The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-08-11


people Give me the power to gerrymander the States
as please and can elect both houses OF Congress oy
the votes o. lean minonty o. the people Inen, sa
the veto power Of the Presidents designed to operate as
check upon the other branch of the government 80 az
more certainly 10 perfect representation Oh inc
wishes and opinions OF the people.
II is wise provision in the constitution. ~ ought ho'
TO be stricken out The power has seen ireey useq ps
the Presidents, commencing with washington; ana pc
leve il has not been abused half often as the two
houses of Congress have abused Their power OF voting
Although have differed IN opinion with Mr. Folk as to
some Of the grounds on which his veloes were Based
believe that under the circumstances. with the war on
our hands, and the necessity for creating public debt 10
carry it on they will be approved by the judgment
of the peoples though at the same time, do no, believe
that majority of the people will concur Mr. Folks
views upon the constutionalty OF those meas
ures. s't,+iN
erence General IayOrs opinions this subject Gen
temen here would have believe that their candidate
has avowed distinct opposition to the exercise Of the
veto power. These gentlemen do not tell us whether
Gen Taylor will veto this or that measure, whether
he will advocate this or that policy But they attempt to
infer from the vague expressions OF the Allison letter.
that he will not do what the constitution requires every
President to do-hat is. to determine, upon every BILL
whether he can approve it, consistently with his views OF
the public good But this is utter mistake General
Taylor has taken no such ground He declares in his
Allison letter. that he will approve all bills except when
clearly unconstitutional" or passed with "mangest
who Judge Of the haste and want of consideration
Certainly, the President. If bill should appear to him
be wrong and injurious to the public interest though
not be justified in declaring il to have been passed with
out '.due considerations" And thus, it would come at
S to TINS the me e ne
approve And if " haste consideration" is to be deter
mined by the length Of time and the relevancy OF debate
upon any given BILL am very sure that almost every
measure passed here might be hasy and un
considered.
This boased principle, then, upon which so much is
claimed for Gen. Taylor does not deserve the Ii
does not rise to the dignity of principle II is vague
declaration, which may mean anything or nothing, &C.
eodlng to the views or wishes Of each one who attempts
iaunt this idle and empty declaration in our face and
pretend that has substance sufficient be the basis of
great political campaign.
The futity and utter insufcency of this pretended
principle as guide for the people is TO be inferred from
The acknowledged ignorance Ct gentlemen on the other
the most important questions of the day There is one
question, sir Of Overwhelming Importance, upon which
il is due to the peSpet is due to- the southern people
plcily known viii he veto any proposition containing
the principle Of the Wilmot provso' heard this ques
lion proponded in this House some time since to one of
my colleagues, ICol HAsKELLl To my utter astonish-
ment he replied that he did not know Southern gentle
men, them supporting Gen. Taylor for the presidency,
the south will be protected by his election Northern
gentlemen, however, enteain pretend to entertain,
weil-settled opinions on this subject know not what
assurance they have received beyond that contained in
the celebrated Signal letter But Gen Taylor some
times writes letters and requests them not TO be pub
pledges to these gentlemen At ali events, It is Ger tain
that they themselves satisfied, and seeking to in
still the same confidence into the minds of the people of
the north The gentleman from Massachusetts, Mr..
AsHMuNl in letter some time since addressed TO his
constituents. and extensively published made the follow
ing declaration in reference to Gen. Taylor:
His declared sentiments guarantee that he will
in the slightest interfere with the action OF
Congress- when s,h forbid the existence of slavery in
oar new acquired territories I"
Such sir are the declarations sent to The north. And
southern gentlemen here, upon this floor admit that they
know nothing to the contrary! Will this be satisfactory
to the southern people. Is this the mode in which their
dearest rights are to be secured and proected tell you
sir this will never meet their just expectations. They
will demand something than this In my opinion,
no southern will dare to stand before his people and
tell them he does not know what General Taylor will do
on this vital question they WI require !" be informed
give their votes for the presidency 70 any living man.
When northern men aege, upon good grounds, that Cen
yiews-when in their written documents they proclaim
this the world southern men must be prepared to deny
and to disprove it, if they expect TO be tolerated by their
dealing here. is matter of life and death-a matter
of safety of pride, OF honor,and the south will permit
man to tfe with interests OF such magnitude Let
not southern gentlemen deceive themselves No heroic
Actions no aures OF victory, military glory, ever
conceal the fatal defect here, if all be not fair and open
and honest
Mr. Speaker, Il have heard much Of the two editions of
the life Of General Cas- published at the Globe office in
this city Gentlemen have endeavored to make some
party capital out of an imaginary fraud, pretended to
have been discovered in those two publications But, in
truth, there material difference, and certainly
contradictory, character OF the documents.
They were not designed for different sections of the
try and to my certain knowledge they were sent indis
crimina,ely to all quarters.
Be this as it may however, one would suppose that
the party which raised such camor upon this tring
discovery could not themselves be guilty of the slightest
improprety OF similar kind. An honest man might be
Justly surprised, it, after this, he should find any fraud
ATTEMPTED to be perpetrated by the wings Now sir, il
YOU will step down stairs into the folding-room of this
Capitol you will find thousands of certain document
there in preparation for distribution which will war
rant designed to be read in the SOUTH Here
is the title of this precious pamphlet Please circulate
TON OF GENERAL ZACHARY TAYLOR" In looking over
this document, find that it contains the letter Of dis
finrisbed from Massachusetts, generally known
as honest John" 1t also contains celebrated letter OF
the honorable gentleman from Connecticut, Truman
SMrrHl And last, but not least. comes an appendix, in
which the letter of certain Rev MIR. Lamb is made to
figure extensively In that letter he gives the following
account of General Taylor's opinions
s.Wh regard slavery and extension of territory, as
sue YOU neither for slave market any other OBJ
iect was General Taylor in favor of conquest and
nexation. He in favor of receiving Texas into
our Union, in favor Of the recent war with Mexico
The only evidence OF bis being in favor OF slavery that
man nj south do, If he would have servants viz
either own hire slaves do well remember that part
At least Of the cooed people living in his family could
read well, and were very pious l never heard word
contrary his decided preference for the
toms Of the north dgl 3 US. -ni 81 .r.., t.-.
II s pity that General Taylor should be made out
pro.savery beoAnse his government keeps him the
the Mississippi instead Of the banks of the Connecticut
W. are allowed to hang upon inference.
assure you that ii elected he will do for peace
and eawcipattoS than any northern man would be allow