Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1846-08-12
The Second Veto.

The Veto Message OF the President in relation 10 IN.
Old french CLAIMS veto the more 7, markabe it is
based upon erysdieHey alone-w;I we hone. bsv. ,b.
effect OF satisfying many VIII" have heretofore dorb,ed m
PoPHey' oil modifying mat monarchical feature Of our
Constitution. We re not in favor Of abolisb5ng i'll
hough we sh9 prefer that, rather than il should re-
main IN Us present practically sbSoiute form-but
sucp change will deprive Of the power to
oe' the will OF majority Of the Houses of Con.
gress deliberately expressed The very fact often refer
red to- evidence OF the Importance OF this power
and the righteousness with which il has been uniformly
exerted-we the subsequent approval the PEG.
ple-is utterly faacous and indeed constitutes with us
strong objection exists IL furnishes but another
illustration OF the overshadowing and dangerous of
the Executive branch OF the government which rapidly
consolidating all the powers Of the government its own
grasp. Its fashion Of courters well fiction of law
say that 1.-THE King do wrong and popular 60
yernnents demagogues who bear the relation TO The
people do kings accustomed 10 invest
the people with the attribute inaibity
We syeophants OF Power whether IN the Monarch
the Multitude; and have hesitation therefore in
saying that King Numbers Just liable to err and that
his Just likely prove fatal public liberty
King Sork or King Log Tie approval by the people
consequently OF the veoes OF popular Presidents regard
most faacious Of the wisdom and justice Of the
exercise OF that sovereign attribute Certainly the fra
OF the Constitution deemed 1t probable that
upon question OF eIpsdiency the President would
reject law which had received the sanction Of both
Houses of Congress-very few Of the members of which
sney fully capable the President himself 10
decide upon the policy of its enacImen each of whom
might with much propreiy be entrusted with this po-
negative. The cOtemPoraneous commentaries upon
and expnstons OF the Constitution show clearly that s
wise and patriotic authors did for believe that
President would csprciou-ly and arbitrarily exer-
this power They believed that he would stand too
H.
Of the people, and they chiefly Hpprehended that
would be dead etter his hands for century past
within which period law passed by British PAriamen,
has been vetoed it hiss been IN Great Britain Bat it IL
sufficiently obvious that they greatly moderated the
influence OF the Executive, which, through its constantly
accommodating patronage and by other scarcely less
operative, has become tho l0 making well as the Ias
executing branch OF the government.
In relation the justice Of the claims proposed to be Ii
quidated BY the vetoed BILL repeat what we have here
tOore said that have examined subject with sui
hcient authorize express opinion But
y the argument Of the President that the delay
pay them. uses still further procrastnation is Who'll
ly untonable On the contrary, If The claims be equitable
every days delay but aggreyaes the injustice Of which the
claimants by the neglect Of their government have been
long the victims Strong pTiHd Jaee evidence that they
well founded certainly furnished by their recognition
by both Houses Of Congress, majority Of which could
scarcely be persuaded away five millions Of dol
lars satisfy claims resting upon conclusive evidence
Of their justice II true, that Congress has heretofore
failed pay them-but this failure has generally been o
ing alleged Of time upon the SUBJECT We
that's bill for their liquidation has ever been
reeetsd by Congress-and 1t that on moro than
twenty occasions, the committees which the investgs-
ton Of the subsc has been condod, have reported favor
ably upon them, WHILE in single instance has there been
an adverse Report This fact, Alone Is almost concusiv
as TO the obligation Of the government the pay.
ment Of these ong-stsnding claims.
While complaining Of Mexico for ir failure "a
pay citizens for alleged spoaons upon our commerce
it is certainly remarkable that own government mani
tests much reluctance perform like act Of Justice
for spoiatons committed by France, and from the paymen
Of which have by treaty released that government anc
| in that manner become ourselves responsible