The daily union., 1846-08-26

his Country, is the only instance in which such an
exercise Of executive authority has not been sus-
tainsd by the deliberate judgment Of the people.
The qualified negative of the executive upon the
Legislation of Congress- forms most essential ele-
ment in that system Of checks and balances in the
working of our government by which the largest
possible unaaimiy in the public mind is made re-
quisite for the enactment Of law, Our constitu-
ton recognises three coordinate branches Of the
legislative power--the President, the Senate, and
the House. OF Representatives Each Of these
branches has its own separate constituency and
its own mode of election. When all the three
agree upon the passage of any measure, the will
Of Uery large majority Of the OhOIs people must be
represented in it. ....
In the House of Representatives, some six or
seven Of the largest States united can override the
votes of all the rest and thus leave the interests and
the will of nearly half the nation, and OF three
fourths Of the States unrepresented in bill which
may, under such circumstances, pass the House. ln
the Senate, on the other hand, where all the States
equal, population of lttle more than four mil
lions, may, by combination of the small States,
control the vote Of the whole body. But both the
Senate and the House must unite in the enactment
ofany law, a far larger majority of the whole peo-
pie must take part in its passage than would be the
case if either the Senate the House was the ex-
elusive organ Of the popular will, ifthese branches
ofhe legislative power were based upon the same con
sttuency. The President, again, is chosen by
an electoral body emanating directly from the
people, and equal in its numbers to the repre-
nd Of
bined. Here is a third constituency, differing
from either Of the others, and in concurrence
with them, representing an augmented proportion
Of the entire popular will. This third constituency
has under our constitution, like the two others, the
right to be heard in legislation, and it is heard
through the qualified negative Of the President No
attempt, then, be more futile than that which
the whig party has so long made, upon system,
to disparage the veto power a monarchieaI
element in our constitution. IL is substantial
ly popular. IL was deemed essential by the
founders Of our government for the defence Of the
republican system which they established. "The
propensity" say the authors Of the Federalist 'of
the legislative department to intrude upon the rights
and TO absorb the powers Of the other departments
has been already more than once suggested; the in
suffciency Of a mere parchment delineation of the
boundaries Of each, has also been remarked upon;
and the necessity of furnishing each with consttu
tional arms for its own defence, has been inferred
and proved. From these clear and indubiable prin-
cpes, results the propnety of negative, either alb
solue or qualified, in the executive upon the acts
Of the legislative branches. Without the one or the
other, the former would be absolutely unable to de-
fend himself against the depredations of the latter
He might gradually be stripped of his authorities
by successive resolutions, or annhated by a sim
gle vote. And IN the one mode or the other, the
legislative and executive powers might speedily
come to be blended in the same hands. If even no
propensity had ever discovered itself in the egsa
tive body, to invade the rights Of the executive, the
rules Of just reasoning and theoretc propriety would
of themselves teach that the ought not to be
left at the mercy of the oher but ought to possess
constitutional and efectual power OF self defence"
We add to this great authority few pertinent re-
marks made by Mr.. Buchanan, in his speech in
support ofthe veto power, and in reply to Mr. Clay,
delivered in the United States Senate September 2.
ls42 with which we think we may safely dismiss
the subject:
whom this power is to be exercised He is a cit.
zen elected by his fellowctzens to the highest Of
fetal trust in the country and directly responsible
TO them for the manner in which he shall discharge
his duties. From the manner in which he is elect
ed, he more nearly represents majority of the
whole people Of the United States than any other
branch Of the government Sir one-fourth of the
people may elect decided majority of the Senate
Under the constitution the representatives of
sovereign States, and little Delaware has an equal
voice in this body with the Empire State How is
it in regard to the House of Representatives. With
out resort to the gerrymandering process which of
late years has become common it may often hap.
pen, from the arrangement of the congressional dis
tricts, that minority of the people Of State will
elect a majority Of representatives to Congress
Not in regard to the President of the United
States. From necessity he must be elected by the
mass of the people in the several States He is the
creature of the people-the mere breath of their
nostrils-and on him, as the tribune of the people,
have they conferred the veto power.n