The Arkansas banner., 1848-08-22
The rfla Raxfr.

&s"aVN @ANAhH 0A t3e WHtH party tA ttEc1t eonsenlion at Philadelphia, hasiag failed to make known the principles for which they would contend we arc left to presume that the opinions and deter imitation expressed by the leader they have chosen will be adopted hy the party. General Taylor not. ~ithstandfng his declaration that he 'wouId be iIe candidate Of no party" has accepted the noDina- 'ion of tho Pfadelpllia convention, has virtually become the exponent of whiggery, and repeatedly declared his opposition 10 the use of the veto power.
 The whigs of the north anticipating the passage 0t tho odious and unjust Wilmo, ProvisO, are ring ing tho changes upon this privilege and eonaiis- fisR1t daty of the chief magistrate They deneunee i' as kingiy prerOgatvr, and claim that it has only been used 10 the detri,nent of the country.
 1.-the administrations of wushiBgtsn, of Jefferson, of Madison, of Monroe, and of Jackson have been detrimental to the country, then have they some color of truth for their assertion for the one man power was repeatedly used by all these patriots and founders of our republic and our constitution
 If we examine the history of this power from its first introduction into governments to the pre- sent day-we find that far from having been used for the purpose of consolidating power it was invented and has ever been exercised as one of the chief safeguards te liberty. and for the protection of the people from the eneroachments and usurpa- tions of corrupt and inefficient legislation. About the year 3,70J the Rsnan Senate, exulting in the sapreiaaey of their power, commenced a system of oppression and asarpation upon the people, which made them trenlble for the liberty and purity of their republic In order to avoid these aggressisRs and put step to such encreachnients by their ''preud aud purpied'. Senators, there was aa as semblage of the people outside of the city, n which they determined te elect five Tribuues, whose duty if should be to overlook the action of the Senate, and when aa act was presented to thela, their ap- prova made il a law their disapproysl a nulli,y- This veto power was thus used for the. benefit of the people and check upon the actions of the nobes until'it became joined with the imperial pre- rogat"e-when, as since ia England, in France, in Norway and in Russia its exercise most generally iaared to ihe benefit of the sovereign power
 In the United States this same power is engrafted upon our constitution and here the will of the peo ple IS the sovereign power of the iandthe exercise Of the veto power has only been used when i, was supposed by their Representative and chief mag,s. trate that the acts of the nation al leg sIaare were unjust or unconstitutional. Washington vetoed miliaa bill without alleging il. to be uncons,itu- tionai With the advice of Jefferson, he vetoed an apporionment bill Madison exercised this duty six times during his term of office, Monroe once and Gen. Jackson used it nine times-Mr Tyler resorted to t four times and the present executive three
 In all these instances the veto was employed not trom mere capIice or with desire to ihwart the wishes ot the people, but with single mindedness and sincere devotion to the welfare or the country The Constitution of the United States, in speaking oi the legislative power says in express terms.
 "Every bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it be- comes law, be presented to the President. If he apprve he shall sign il but if not. he shall return II, with his objections 10 that house in which shall have originated," &c.
 1t Is here made the duty, we'll as the privilege, ef the President to examine every bill that may have received the sanction 0f Congress- and in his capacity, the direct representative of the whole people, to approve disapprove of it as it may to him seem proper.
 The present whig candidate for the Presidency has declared that he is averse to the Use of this power conferred and enioined upon the executive by the constitution, and that he will leave to the untrammeI led aud unchecked action of Congress the legislative duties ei the government. Should hill be presented to him, no matter how unjust or unconstitutional he must either infringe this promise break the oath that he would have to take to support the constitu- t0n He would eneavcr 10 decry the use of the veto which ever has and still Is one of tho duties pre- scribed te' ule President by the cOnsttution--aad plsc, there in order tta tle people themselves, as body, the soyere 5n power of the republic, might reserve to themselves the privilege of opposing or of forbddng the notions of their legislators in Con- gress.