The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-11-01
CITY OF WASHINGTON.
WEDNESDAY MORNING, NOV. L, Is4s.
MIR ClnvtOu,s SpcSch.

Mr. CIAyto"'s Speech.
We find in the Philadelphia American and Gazette OF
Monday recently delivered speech of Mr.. Senator Clay
ton strongly marked by that gentleman's ability, and
marked also regret to say by his unscrupulousness
in the support of his party. 1t is principally devoted TO
an examination OF the veto power and the respective
positions of General Cass and General Taylor in relation
it; and it falls into two very grave mistakes, which
require correction The first mistake is in the following
words:
General Cass has accepted the nomination for the pres
dency the express condition that he will any act
repeal the eetrade tariff of 1886 the pro
tective tariff of 1872 The objection to him is merely
that he voted, he did, for the eeade act of 1876
which annuled the of 1872 is that he has pledged
himself, by his letter accepting the Baltimore nomination.
that in will he suffer the people to make law
for themselves this subject should they differ with him"
Now General Cass has made such pledge as this
He has cordially approved the Baltimore resolutions
which sanction the general policy embodied in the exist
ing tariff, and in the constitutional treasury, and
which deprecate general and waseful system of inter
nal improvements Beyond this General Cass has made
no pledge whatever to the of the veto in relation
to these subjects If bill were presented to him sub
,tantiay altering any part of this existing policy of the
government he would doubtless carefully examine its
provisions and determine his upon that examna
ton 1t is reasonable to suppose that he would require
very good reasons for any change of this policy before he
could give it his sanction 1t is not improbable that any
such good TO his judgment might be very hard to
find But it is utterly untrue that he has, as Mr. Clay
ton alleges, handcued himself beforehand in the per-
Torrance of his constitutional duties. The democracy of
the country know that his opinions are sound on these
cardinal points of policy; and they hold them to be all
the more sound that he has not surrendered both that
duty of examination and that duty of judgment upon the
measures passed by Congress, which the constitution
solemnly and specifically enjolns upon him.
Mr. Clayons second mistake is in relation to General
Taylor's position. and the view we have taken of it in
our recent articles upon the power The mistake
set forth in the following paragraph of his speech
sBut the administration boldly claims through the
government opan the Unon,' that the President part
of the legislative power Mr. Richie, who has handled
the subject with great ingenuity tells us that the constu
ton has ordained that concurrng maortes OF the
two houses shall hold full Legislative power that the
President parcel of the legislature The first section of
the constitution declares that all the legislative here
in granted shall be vested in Congress do not deny that
the President may prevent the passage of law But to
pretend he make law, is part parcel of the
n,o-making power is monstrous 1t is doctrine which at
once constitutes the President despot and Mr. hitchie,
with all his ability make the appear the better
son. in vain condemns Tayor doctrine that the subjects
ofhe tariff internal and the he will
carry will of the people by refusing to veto the acts
of their representatives His lies in the assumption
that Taylor has pledged himself to approve what he really
condemns On the contrary, Taylor, republican, holds
ought approve and means to approve anything
that the people shall desire subjects vitality affecting
them their interests because, eondng in the people,
Cen Cass he is unwilling to do he holds that their
will ought to, and SHALL make the law on these subjects
Which is the republican doctrine [Cheers The charge
against TAYLOR of abandoning his constitutional duty, is
charge without shadow of foundation He says he will
approve and therefore will not veto; while Mr. Richie
under stands him to declare In efec mat ne VIII sign OH
without approving II!
Now to this we say, in the first place, that in our ari-
ces we assumed" nothing to General Taylors posi-
ton We quoted his o,cn words being the whoie of an
entire and separate paragraph of his Allison letter No
Here it is:
Third Upon the subject of the tariff, the currency the
improvement of great highways rivers, lakes and har
bors the will of the people, expressed through their rep
resenaves Congress- ought be respected and carried
out by the Executive
If there be any meaning in language, here is just what
we said there specific pledge that General Taylor
will not use the veto power in relation to the tariff, the
currency or internal improvements that is to say, that he
will sign anu tariff BILL amy currency bill, any inter-
nal improvement bill that majority of Congress may
pass Now will Mr.. Clayton pretend that General Tay
lor can give such pledge that Observation-Disclosures he
has seen the bills or knows what they may be-wthou
an abandonment" of his constitutional duties Mr.
Clayton says he has not pledged himself 10 sign without
approving but both approve and to sign That is, he
has pledged himself that his judgment shall approve
measure before he knows at all what it is! He has
pledged himself to approve of all legislation, and any
Legislation, which may the tariff or the currency
Is it competent for any man of sense to make such
pledge as that! What is that judgment ,cOrth, which
can thus be pledged to approve beforehand what as
and must be wholly unknown and unforeseen, and what
may turn oGt to be monsrous7 Suppose Congress pass
mammoth bank bill: Does General Taylor knoD that
will be one which his judgment approue2 Clearly
not Why, them has he pledged himself to sign it J
Simply because it will be a"currency BILL passed by
majority of Congress. Mr.. Clayon's statement that
General Taylor has pledged not only his hand to sign
but also his judgment to approve currency bill
tariff BILL of which he yet knows nothing, is the
charge we have yet brought against the old General
Other men have described certain laws. enumerated their
provisions, and then given pledges to sanction veto
them But what public man, before General Taylor,
ever found, who would give pledge to approve he
knows not what-passed he knows not by whom for he
knows not what purpose-and upon he knows not what
reason If this be so, Mr. Clayton says then indeed
was that most weighty word which was lately spoken
by Daniel Webster, +" GENERAL TAYLoR's NOMINATION
WAS A NOMINATION NOT FIT TO BE MADE" Suppose Con-
gress were to pass law providing that the public money
L., IN tho Rank of Enpland' General Taylor