Weekly national intelligencer., 1848-11-04
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER
"THE CONSTITUTION, AND THE POSITION OF
PARTIES REGARDING IT."


This caption heads an article in length exceeding
a column of the Sunday morning Union, October
18th, written in defence of the most monarchlcal
part of our Constitution, the Presidential Feto
The cause of so many elaborate defences OF this
bulwark of Executive power, by party which has
taken the People under its particular safeguard
rises SO completely to the surface that he that rsas
can read.
The writer of the Unions article seems or affects
to regard the Veto as, we sorry to say, it ap-
pears to be regarded by the public generally, thatit
affects only the course of legislation. Quotations
from Vice President DALLAS, Gen. HAMILTON, DC.
are made to support such views. But are such
views so extensive to include the whole subject!
We think not Any one who reads attentively the
history of the formation of the Constitution will
soon discover that the Convention acted under
conviction that it was not Exective, but Popular en-
croachment that was to be feared and guarded
against. The second paragraph of the quotation
from Gen. Hamilton proves the'correctness of our
allusion:
"The propensity of the Legislative Department
to urude upon the rights and to absorb the
powers Of the other Departments, has been al
ready more than once suggested; the insufficient
cy of mere parchment delineaGon of the boun-
daries of each has also been remarked upon and
the necessity of furnishing each with constitution
al arms for its own defence has been inferred and
proved From these clear and indubtable princl-
piles results the propriety of negative, either
absolute or qualified, in the Executive upon he
acts of the Legislative branches"
Such were the predominant ideas which produc-
ed the Veto. Has the intermediate history of the
United States sustained these ideas, and their effect,
the Veto /! Has the history Of any nation, under
whatever form Of Government, sustained the
cusion that the Legislative has exceeded the Execu
tive branch in disposition to infringe
The Veto, as it is authorized by the Consti-
tution represented by its advocates qualified.
Is it so in operationf Is il not mockery to re-
gard il so 1t relieves the President and his Cab-
net of all responsibility, and supposes them more
qualified to Judge Of what egislationis needful than
any number short of two.thirds of both Houses of
Congress. Set aside their official characters, and
place the President and Cabinet in comparison with
the Senate, and who in his senses would give the
palm to the former! We say this, or rather put
the query, viii. full respect to both Departments.
But, in fact, there are other views of the Veto
power which give out its character in belder relief
than when applied to Ordinary legislation. As a
commentary the qualification Of the Veto, the
President is Commander-in-chef of the Army and
Navy in peace and war, by the Constitution. He
has, we fearessly say, an unqualified and absolute
negative on the acts Of both Houses of Congress I;
therefore, except by awo-thrd vote Of both
Houses, Congress calnot eifker declare wdr or
conciiide peace in opposition TO the President.
More and worse if both Houses TO
power the Veto by two-thirds vote, the President,
be il or question OF peace or war, remains through
his term Genera-in chief by land and high admiral
by sea, irremoyeable except by impeachment
The day will, must, come when this Veto
will have TO sustain more trying scrutiny than
1t has hitherto sustained. Wise and consderate
men at the head Of the Government will not use
this extreme power unless in very extreme cases
and hence We say solemnly to fellow-citizens,
that teir duty is imperative 20 raise TO the Chief Ma
gistracy men who will use and not abuse such i'm
perial power II is worse than vain to shut our
eyes 10 the fact that the President has the authority
80 give character to the Government during his Ad-
minstrat:on. The real dependence of the people,
on moderate AMI just Administration, rests on the
maa. and not on constitutional Limitations Of pre-
rogatve. The two Houses Of Congress two
standing committees to prepare bills which the Pre-
sident can make laws or waste parchment.
II can answer no useful purpose to charge US
with personality for making these comments We
only repeat objections made in the Convention
which framed the Constitution, by members who
then and there doubled and expressed their doubts,
Of the propriets Of creating a perpetual Dictator.
Such forewarnings we're unheeded, and the Presi-
dental office was enacted and the incumbent made
Generalssimo and High Admiral during his official
term He is therefore at the head Of the military
part Of our Government; and with the Veto, ena-
bled TO paralyze the whole civil legislation. Nor
does the President really need political party TO
sustain his negative power, as thiryseven per ceat
Of either House is sufficient.
Cause and effect are correlatives. The cause
NAV lie dormant but as long il exists the effect
NAV issue forth. Earthquakes and volcanoes do
no, happen always but where they have occurred,
and their cause is known, the inhabitants Of such
places would be reckoncd insane were they to in
sist that volcanoes and earthquakes were conser-
yatve.