The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1848-07-21

Carthage meeting; but other engage
ments preventing his attendance, he sent
the following able exposition ofhis views
of the questions involved in the present
contest. As our readers will doubtless
read the letter with pleasure, we publish
it in full:
LANCASTER, June 80, 1S4S.
Dear Sr:-I have your esteemed ia
vor ofthe 23d inst. and much regret that
[ am unable 10 attend the convention at
Carthage. But though absent | GO with
you heart aud hand for General Taylor;
and though l do not know his opinions
on all questions of policy which divide
us. l know enough to satisfy me that the
country will be safe it he is our Presi-
dent. We have had many and startling
evils to complain of but so far as the gen
eral government is concerned, they have
all originated from one source-the ex-
ercse Of unwarrantable power by the
President-lst. By the unrestrained ex-
ercse of the Veto. I'd. By using exec
ecutive influence 10 control the legislation
of Congress. have looked upon these
as the sources from which all our .politi.
cal misfortunes have flown. The peo-
pie have not been allowed to govern
themselves by their representatives. 1t
was the great abuse against which the
wings struggled during the stormy peri
cd in which | represented our noble State
in the Senate. We felt that under pre-
tence of asserting popular rights in the
name of Democracy, all power was cen-
tering in the hands of one man-and it is
so still-still the paramount political evil
of our Union. During all the period Of
this struggle for and against the extension
of the veto power, and for and against
the exercise of executive influence over
the two houses of Congress, General
Taylor was a whig. On this subject he
united with lis in opinion and paIticipa-
ted with us in feeling AS to the details
the measures which the two houses OF
Congress passed and which the President
destroyed with his veto-and the meas
ures which he choose to bring about by
the influence of his patronage over the
members of either house-Gen. Taylor
did not study them, or form an opinion
upon them. But he saw and understood
the great points of attack on the princi-
Piles of our free institutions, and he form
ed his opinion upon them, and he main
.,.so,l Ia. tho Hrof rfinln ,,f bio
litical creed, given to Capt. Allison, he
says: II am Whig." In his second he
says: .
The power given by the Constitution
to the Executive to interpose his veto is
high conservative power, but in my
opinion, should never be exercised ex.
cept in cases of clear violation of the
Constitution, or manifest haste and want
of consideration by Congress. Indeed l
have thought that for many years past,
the known opinion and wishes ofthe Ex-
ecutive have exercised undue and inju-
rious influence upon the legislative de-
partment of the government, and from
this cause, have thought our system W as
in danger of undergoing great change
from its true theory. The personal opin.
ions of the individual who may happen
to occupy the Executive chair. ought not
to control the action of Congress upon
questions of domestic policy, nor ought
his objection to be interposed, when
questions of constitutional power have
been settled by the various departments
of government, aud acquiescel in by the
people"
Now this, in my estimation, covers ev-
erything that we really and practically
want of whig President. We want a
Tariff that will protect American indus
try-but do we want it through the infiu.
ence of the President, exercised over
members of either house of Congress, by
brit ed votesl We would spurn the
boon if obtained by such corrupling in
fluence. We want the improvement OF
our rivers and harbors-but do we want il
in connection with Presidential veto2
We have had enough of that sort of asso-
citation already. We want the a0iH of the
people on these subjects expressed thro'
their representatives, and that is all we
want; and in chosing representative, |
would take care and choose no one that
was not prepared fully to support these
important measures. Do we want the
anti.slavery principle extended over all
the newly acquired Territories of the
I United Statesl 1t must be done by the
Senate and House of Representatives.
Those who earnestly, and in faith and
truth, desire this, must be careful whom
they place in those bodies to represent
them. The Vice President may indeed
turn the scale, one way or the other, on
this question-but the President. what
ever may be- his private opinions, ought
to exercise no influence over either house
on this, no more than on any other sub.
ect; and General Taylor is opposed to
the exercise of such inAuence-and he
in effect, pledged himself that he will ex-
ercise none, and interpose no veto to
such bill. Mark his words in the closing
sentence, above quoted,
The question of Constitutional power
has been settled from the very commences
ment of our Government. In all the
north. western Territory, and in all the
Territories except Missouri, north of
SO, 3O it has been acquiesced in by the
people; and General Taylor says it ought
not to be disturbed. He is right on each
and all these subjects. He bows to the