democratic contemporaries of the
press, to lend our humble aid in shield
ing the President from the otlium that
a few disaffected Democrats and the
whole 'whig nation are endeayorlng to
cast upon him.
If The Legislative powers of the Con-
gress of the United States are defined
at all by the Constitution, we think the
propositions a fair one, that their limits
may be known-that the point in their
exercise may be determined at which
he who has the right may say, thus far
shalt thou 60 and no farther This pro-
position being granted, it will not be
denied, we presume, that the measures
upon which Congress may legislate,
as national body, should be those on
ly, or at least as nearly so as practical
bic, of a purely national characteristics
as much so as the action of State le-
gislature should be confined to matters
exclusively within the limits Of such
State. We all know too well the ten
dency of power to centre in the Gen
eral Government; and the process to.
ward Capitalization is 50 subtle, that
it is scarcely pereeptible until 1t is too
late to apply the remedy. And we
know Of no doctrine which is more
likely to facilitate the Capitalization of
unconstitutional power in Congress
than the position assumed by Mr.. CAL
houn on the river and harbor bill. He
assumes that the western rivers ought
to be unprecedented the work is too
vast to be accomplished by individual
enterprise, or even BY the States and
that, therefore, the power to improve
them resides in the General Govern
ment; for, he contends, the power
must exist someuhere. Very good:--
Congress doubtless has the power-
that is, the money; for money IS power
but whether Congress has the con-
statutsonaI right 10 make such improve.
nents as were provided for by the riv-
er and harbor bill, or not, is another
questlon~-a question upon which Mr..
Polk does not differ from some of his
most illustrious predecessors. No, no.:
it will not do to say, that every i'm
provement. which neither. individuals
nor states have the pouer {viz. the mo-
mey) to make, must necessarily be ac-
eomplished by the General Govern
ment. Who doubts the right of the
States to remove obstructions to the
navigation of the rivers within their H.
lnils' Ifthey have the right, but not
the po,osr, why should Congress have
the powsr, when the rigat is not con-
ferred? But we are here met with the
argument, that Congress has The CON
stitnsional power to regulate commerce;
that the proposed improvements would
facilitate commerce.; and therefore Con-
grsss may make them. Would not
commerce be nlso vastly facilitated
By the construction o. magnificent rail-
roads and turnplkes through the length
Of the Unionl Blu, the states, though
they unquestiouably hays The right,
within their own limits, 70 make these
impro~esas ats, hive nos the p,sss,: =