The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-10-29
CITY OF WASHINGTON.
SUNDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 80, ls4s.


party if they have any principles, is the destruction OF
the veto power Despalrng OF being able to per
suade the American people TO strike from the constitution
this great power so conservative Of their rights and of
the existence of the government itself, they hope TO get
round or nuIlfy the constitution, by pledgng their
didate for the presidency not to exercise the power in
question thus subornng him TO violate his oath to sup
port that sacred instrument
For the purpose of showing the outrage which the
leaders of federalism attempting to perpetrate
upon the constitution and the rights of the American peo-
ple copy below the views of Alexander Hamilton,
of the trainers of the constitution expressed in the
I'D number of the Federalist." Mr. Hamilton was him
self ederast and the founder Of that party, and there
fore should be the best authority with the wings but he
was also a member of the convention which formed the
constitution and doubtless expressed truly the views OF
that band of patriots in relation to the veto power.
But, before introducing Mr. Hamiltons views, we pro-
pose to consider briefly the origin and nature of the veto
power.
Ii is not alleged by wing orators and editorsthem-
selves the admirers of British institutions and laws-of
British origin, and copied from the British constitution.
1t was of Roman origin, and devised solely for the
protection of the people OF Rome against the aggressons
and usurpaons of the Senate which body possessed the
legislative power, and in fact the arstocTacy OF
Rome The American veto is but modification OF the
rRIBuNrrIAN POWER of the Roman people, which was
the great protector of their liberties against the encroach
ments of the Roman senate
The expressions of the Roman senate led to the nst
tuition of class of officers called the Trbunes of the
People During the term of year the persons of the
bunes were sacred and their voice could suspend any
law passed by the senate for the space of time
Uvl. f. e I
forbid Hence the origin and of the veto in the
American constitution
Butthe veto of the Roman tribune was absolute The
American veto is QUALIFIED negative" in the Ian
guage of MIR Hamilton. By our constitution II is sus
pensve merely, and may be overrued by vote OF two
birds of the members of both houses of Congress And
when most effective, only refers the measure upon
which is exercised back to the people for their revs
If they approve it, they will sustain the President;
if they dsapprove it, they will elect person to tie pres
dency whose opinions conform TO their Hence the
veto in constitution is eminently popular power,
and conservative of popular rights.
When the great mass of American legislation since the
adoption of the constitution is taken into view, it will
appear that the number of bills vetoed by the Presidents
is very few in comparison with the number approved.
But % acts OF Congress have received the presidential
veto out OF more than 1000 which have been passed
since the foundation Of the government And when the
power has been exercised it has always been to
the rights and true interests of the people, and
every instance has been sustained by them. Yet, the
leaders of the wing party endeavor to make the veto
odious by boldly comparing with the absolute mega
tive OF the British monarch! We would refer TO the
following views of Alexander Hamilton for complete
reutaton of such false assumptions Out of the mouth
of their most distinguished ancient leaders will
denim them
The first thing that offers itself observation is the
qualified gative the President upon the
tons of the houses of the legislature in other words
his power of returning all bills with objections, which will
have the effect of preventing their becoming laws, unless
they should afterwards be ratified by twohrds Of each of
the com ponent members of the legislative body.
The propensity of the legislative department to nrude
upon the rights and absorb the powers of the other de-
parments has been already than suggested the
nsufcency OF mere parchment delneaton oil the bound
of each has also been remakedupon and the nece
sity of furnishing each with constitutional for its
defence been inferred and proved From these clear
and ndubabe principles results the propriety of mega
tive either absolute qualified in the Executive upon the
of the legislative branches Without the one or the
other the former would be absolutely unable defend him
self against the depredaons of the latter He might grad
uay stripped of his authorities by successive resolutions
annihiated by single And in the mode the
other the legislative and executive powers might speedily
come to be blended in the hands. If propen
sity had discovered itself in the Legislative body in
wade the rights of the executive the rules of just reasoning
and theorec propricy would of themselves teach that
the ought be left the mercy OF the other, but
ought possess constitutional and eectual power of self
defence.
"But the power in question has further 1t not
only a shield to the Executive, but furnishes
additional security against the enacon Of improper laws
1t establishes sautary check upon the legislative body
calculated guard the community against the effects of
faction precipiancy of any impulse unfrendy the
public good which may happen to influence majority OF
that body.
"The propriety OF a negative has, upon sions
been combated by observation that be
sumed single man would possess virtue wisdom
than number of men and that unless this presumption
should be entertained would be improper give the
Executive Magistrate any species of control the egs
ative body.
But this observation when examined will appear rath
specious than solid The proprety of the thing does
not upon the superstition of superior wisdom
in the Executive but the supposton that the egsla
tive will not be infallibe that the love of power may
sometimes betray 1t into disposition encroach up
the rights of the other members of the govern
ment; that spirit of faction may sometimes per-
its deliberations; that impressions of the mo-
may sometimes hurry it measures which ITSELF
mature reflection, would condemn. The primary in
ducemen to comforting the power question upon the Exc
cutve is to enable him to defend himself; the secondary
is increase the chances in favor of the community
against the passing of bad laws through haste nadver
tence, design The oftener is brought I'M
der examination the greater the diversity in the stu
atoms OF those who to examine il, the less be
the danger of those which flow from OF due de-
liberation, of those mssteps which proceed from the