Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1848-12-27

alternate seasons OF temporary apparent prosperity;
Of undue and disastrous commercial resuisions; Of
unprecedented huetnation or prices, And Of the op.
preston Of the greatest interestscf agriculture
and commerce of pec,aniary suttering,an financial
bankruptcy of thousands.
After severe struggle Of more than a quarter Of
century the system was Overthr0wn.
The bonk has been succeeded BY apractical sys-
tenn Of fnance conaucteda md controlled solely by
the government. The constitutional currency has
been restored, the public credit maintained, unin
paired, even in period of foreign war, ahd wnole
country has become satisfied th1t banks--Nationa
or State-are not necessary fiscal agents of the
government. The revenue duties have taken the
place ofa protective tariff. The distribution deri
we'd from The sale of the public lands has been aban
doned, and the corrupting system of internal i'm
proyements, it is hoped, has been eectually check
ed.
& His not doubted that If this whole train Of mea
sures, designed TO take wealth from the many ant
fasten it on the few were to prevail, the eHec
would be to change the entire character Of the gov
eminent. One only danger remains; it is the re-
duction Of that branch Of the system which consists
in internal improvements. Holding out as it does
to the people of particular sections
EaHd locations to embark the government in then
without stopping to calculate the inevitable conse
Gnences. This branch of the system is SO evident
" linked and combined with the others as surely
ss an eect is produced by adequate cause. If it il
resuscitated and firmly established it requires M
sagacity to foresee that it will necessarily and spec
Oily draw after il the establishment of a Natona
Bank--the revival of protective tarin--the disrl.
button OF the land money--and not only the post
poncment 70 the future Of the payment of the pres
ent national debt, but its amount will annually in
crease.
entertain solemn conviction that If the inter
nal Improvement branch Of the "Amercan sytem'
be not firmly resisted at this time, the whole sere:
OF measures composing it will be speedily estab
hshed, and the country viii be thrown back from
its present high state of prosperity. which the
listing policy has produced and be destined again
witness all the evils commercial revolutions, ant
depression of prices and pecuniary embarrass
ments, through which we have passed during thu
last seventy-fve years.
To guard against consequences so ruinous, is az
object OF high national importance, involving in
judgment the continued prosperity Of the country
have felt it to be an imperative obligation Il
withhold my constitutional sanction from two bills
which had passed the two Houses of Congress, in
yoying the principle OF Internal improvement
branch, Of the sEAmesican System,'' and confictiBE
in their provisions with these views.
This power conferred upon the President by tlt
constitution, have on three occasions during n,
administration Of the executive department of tbs
government, deemed it my duty to exercise; and OF
this lest occasion Of making to Congress an anEua
communication of the state Of he Union, il is no
deemed inappropriate to review the principles ant
considerations which have governed my actions
l deem this the more Hcco s3aIy, because after The
lapse ofsiNty years since the adoption of The con
sftution, the prepristy OF the exercise Of this IN
doubted constitution power OF the President has
for the first time been drawn seriously into gus Stioi
BY portion of my fellow citizens.
The constitution provides tat s.eYcTy bill which
shall have passed the House of representa- YES ant
the Senate, shall, before il Lccomcs a law. be pre-.
scented to Tie President OF the Euited Stgtas il he
approves H. then he SaG siln IL. hut if not he slla
return it with his objections. 10 the House in which
II orieiDated.who shall enter the jecions at large
in their journal, and proceed to reconsider it's
The preservation Of 4 constitution from infraC-
ton is the presidents h.ehts duty. lie is hound &c
discharge that duty ii whatever hazard Of uCurr:rc
The dist pleasure Of those Who may differ it'll him il
opinion. He is bound 10 diSCh@r,c 1t wei ny Oh
legations TO the peorlc WHO have clothed him with
his exalted trust as his oath Of Office, which he
may not disregard. Nor are the obligations of the
President in any degree lGsscncd by the evidence
Of views different iIom his own in one both Hou
of Congress. II is not alone !.haSty and incon-
siderGte legislation that lie is required TO check
if 1t any time Congress SHAH, after apparently full
dciiteration. pass measure which he deems sub
versivc of the constitution or of!Ac vital interests
Of the county, is his solemn duly TO stand in the
breach and resist them. The President is bound to
approve or disapprovc every biz which passes Con
gress, and is presented to him for his signature
The constitution makes this his duty, and he cannot
escape it if he would. He has no election Of deCi.
ding upon bills presented to him be must exercise
his OWN best judgment, and if he cannot approve it,
the constitution commands him TO return the bill Il
the source i'll which it originated with his 0jcctios
ard if he fails TO do this within ten day s-SunGays
eNcepted---lt should become law without his sig
nature, light wrong. lie may be oycrruled by
two-thirds Of each House, and in that event, the
biiibecomcs law without his sanCtiea. II his obec-
tons be then overrulcd, the subject is only post
poned or is referred to the States the people
their consideration and decision The ronsidera-
ton, is however, negative merely, and not airIna-
tive, and can enact no law. Ic only effect, there
fore, of his Withholding his appreciation OF TIE bill
passed by Congress, is to sucr the existing law to
remain umch2nged and the delay 0cCaSiGned is only
that required 10 enable the States and the people
consider and act upon the subject in the election of
public agents, who shah show their wishes and in
struCtioIs. Any attempt to yield this sanction to
measures which he cannot approve, would Lc VIC
iaon OF the spirit of the constitutions palpa5le and
fagraEt, and If successful, would break Down the
independence Of the Executive Department. and
make the President elected by the people and coth-
ed by the constitution with power to defend their
rights the mere instrument Of the majority Of Con
greSs, and would be surrender on his part OF the
power VITA which the country has invested him
his Gift would effect practical alte tion OF that
instrument without resoIiDg to the cribcI pro
cess Of ntendniCnt.
With the motives or considerations which NAV
induce Congress to pass any bill, the President can
have nothing To do. lie must presume them TO be
as pure as his o"n, and look only to the p.acticaI
effect of theIr measures when compared with the
constitution or Che public good.
But 1t has been urged by those who object to the
exercise Of this unGouLted constitutional uuner,
that it assails the representative paincip,e and the
capacity OF the people to govern thumscl es; that
there Is eater safety in numerous rere sentative
body, than in the single Executive, created iy the
constition and that the Executive is "a one man
power,' dGSrotc In its character. 70 expose the
failacy Of this objection, is only necessary to con-
s.dcr the frame and true character of oar SYSTEM.
Ours is not consolidated Empire. but confrdera-
It'd Union. The states before the adoption Of the
constitution were ordained Co-equal, separate 4
independent sovercignticS and by It's adoption they
DID rot loose that character; they clothed the fed
eIal government with such certain powers, and re
served all others, including their own Sovereignty;
to themselves. They guarded their own rights as
States, AMI the rights of the people, by tho very
which they incorporated into The federal
oGstituti0n-whereby the different departments of
the general government are checks upon each 9TH
err. That the majority should govern, is 4 general
principle controverted by none but they must gov
ern according to the constitution, and not according
to underlined and InrestTained Giscrct ion, where
BY they may Cypress the minority.
The people Of the United States are not blind TO
the fatt that they may be Temporarily niScd, and
that their representative legislatures and executives
may be mistaken or influenced in their action BY
motives. They have therefore intercred
between themselves, which may be caused by their
public agents-vartous representatives,, such
'enihics, senates governors in their erl States,
md House OF Representatives, SeEi te and Presi-
lent of the United states. The people can ty their
OWN direct agency make no laws can the House
II Representatives Immediately elected by them
he concurrence of the President Or vote of two
both