The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-08-05
WING VIEWS OF THE VETO.

In reference to the recent veto Of the river and
harbor bill, the lntegencer Of this morning pours
out column Of yitupetation upon the Executive,
the sum and substance Of which seems to be, that
the President refused sign the bill because he con-
sidered certain provisions Of il TO be violations Of the
constitution; and that for paying any heed to such
convictions he ought to be held up to oblOquy and
reproach! Only in this sense can we understand
the following somewhat remarkable passage from
the Intelligencers article. After abiding with all
due wing misrepresentation to previous acts Of the
Executive, that journal says:
"All these wasteful faculties Of spending millions
upon millions for purpose as wicked as II is boot
less, the President finds smooth and easy things ex-
empt from the slightest constitutional legal hesa
tion for surely in such perious things the smallest
doubt would wsigh more with good men than the
greatest in things pacific and beneficial only"
Here is a beautiful theory Of constitutional con-
struction. We commend it to the consideration of
the people as the very last dogma of the wing doc
tors. Let the President only be satisfied that law
pacific or beneficial and then the greatest doubt Of
its constitutionality should, in the wing Judgment
or his convictions in such case, they will be sheer
ed at as "abstractions!" This is a doctrine emf
nently worthy Of the party Of favortsm, Of priv.
lege, Of special legislation, and in one word, of ex-
pediency. So the people in mass be roundy taxed
under the name Of protection and then the avas of
such In xatnn he auishi. .~~.~A~--a =: '~~<'
tonal purposes the wing conscience il quite salts.
fed to forget the established and ancient readings
Of the constitution. Such legislation, to the eye
Of the wing politicians, snakes the land smile,
and whitens its .inand waters with the can
vass of peaceful COMMERCE. But this unprnci-
pied creed forgets that such legislation, pervertng
the powers of the general government, and jostling
it of its true sphere of action, shakes the pillars
ofthe constitution and the foundations of the
Union ITSELF No course of action can be conceived
more fraught with peril to our very existence as
nation than that which should thus offer, from year
to year. enormous system Of brides, inducing diff
feren sections Of the country to combine their forces
to plumber the treasury under the pretence of inter-
terna improvements.
We commend the Intelligencer's prudence in de-
clnlng, "for the present. to examine the minuter
parts of the constitutional argument with which the
President has returned the bill to the House. The
Intelligencer has made up its mind to condemn the
Veto and it can be condemned much more easily before
| examination than afterwards. To be sure, an ex-
animation might possibly have suggested to the In
teligencer's ingenuity something purporting to be
an argument against the Presidents positions Be
this as it may, there is certainly appearance of
such thing in its present elaborate article. Even
without examination, however, we should have sup
posed that the nteligencer could have kept clear Of
| q oIf
the winter and spring quite busily in clamorng out
against the executive for what it called the hostile
spirit of his message and his policy against the two
great nations with which our own is most intimate
ly connected. Now, on the other hand, the In.
tellgencer makes it matter of accusation that the
Presidents constitutional dogmas much prefer in
everything the foreign to the domestic But this is
not all. Congress has just passed new tariff law
overturning the Intelgencer's favorlte wing tariff
of 1912. And forthwith, in view Of this fact, the
Inteigencsr asserts that "the Executive has struck
down our manufactures" Certain provisions are
inserted in the river and harbor bill, which, in the
judgment of the President, transcend the Legislative
power Of Congress. The President returns the bill
with his objections; and this, the Integencer calls
'smitIng down the commerce of the country -
Such extravaganccs-and the article is full of them
for prescription and annexation, Mormoni Cal
ifornia and the war with Mexico, figure through
its coherent and logical paragrephs-such NANTES
extravagances surely cannot challenge formal re
ply, They have scarce body and force enough ever
to provoke a sneer.
The qualified negative upon legislation, which the
constitution has placed in the hands of the Execu
tive, and which the Intelligencer (suddenly growr
ultra democratc) deplores "monarchical princ
ple"-this wise and salutary power was erected il
our poty for great and bene6cent ends. 1t can new
err be more wisely or justly employed than in de
Tending the constitution against combination of sec
tiona interests, like that represented in some Of tn,
provisions of the river and harbor bill. Leading ad
vocates Of the bill have declared that they consider
ed some Of its enactments unwarranted, and that as
whole, they gave 1t their support with the creates
reluctance. II this was the feeling with those VIII,
originated the measure, and who, the representa-
tives Of local constituencies most interested t.
sustain it, with how much greater force should suc
objections appeal to the mind and conscience Of tn
Executive, sworn, first of ALL to defend and protec
the constitution, and then bound to regard himse
as representing the interests, not of any single sec
!, ton or sections, but Of the whole country.
We regret to learn that Judge Pennybecker, one
the senator's from Virginia has been hurried home b