Weekly national intelligencer., 1848-10-28
General Taylor sustained By Washington.
FROM THE BIcHNnsp TIMES.


The political opponents OF General TAYLOR are
every day deriding him as man coniessedly igno-
rant of the principles on which our republican III
stitutlons grounded-takiIg their assumption Of
such confession from one of his modest acknow-
ledgments, as honorable TO him as the advantage
taken Of il is dscredtable 10 his adversares, that
having been long accustomed to the camp. and un-
used 10 the discussion of party questions and being
then immersed in the mufarous duties of his COM
mand, he was illprepared to make any detailed ex-
position OF his political opinions. But all candid
and fairly disposed minds must have been strongly
impressed by The fact that, in the various statements
by General Taylor of what he has aptly termed the
q great cardinal principles" which would regulate
his political life, he exhibits remarkable reverence
for the teachings Of the earlier ard wiser statesmen
Of the republic, and announces sentiments which
are evidently derived from deep and profitable
study OF .heir examples.
With respect to no subject of public interest is
this resemblance more conspicuous than that of the
functions of the Federal Executive. And upon the
question OF the Ieto, especially, the highest aud
most yenerated authority may be adduced for the
opinions expressed by Gen. Taylor.
Ii is, of ale, the doctrine Of The so-caled Demo-
cratic party that the President is peculiarly the re-
preventative and protector Of the people that Con-
greSS Is the element Of the Government which is
least popular and most 10 be dreaded that the in.
discriminate Of the negative is therefore always
conservative and that the President Is to be usti-
fed for lis exercise whenever bill passed by the
two Houses may be variant, in any degree, from his
views of legality or expediency. II is conended
IN short that the constitution requires the President
10 reject every bill which he does not, in all re-
spects, "approue."
The opinions of General Taylor on this subject
have, on the other hand, been briefly and perspi.
cuously stated in the following admirable passage
OF hls irsl letter TO Captain Allison:
he power given by the constitution 10 the Executive 10
lnierPose his veto high conservative power but in my
opinion snosd he exercised except in cases Of clear
violation of the constitution, manifest haste and wan OF
consideration by Congress Indeed have thought thai fo
many past the known opinions and wishes Of the E1
ecuve have exercised undue aud injurious influence upor
the leg stve department, Of the Government a.d for th
have thought system in danger Of undergoing
great change from is true theory The yersonai opinions
Of The individual who may happen 10 occupy the Executive
chair ought not TO control the action o Congress upon
tons q domestic policy oogh; his obeconto be inter
posed where questions Of constitutional power been
tied ty tie various departments Of Government and acquesce
in by the people"
The high and venerable authority Of GEoRGl
WASHINGTON may be cited in direct support of suci
a limitation as Gen. TAYLOR proposes of the use
the Presidents negative The great founder o
the republic, the man who guided its infant fortune
through the perils of revolutionary war, who pre-
sided over the deliberations in which our glorious
constitution was constructed, and whose unequae,
wisdom gave the new system its first direction
adopted no such theories OF representative liberty
as those which are hippan,ly advanced by pigmI
polite Of the year lsis. In letter from Gen
Washington 10 Edmund Pendleton, dated Septem
Der %, 1923, the following remarkable passsg
occurs
"You DO than justice when you suppose that
from mopes of reped toths Legislature, (and Im;gH add
from my Interpretation II The constuton) eIvE
sATCRE To NAVY BILLS wTrH WHICH JUDGMENT Is A
In saying this, however, aude pdyticI
lar ac From the nature Of the constitution appfov
all the parts Of BILL reject IN t0to To do the latte
only be justified upon the clear and obvious ground
propey and had such confidence in ny own iacu
y q judging be overtenscous Of the opinions may hav
nbibed in doubtful cases v" Writings Of Washington ro
l0 ,. 37I.
George Washington's Interpretation Of the consti
tuition, therefore, did not prevent him from givinI
hls signature TO many bills with which his judg
ment was at variance but the followers aud apollo
gists OF James X. Polk, forsooth, maintain that tn
President who signs bill which he does not ap
prove is guilty Of the high crime Of PERJURY LIE
sn indignant public sentiment decide the question
between these modern saints in politics, and th
glorious man whom their phsrasaical morality woult
forbid the American people revere as the creates
and best of mankind. II Zachary Taylor has pro