Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1848-08-10


of which seems to be fully approved by General
Cass is no, merely sic p,to--but sac colo SIC Ju'
beo. lie now assumes the inltla.ive in addition
10 the veto power He not only recommends,
but dictates to Congress. flis opinions are dai-
ly quoted in debate here, and control our legis-
iation 1t has been but four days since an at |
tempt was made by the Senators from Kentucky |
and Tennessee, mir. UNnLRwooD and Mr..
BELLl to remove the distractions in the river
Ohio at Cumberland island. Everybody here
seemed TO think 1t hight to remove it--but it was
known and said that the President would veto
the bill which contained il, and The improvement
fell. So the navigation Of the Ohio tnust be OBJ
structed till Taylor n.put it all right, by al
lowing Congress to make laws. We have now
not single river or harbor bill before Congress
NOT one measure for internal improvements
Whyp But because we all know 1t Is idle tol
waste our time in passing them as the President
has publicly avowed his resolution TO veto them
all. The will of the people is nothing All
men look here only TO the will OF the President.
lie is the fountain of favor. Now IN the Brit
6sh House of Commons, under a limited monar-
chy the independence Of Parliament is secured
by rule which makes it out Of order for any
member to state in debate what Is the will of the
king and it is perfectly true, as Col. Hamilton
stated in the Convention of 1857, that no king
of England has dared to exercise the veto power
since the English revolution produced by the
Wings of l66S-onc hundred and sixty years
ogp. Why? Because the exercise of power
so despotic, which wholly denies TO the people
the right of self government, would, even in that
limited monarchy, have cost an English monarch
his head, Queen Victoria could not keep the
throne q week under one of our Presidential We
toes. We have the name OF Republic, but
stat nontis upibra lit stands but the shadow of n
name first came into Congress nearly twenty
years ago, aud have since been an attentive OBJ
server OF men and things here, though one Of
the humblest of the actors on this theatre, where
men, with loud professions Of Democracy on
their lips, chez ISL the most desp0tic principles
in their hearts, and now say that the moEar-
Chcal tendency has every year been growing
stronger that many Of our legislative acts of the
most important character are drafted at the Ex-
ecutve Departments to snt the will OF the EX-
ecutve, and that Congress has degcncrated, I'M
der Democratic Presidents, till it is little better
than the register OF the edicts of an Emperor.
IL is but few days since member who has
served in Congress about 30 years, lAlr. WED
sTER,) declared in his place, that he had never
known n President set his heart any great
measure which he did Lot force through Con-
gross.
Why is this? Let Democratic report, made
TO drive the younger Adams from power twenty
two years ago make the answer. The veteran
member from Missouri, Mr.. BENToN,) in his re-
port on Executive pdlTOHuee, may 4, IC%O, dltCr
cnumerating the monstrous extent OF the power
Of that patronage, says:
"The whole of this great power will centre
in the President. The King Of England s the
fountain Of honor; the President OF the United
States is the source Of patronage. lie presides
over the entire system of Federal appointments
jobs, and contracts. lie has power over the
Support of the individuals who administer the
system. He makes and unmakes them. lie
ncir, 81 btu a., al
porters, and may dismiss them, and, upon all the
principles Of human action, tcW dismiss them
often as they osappoint his expectations. -
Ills spirit will animate their actions in all tho
elections to Slate and Federal offices. There
may be exceptions, but the truth Of genera
rule is proved BY the exception. The intended
check and control OF the Senate, without new
constitutional or statutory provisions, will cease
to operate. Patronage will penetrate this body
subdue its capacity Of resistance, chain it to The
car of power, and enable the President to rul,
as easily, and much more securely with, thar
without, the nominal check OF the Senate.
the President was himself the officer OF the PEG
pie, elected by thcul, and responsible to then
there would be Tess tanger from the concentra
ton of all power in his hands but it is the bus
mess Of statesmen to act upon things as the
. are and not as they would wish them to be. w
must then look forward to the time when thu
public rerenue ,cW be doubted; when the ciuH an,
military officers Of the Federal Government ,cil b
quadrup cd; when its influence over individual
will be multiplied 10 an indefinite erient; whe
the nomination by the President can carry an
measure through the two Houses Of Congress
when the principle of public action will be opel
and avowed, The President tgGntS MY role, and
icant HIS patronage lcW VOTE as he w,Shes
and he tcM Ga L me The Office / ,pish for, VIVA
will this be but the Government of one man
and what 9 The Govprnmpnt of oue man hut
monarchy? Names are nothing The natur
OF thing is in its substance, and the name 500
accommodates itself to the substance. The hrs
Roman Emperor was styled Emperor OF The ~
public, and the last French Emperor took til
same tltle; and their respective countries wer
lust as essentially mondrchcaL before us after tn
assumption of the titles. 1t cannot be denei
or dssembled but that this Federal Governmcl
gravitates to the same point, &C." Those VIII
make the President must support him. The
political fate becomes Unidentified, and they INN
stand or fall together Right or wrong, the
must support him: and if he is made contraI
to the will Of the People, he must be supporte
not only by Votes and speeches, but by arms"
proceed now to answer some of the interrt
cations proposed by the honorable Senator fro
Mississippi; and, first, IN relation to the tart
lie asks C whether Gen. Taylor is in favor
the tariff. ! answer that Gen. Taylor has C!
pressly declared in his letter to Captain Also
that he will, on that subject, submit to the wi
of the people. II they, by their Representative
in Congress, choose to pass protective tar
law, he will not veto it. If they choose to r
tain the free trade law of 1876, he will not i
terfere with il. The Senator asks what is II
position in regard to this question:? | answ
that am Wing, and true friend of the !
n.erlcan tariff of 1912, and the principles OF tn
tariff. am perfectly content with the Preside
of the Unred States who will permit the will
the Representatives Of the people and OF Il
States to become the law Of the land. The no
orable gentleman referred to letter of mir
written in 1916, to my political friends in Del
ware, in which avowed myself to be what
have always felt proud to declare myself
friend to the protection OF American lndust
aud the tariff of 1912 1t was a letter write
not as he says, for a Presidential cleo ion, B
for a State election, and on the eve of it, sh
never abandon it-but glory in Inc prnciJ
it avows.
The honorable Senator inquired if there "
n man on this side of the chamber who was
favor of that tariff of 1912? AM, and Til
all on my side of the chamber concur with !
But do not desire General Taylor to force .
tariff upon the country, by the exercise OF
eculiye power. lie is willing, on I
lo,, a. o,c,l nlo