Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1846-08-29
NATIONAL INTELLlGENCER.
THE REPUTATION VETO.


such prerogative the Kings of more than one
European monarchy dare no longer exercise) in the
resort to the Veto power by the Executive of the
United States, has grown too frequent, and 49, IN ts
latest use too intoerably bad, for to pass over
without mmuter examination than we could at
the instant give it. the Presidents Message OF the
9Th of this month"; returning to the Senate the Bill,
which had passed both Houses OF Congress, pro-
viding for the claims of our cinzens who suffered
by French spoliations prior TO the year 1900, and
offering the official " reasons" for negatving this
long-delayed act Of justice.
In this Message the President assigns, in obe-
dience 10 the constitutional phrases, his /" reasons
against the Bill and his objections to its becoming
law" Now, are reasons and objections, such as
those are, compliance with the purpose of the
Constitution, or are they only reasons in name, for
what is in point of fact an arbitrary, Naked cruel
and unjust exertion of mere sovereign will And,
in place Of SUCH might not the President have, Just
as decently as to the laws, respectfully as to
his own reputation for skill to color bad act, spoke
out in the old words, and said for his sole reason,
"Stat pro ratione uolunfas? ?"
For his first reason, his leading objection, and, as
if to convict himself of having legitimate grounds
for what he is doing, the President is at pains to
state that the antiquity Of the losses, Ito be compen
stated by the bll) the multiplicity of the facts, the
extended negotiations to which they gave rise, the
brief time left him to look into the merits of the
claims, and the pressure upon him of other duties,
prevent his haUing examined the matter in its de-
tails. To quote his precise words:
SIN attempting to give the bill the careful examination
requires difficulties presented themselves in the outset from
the remoeness Of the period which the claims belong
complicated nature of the transactions in which they originate
ed and the potaced negotiations which they led between
France and the United States. The short time intervening
between the passage the bill by Congress and the approach
ing close Of their session. well the pressure Of other ocs
duties, have not permitted extend my examination Of
the subject into its minute details But in the consideration
that have been able give find objections Of grave
character to its provisions"
Now, Congress, upon full investigation, had re-
cognsed the fact Of the claims, the principle that
zoe were TO pay them, and even the general amoanf-
about how much they were. What then, pas
there to ascertain, except those very details which
the President in effect avows that he could not in
form himself about! The principle and the fact Of
debt being ascerained, what was left but to can
yass and sift the details that is, the validity and
extent of each particular claim belonging to this
body of claims, and making up, when joined to the
rest, its gross amount!
Details,' then, not principles, were the impe-
diments to the Presidents signing this b--detais
into which he had not looked-nay, details into
which (had there been ever so much time at his
disposaD ne had no business TO enter; for he is
not a judge nor a commissioner to pass upon the
individual rights arising under law of the land.
!" Details p Why, there were none in the bill !
Congress had not undertaken judicially to parcel
out to each claimant legal award for the exact
amount due him on proof: that was TO be left to
commissioners, Judicial function. Congress had
only, after many investigations, nearly all leading
the result, satisfied itself that there did exist
a large and valid body of such claims that our
Government had, upon receipt OF ample considera-
ton placed itself under obligations to satisfy them
and had, with a most tardy faith, at last acknow-
lodged the debt and provided sum TO cover it,
leaving of course, to Judicial distribution the pro-
portions in which and the persons to whom the
money was TO be paid. Does not any one see,
them at glance that the Executives talking about
the "details" in like ths-the items that
are to be admitted in favor Of this or that ndivi-
dual-is, in effect little better than saying that he
will not sign any law thai has details in IL?
Multitudes Of claims for individual losses, or SER
vices, or supplies furnished, before Congress
II examines them, in their principles, proofs
amounts, through its Committee on Claims II
these report favorably on them, they are usually
provided for by what are called "private bills p
which that now in question really is, only EN-
bracing many persons. The only differences be
tween such cases OF single persons and the presen
are in favor Of the latter. For, in the case of tn,
single person, Congress ascertans judicially tn,
whole matter, the amount to be paid, and leave.
nothing to the surer inquiry of tribunal but her,
the matter was to be submitted to legal examination
and the claim itself Possessed this vast superiority
over ordinary private ones-that il had been origi
naly preferred by the nation ITSELF acting for it,
citizens, against foreign Power; that the nation
had thus vouched for its reality and its ex.
tent; but had, for a very important considera-
ion. renounced the claim against France, and
engaged by treaty to pay its citizens the sum
which it had been demanding on their behalf
This claim, then, having passed through an adverse
examination much severer than any that ordinary
private ones subjected 10, is again to be revised
as TO payments under it, by judicial agents Of some