The North-Carolina standard., 1848-09-27
NUMBER 725.

1
popular. that his opinions had commanding weight
and influence and that much may be justly attributed
to that 1t the influence that high talents
and integrity and singeness of purpose united to an
unshnking frmness, must to its possess
or. am also ready to admit that the the same eau
ses may have had their full effect in relation to
! Washington and Madison. But what, sir must we
say of the veto of John Tyler-the denounced, repu
dated Tyler? Abandoned by the party who elected
him reved traitor, and condemned as desert
er, he, too, threw himself in front of the combined
energies of the whole Whig party, headed by the
great embodiment himself: vetoed a bank bill gov
erned this nation without party in Congress or IN
the country; and this outraged, oppressed people
elected as his successor one who always entertained
the views and carried out the same policy; and
not only did the people acquiesce but approve Still
gentlemen say that they oppressed, bore down
with the power and that the government OF tho
majority is converted in monarchy.
! Sir, ours is not government of the majority.
Every clause in the Constitution looks to the protec-
ton of the minority. Every limitation upon power,
and restraint in its exercise, looks to the safety OF
the minority. This House, representing sections,
may and often does represent minority of the peo-
pie of the United States bare majority can elect,
whilst district unanimously of one opinion, can
only do the same. The small States, with most
reduced population be deprived OF at least
one Representative. The fractions In the larger
States go unrepresented Does the Senate represent
a majority? Delaware and Rhode Island speak In
tones as commanding as Pennsylvania and New
York. The Presidents veto is equal to the votes OF
two-thirds of both Houses, and the opinion OF
the Supreme Court overrides them all. Is this
government of majority? Surely not Let gen
temen, then, rail at the Constitution, and not at US,
for our regard to its provisions. l know that the
| Wing party often act though they regarded the
Constitution nuisance; but that Is not the fault
of Democrats.
| The gentleman from Indiana Mr.. SMITH
pleased to taunt side of the House with Federal
principles, in appreciation of the constitutional
veto power. have long observed that the applca-
ton of odious name the favorIte mode OF re-
cuperation after bankruptcy in argument. Ii he
would gravely consider his lattudinarian no
tons to the doctrines of high protection, banking
institutions incorporated by the Federal Government,
and internal Improvements, he would hesitate in the
use of that term. He would be satisfied that his
party, and he in particular, hold, both in faith and
practice all the doctrines OF that school The veto
power alone troubles him now, because it is con-
venient issue. Sir, could but smile, few days
since when resolutions adopted censurIng the
veto message to this House. The day IS not far dis
tant when many face will be suffused with bushes
at the record made up on that occasion. That mes
sage will be read and admired when the resolutions
will be regarded by those who come after US as en-
tirely unsatisfactory. Insects are made immortal by
! being imbedded In amber, and derive consequences
and perpetuity from their location. IT, sir those re-
solutions survive the occasion which called them
forth, if they die not with the epeerG of the hour
it will be because they are cmbalmed and PresPrv-
ed by the immortal argument of that message; they
will be rescued from oblivion only puny effort To
disparage this great vndication of the rights of the
people under the Constitution And here permit me
| !
trines of the Wings this subject. The distin-
guished chairman of the Ways and Means, Mr..
Vinton, early in this session, declared, IN his place
on this foor that the President had communicated
an erroneous statement to this House and the coun
try as the of debt which the veto had saved
the treasury of the nation. He declared that the
policy of the friends of internal improvement had
never been to borrow money prosecute those en-
terprises; that he knew of in this House who
would be willing to do now; yet, by reference to
the Journals of the last Congress, it appears that the
gentleman himself voted for the $22,O0O,OOO loan
and for the issue of treasury notes. He also voted
against the expenditure of that loan in the proseou
ton of the Mexican war, although negotiated for
that purpose. He voted for the internal improve
men bills of that session, and for the very bill which
the President vetoed this session.. He did more,
sir he voted for the insertion of the Savannah river
appropriation into the civil and diplomatic bill, few
DAYS snce and expressed his regret that the bill did
not contain appropriations tor the ONO and MlsSs-
sipp rivers. Yet that gentleman has deeply deplor-
ed the Indebtedness of the country by the war; en-
terained serious apprehensions that the loan OF Sl6
100000, ordered during this session, could not be
negotiated spoke gloomly of the future; blamed
the fnancering of the past, in not taking all that
was rendered last year. Our Chancellor OF the EX-
chequer gave the most distressing antclpatons OF
national bankruptcy; and yet IN the midst OF debt
and ruin, with credit on the and resources
hausted, the gentleman is still willing to borrow mo-
ney for this favorite scheme of his ask, sir, how
we are rely upon such declarations Of the doctrines
of party who go along with the gentleman-de-
plore debt and increase it preach economy and prac
tice prodigality; doctrines and abandon them;
disavow policy and pursue 1t No wonder gen
temen advocate the election of candidate for the
Presidency whose opinions are in Jog; who de-
clines to answer questions to the details OF his
ltical opinions. Clame1 here in hearing by
northern Wings as anti-slavery and Wimot-pro-
viso-ree-soil candidate, there is southern Wing
who has risen on this floor, in answer to repeated
calls to say that General Taylor will, If elected veto
the Wimot proviso. ask if there be one, and pause
for reply. There One southern gentle
man, from Kentucky, Mr.. Adams,l said not only
that he would veto the proviso but he hoped he
would not. Indeed, it has been conceded on this
floor, by gentlemen from Massachusetts and others,
that they believed him to be opposed to the exten-
sion of the institution of slavery any territories
acquired by the United States The letters of Messrs
Smith, Ashmun Hudson, and others, lights and e ID
amongst the Wings here, clear on that point;
whilst the South he is said to be safe because he
is an extensive Shareholder My friend from Virgin
ia, Mr. Flournoy,1 in speech delivered some weeks
ago expressed desire to keep this question out of
the canvass for the Presidency settle it after the
elections for the subject is safer in the hands of the
Wings than the Democrats. Under what delus1on
does my friend labor! There is not afree-State
Whg on this floor who is not openly for the w llmot
proviso There are those the Democratic side
who are openly opposed to it, VINO vote Win the
South and are willing to do us equal justice. And
in this nv friend sees less OF security to southern III
terests than with those who are openly and peTse-
veringly endeavoring to fix degrading Inequailty
upon us: who have declared war upon what they
are neased to called the sin of slavery, and invoke
all the aid of spurious feeling and excitement to over
wbeIm u.s. Sir, appreciate the patriotism of those
who have openly avowed their devotion 10 the rights
: e THAR foli ioyu-c